Oh How The Mighty Had Fallen: 1977 AMC AMX vs 1981 Dodge Challenger

Good morning! This week we’ve been looking at cars that were the same price, but had nothing else in common, but today we’re not going to do that. I found two cars that are wildly different in price, but share a common theme: both are later, worse versions of famous muscle cars.

Yesterday’s coupes were more polarizing than I thought they’d be. Quite a few of you had some very strong opinions about each car, stronger than I expected, especially considering how lukewarm my feelings are about both of them. I didn’t actually know it was possible to have strong opinions about a final-generation Celica or Riviera. In the end, there were nearly twice as many fans of the Riviera, resulting in a comfortable win for a comfortable car.

The Buick is absolutely my choice as well, and unlike some of you, I don’t feel guilty about choosing the smooth-riding car at all. Harsh, modified sports cars are a young man’s game, and that’s not me any more, and I’m fine with it. Oh, and I suspect the reason the Buick’s air conditioning hasn’t been fixed is that the seller is just a flipper; it’s in exactly the condition they got it, and they’re not going to put any work into it.

The muscle car, as many fans knew and loved it, pretty much died after 1973. There were a lot of reasons: gas shortages and high prices following the 1973 embargo didn’t help, nor did impending safety and emissions standards. Also, word had gotten out about the frequency with which young drivers were ending up in ditches and wrapped around telephone poles in such cars, and insurance rates were through the roof.

But automakers, bless their hearts, weren’t ready for the party to end, so they just did the best they could with what they had. The results were less than inspiring. The most infamous of these post-muscle cars, of course, is the Ford Mustang II, but it was far from the only offender, and probably not even the worst. Let’s take a look at two other muscle-in-name-only cars from the era, from AMC and Dodge.

1977 AMC Hornet AMX – $4,200

Engine/drivetrain: 258 cubic inch OHV inline 6, four-speed manual, RWD

Location: Wadsworth, OH

Odometer reading: unknown

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The original AMX, produced for only a couple of years, was the product of AMC’s “make it cooler by making it shorter” philosophy of the late 60s and early 70s (see also: Gremlin). It was based on the Javelin, AMC’s answer to the Mustang and Camaro, but with a foot of length taken out of the middle, which also eliminated the back seat. AMC then shoved its biggest V8 into the stubby little car, and created one of the coolest muscle cars ever. This is not that car. This is a one-year-only revival of the AMX name, based on the Hornet hatchback, festooned with louvers and spoilers to make up for its lack of anything resembling power.

The AMX was available with either a 258 straight six or a 304 V8, but you couldn’t get a manual transmission with the V8. This one has a manual, which I’m not sure does all that much to help its performance, but at least it makes you feel like you’re helping out. This engine may not be powerful, but it is stout, and the seller says this one runs well. They were told the engine was rebuilt before they got it, and they’ve kept the juices flowing by driving it every once in a while.

It’s a bit grubby inside, but not actually in bad shape. It needs to be cleaned out; the footwells and trunk have become catch-alls for the sort of detritus that project cars attract, like that roll of electrical tape on the floor. But the dash and door panels look good. The driver’s seat has a couple of seams coming undone, but considering the car’s age and the era in which it was built, there’s nothing to complain about in here.

Outside, things aren’t as rosy. The paint is faded, and there are some rust bubbles coming through here and there. The bottom corners of the rear quarter panels show some amateurish rust repair that was painted over. I shudder to think what it looks like under those rocker panel extensions. And someone has gone a bit overboard with those Pep Boys stick-on chrome letters, but those should come off easily enough.

1981 Dodge Challenger – $9,000

Engine/drivetrain: 2.6 liter OHC inline 4, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Hampton, TN

Odometer reading: 75,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

The Dodge Challenger as we know it today went out of production only a couple of years ago, with a series of fire-breathing special editions with more horsepower than gearheads of the 70s could have dreamed of. That car was an homage to the original Challenger, introduced in 1970, also ridiculously fast for its time if you checked the right boxes on the option form. In between, from 1978-83, Dodge applied the Challenger badge to this car, a captive import based on the Mitsubishi Galant.

Under the hood, where the once and future Challengers housed massive V8 engines capable of turning gasoline into tire smoke at alarming rates, this one has a Mitsubishi 2.6 liter four-cylinder engine making a meager 105 horsepower. Ironically, this engine has hemispherical combustion chambers, so it is technically correct, however disingenuous, to call it a “Hemi Challenger.” Doing so would probably not endear you to most Mopar fans, however. It runs and drives great, and the seller has a stack of receipts and records dating back to when it was new.

It’s pretty nice inside, and almost certainly better screwed together than Chrysler’s own efforts at the time. The Challenger was marketed as a sporty car; Plymouth’s version, the Sapporo, was more of a miniature personal luxury coupe. I gotta say, though, these seats look pretty comfy. The driver’s seat has one tiny tear in the fabric, but aside from that, the interior is in great shape.

It looks great outside, and the seller says it has been garaged its whole life. I always really liked the style of these cars, and I’m a sucker for two-tone paint. The off-brand white letter tires on those excellent factory alloy wheels are a nice touch, too. With the propensity to rust that these cars had, this is probably one of the nicest ones left.

These cars make me think of the Tennyson poem “Ulysses“: “Though much is taken, much abides, and though / We are not now that strength which in old days / Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.” If you judge them against their earlier counterparts, they are found terribly wanting. But what if you take them at face value, exactly as they are? Can you ignore their famous names and find something redeeming in them? Or, if not, which one strikes you as less of an affront to its heritage?