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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangClassic Clash: AMC Javelin AMX vs Chevrolet Camaro Z28
It’s a battle of the factory hot rods from the golden age of muscle cars in this AMC Javelin AMX vs Chevrolet Camaro Z28 comparison.
The Underdog Pony Car vs A Legendary Z28
In the course of note-taking for this AMC Javelin AMX vs. Chevrolet Camaro Z28 comparison, the phrase “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” seems exceedingly appropriate. Both of these pony cars arrived on the scene in the late 1960s, a time of wild automotive engineering with fast-and-loose approaches to creating dazzling levels of performance.
These two cars come from very different backgrounds with equally different legacies. American Motors Corporation, or AMC, was a Wisconsin-based manufacturer that went head-to-head with Detroit’s Big Three and created underdog gems like the Javelin AMX. It was the classic David vs. Goliath story, in which David is running a 401 cubic inch V8. The Javelin AMX was only briefly on the scene, between 1971 and 1974, and AMC itself has long since vanished from the automotive industry.
Chevy’s Camaro Z28, on the other hand, arrived in 1967 – a full generation before the Javelin AMX – and would stay in production over nearly five decades, a history that we cover here. Like AMC’s muscle car special, the Z28 was a shining example of what happens when the company racers are cut loose to produce their dream car – on the corporate dime. For the purposes of this AMC Javelin AMX vs. Chevrolet Camaro Z28 matchup, we’ll be looking at the second generations of both cars.
More specifically, we’ll examine the 1972 model years. The second-gen Camaro Z28 was offered for 10 years, starting in 1970, while the Javelin AMX was only made for four years starting in 1971. As well, 1973 marked a turning point of power-stifling emissions controls – on both cars -that make these performance versions less exciting.
When Ford created the pony car segment with their Mustang in 1965, the rest of the domestic auto industry sat up tall and got to work creating competition. AMC came up with the Javelin, a car whose history we look back on here. Notable for its semi-fastback roofline and impressive handling polish given the company’s relatively limited R&D resources, the Javelin would spawn a standalone AMX performance variant in 1968. When the second-gen Javelin arrived in 1971, there was a new Javelin AMX performance model that replaced this separate variant from the 60s.
AMC Javelin AMX: Serious Power in a Pony Car
These gen-two Javelins had relatively wild new sheet metal, headlined by what AMC called “bubble fenders” to go along with an overall longer, wider, and heavier car. Though the Javelin lineup offered a wide variety of six- and eight-cylinder motors, the AMX version was only sold with a V8 breathing through a 4-barrel carburetor. Buyers had the option of a 360 CID version rated for 220 horsepower or a 401 making 255 horses and a thumping 345 torques.
Advertised by AMC as “the closest thing you can buy to a Trans-Am champion”, the Javelin AMX looked the part with a fiberglass cowl-induction hood dressed up with a wide T-shaped stripe, broad front air dam, a duckbill-style rear spoiler, and stainless-steel front intake mesh to smooth airflow per the advice of renowned racer Mark Donohue.
Other Javelin AMX goodies included a 4-speed manual with Hurst floor-shifter, upgraded suspension, “Twin-Grip” differential, power-assisted disc brakes, dual exhaust, and the “Rally Pac” instrumentation that brought an engine-turned metal fascia panel. These were seriously powerful cars, particularly in 401-form. So potent in fact that the Alabama Highway Patrol ordered a batch for use in high-speed response calls, marking the first use of a pony car in highway patrol duty.
On top of all this, the 1972 Javelin AMX could be fitted with a sweet Pierre Cardin-designed cabin. With Trans Am Red, Stardust Silver, Snow White, and Wild Plum stripes running across the seats, doors, and headliner, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more 70s-tastic ride anywhere. But the even bigger news for this model year was that AMC had won the Trans-Am Championship for the second year in a row, which is what the AMX nameplate was all about in the first place.
Camaro Z28: LT-1 V8 Engine Power
Which is where the Camaro Z28 comes in as it was initially developed as a performance package for 1967 models to dominate the SCCA Trans-Am series. During gen-one production, the Z28 was a hardcore upgrade that did what it was designed for – run hard. In 1970, the second-generation Camaro arrived and like the Javelin, was longer, wider, and heavier than its predecessor.
The new Z28 was also more potent than the previous versions thanks to an SCCA rule change that year. Previously, street-legal versions of the Trans-Am Series racers had to stay within the 305 cubic inch displacement limit imposed on the track models. But in 1970, that rule was eliminated, so naturally Chevy responded by stuffing a Corvette-based 350 CID LT-1 V8 under the hood of the new Camaro Z28.
This hottest of Camaros was suitably upgraded over lesser models with stiffer springs, dual stabilizer bars, quick-ratio steering, white-letter tires, a rear spoiler, and dual racing stripes. Like the rest of the automotive industry, Chevy started rating their vehicles by SAE Net standards in 1972, so the 350 in the Z28 dropped to a rated 255 horsepower. That being said, it was still the same high-performance engine with extruded aluminum pistons, oversized valves, and a 4-barrel Holley carb inhaling air at a rate of 780 cubic feet per minute.
Over the next several model years, skyrocketing insurance premiums, tightening emissions regulations, and increased weight from federal safety standards would effectively end the era of thundering high-performance V8s. That is particularly true of the AMC Javelin AMX that disappeared after 1974. It’s why looking at the 1972 model year of these muscle cars is so interesting – they were the last of their kind.
Which Car Wins This Classic Clash?
So, in this AMC Javelin AMX vs. Chevrolet Camaro Z28 comparison, which one is best? Man, that’s a tough one. Both cars embody the absolute best muscle car engineering available at the time, the likes of which we’ll never see again. The Javelin AMX is notable for being a world-beating car produced by a relatively tiny underdog automaker with major points awarded for style inside and out. The Camaro Z28 earns points for its incredible longevity.
While I would argue you can’t go wrong with either, my money would go to the 1972 Javelin AMX. Though it always struggled to compete with the Camaro, given Chevy’s deeper resources, there’s no denying the lines on these second-gen models are unique to this day. Then there is the fantastic Cardin cabin and beefier 401 – versus the 350 in the Camaro – found in the Javelin. But of course, the biggest reason to favor the AMC would be the fact that it won the Trans-Am Championship in 1971 and 1972, which is exactly what these hot rods were designed for in the first place.
All that being said, a 1972 Javelin AMX is not likely to be found on any list of unsung classic cars, meaning it is surely a pricey proposition. So, you could consider an older base-level Javelin and create an AMX tribute. If you’re leaning towards the Bowtie brand, a mint Z28 is also going to be expensive so you could start with an older project Camaro like we showcase here or even a later IROC-Z. Regardless of whether you go down the Javelin AMX or Z28 path, chances are you’ll have fun while you’re at it.
No 1/4 contest?
We would love the opportunity to take these cars out on the track! Which one would you choose?