The most poignant part of Javelin Photo Archive is a set of proposals for a lovely Gremlin-based hatchback intended for introduction in 1973 or 1974. The designs look like they could have sold quite well. Instead, AMC management went with the ill-fated 1974 Matador coupe. Alas.
However, the good news is that a number of hilariously ugly Pierre Cardin interior designs were also rejected. Through the good and the bad, author C. L. Zinn II mostly lets the photographs speak for themselves in Javelin Photo Archive. Indeed, almost the only text in this 128-page, horizontal paperback book are captions for the large, black-and-white photographs.
Also see ‘How American Motors abandoned its uniqueness in the second half of the 1960s’
Zinn sheds light on other, equally interesting, proposals that didn’t make it into production. These included a number of sporty wagons and four-door models for the first-generation Javelin. Of course, management instead went with the poor-selling, two-seater AMX. Ditto alas.
Zinn wrote in the book’s introduction that a major goal was to give “credit to all those whose work was a labor of love” (p. 6). His populism is a refreshing change of pace from auto histories that glorify corporate leadership to the exclusion of lower-level staff.
Javelin Photo Archive: From Concept to Reality
- C. L. Zinn II; 2002
- Iconographix, Hudson, WI
“Vince Geraci liked the Marlin, after all, it was done in the Large Car Studio that he managed at the time. He liked the car so much he predicted the car would sell 50,000 units the first year and wrote it on one of the beams in the studio. Years later when the studio was remodeled they had the beams boxed in. On the beam that Vince had written on they made a little door that could be opened up just to tease Vince because sales of the Marlin were so bad.” (p. 12)
“Here are two more Press Release photographs of the AMX II. You can see it’s a sporty car — not a ponycar. . . . Please note: this car debuted on Monday, June 20, 1966, at the New York Auto Show as one of the Project IV cars. This car had nothing to do with the Javelin. The Javelin was in clay back in February and was pretty much finished in March before work was even started on this car.” (p. 23)
“They were toying with the idea of doing a four-door Javelin. Here the car is badged AMX-4. This car made more sense than the Sports Wagon and was much better looking.” (p. 54)
Be the first to comment