By 1974 the ponycar war was grinding to a conclusion, and the 1974 AMC Javelin AMX was no exception. Ford had given up the ship in 1973 with the “last” of its high-performance V-8 Mustangs and Cougars. Both Chevrolet and Pontiac were scaling back their performance Camaros and Firebirds. Chrysler was preparing to axe the Barracuda and Challenger. AMC soldiered on with the Javelin AMX in this, the last year for an AMC ponycar.

Under the hood, the 304 remained the standard V-8, with the optional 360 and 401 still in the arsenal. The last big one continued to crank out its rated 255 net horsepower, with the assistance of a Motorcraft 4300 four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. A standard three-speed and optional four-speed continued as the manual-transmission choices; Torque Command automatic and Twin-Grip remained other choices.

The ’74 AMX didn’t do well in the marketplace compared to Camaro, Firebird, and the downsized Mustang II, all of which saw increased sales. Javelin production, meanwhile, reached a second-generation high of 27,696 units.

Of that number, 4980, or about 15 percent, were Javelin AMX models. AMC would resurrect the AMX tag, attaching it to the Hornet, Concord, and Spirit in subsequent years. But none had the muscle-car mystique that the Javelin AMX strived for, and certainly none could hold a candle to the classic, original 1968-70 AMX.

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