1968 AMC Playmate of the Year AMX - Jay Leno's Garage 

This might be the most unintentionally hilarious episode of Leno's Garage.

Jay Lenox’s garage is hands down THE best automotive show period. He’s a genuinely nice guy in person if you meet him too. Not a shred of arrogance or condescension. I’m glad he’s recovered. God Bless you Jay.

I had a '70 Javelin 390 4-speed and, at age 65, it remains my favorite car of all time. I spun a manhole cover off with it, sending it blocks down the street, sparks everywhere. Scared the bejesus out of me when the rear end of the car did the dive as it dipped into the hole, but it came back up and the skyrocket was off! Man, that was one fun car. My only muscle car.

I love it that everyone trusts Jay with the keys to their pride and joy!

My dad bought a 68 AMX 390 go pack when he got out of the military. Cool car, lots of great memories. RIP Dad.

My father-in-law drove this car from the AMC factory in Kenosha to the Lake Geneva Playboy Club to deliver it for presentation

I watch these videos as much to see and listen to Jay Leno as for the cars, maybe more. It is uplifting to see how much Jay appreciates life. I can’t imagine a kinder or more respectful person. Thank you, Jay. You are truly a breath of fresh air.

Loved this one. Mark is low key and his car is great. Pink is the color for it too. Really pops.

I don't think he was joking when he said he was going to wait outside the prison.

Jay cracks jokes.. the guy stays totally deadpan heheheh

Oh, so you shot your husband? Listen...I still need that title...

Wow, my first car, the 1968 AMX in white with the "Go-Pac" 390 cubic inch 315 horsepower, 4 speed cost about $3600. Had it for about 8 years, wish I still had it, an amazing fun car and quite fast for it's time.

When I met Jay recently, he asked me if I had seen this episode. Now I understand why! What a story.

dear god finally some love for AMC...

Beautiful car. Pink even looks ok. . . . Back in early 70’s, drove my brother’s ‘68 AMX around the block a few times. 390 4-speed, it was rough, loud, and squirelly. Bright orange paint, body-color bumpers, black leather interior. A real beauty.

So sad that AMC had to go out of bussiness,they were such innovators and creatives on a string budget,I am in awe as to what amazing things these geniuses could do today.

The story about the gun is nuts

Even the boot sticker is there, wow, these guys went all the way. Excellent restoration of an iconic, odd, pink car.

This dude knows more about the playmate than the car lol...

What a treat to be regaled with stories about the Playmate - but not the car. ...Give her a ride home from prison????? This was painful...

The AMX is basically a shortened Javelin from those same years. Both beautiful cars.

I think they should have talked more about what made the AMX unique. And not the color or the playmate connection. The first generation AMX was unique because it wasn't just a Javelin with the back seat removed. The car was shortened by AMC and with the high performance 390 and four speed manual transmission, truly was America's other two seat sports car.

I remember this car and the Playmate it was given to very well. The car has had a happier life than Angela Dorian (Victoria Vetri) has had.

Dayum - they even mentioned the AMC Rebel - which I remember fondly. My favorite (ever) math teacher (middle school - female) owned one. The Rebel SST was a four-door sedan that competed with Ford's Fairlane and Chevy's Impala/Caprice - the four-doors of its day. (And no - I didn't have a crush on her - she was married. She was my favorite math teacher because she got me seriously into math - seventh AND eighth grades. It was why I actually requested her to be my eighth-grade algebra teacher - despite (in fact *because*) of her reputation for being a tough teacher.)

Nice...Crazy story behind the car. This is the car I remember my Dad having growing up, his was a 1968 also, red with a 390.

This takes me back; my mom worked for American Motors and she had a friend that looked like a playmate that had a race ready AMX. I did some work for her and she gave me a ride home in her AMX. The juxtaposition of this sexy girl driving this beast of a car was magical and compelling, I commented on how hard the ride was and she said it was due to the racing shocks. I can tell you that the ride was not the only hard thing in the car that idyllic "summer of 42" like afternoon.

My uncle Phil had a white one that he bought new in 1969. I was 17 and he let me drive from our house, South of Brighton, IL to Godfrey, IL. It was about ten miles away. I drove it and washed it off at a car wash and dried it. When I headed back home I got on it a little and it started fish tailing. This lightweight car, looked like a cut down Javlin, had a 390 in it. I loved it.

Haha I love when Jay does the tires screeching noise " Yay-ya-yah-!;!!

At 13:30 when the owner mentions the bullet they found under the seat and Jay is like, "Yeah, yeah, it drives very similar to a..." the coffee I was drinking nearly came out my nose.

He can always sell it to a Mary Kay representative!

I owned a 69 AMC Javelin with a 155 HP inline six cylinder manual three speed back in the mid 70's. It was light, faster than you think with tons of torque and got great gas mileage. With the manual I could blow away other cars off the line, they would catch me after second gear. It handled really well and the brakes were very good. It was a fun car and was great on longer trips. It was much more comfortable to drive on longer trips than a Mustang and always felt better in the turns when pushed hard. Also, the Javelin was better in the snow than all other vehicles I owned up until then, that is until I got my 1970 Buick GS 350 with Posi-Traction in 78. I put Yokahoma radials on the Buick and could power through 10 inches of slush on NJ highways. I loved both cars. The Javelin was great. I'd love to own one again.

The way Jay says "Ooooh-kay" after he's told Dorian "met Roman Polanski" is perfect.

She was transferred to a low-security for her last year. He actually did wait for her outside facility one weekend. Mark did have a plan.

License plate should be PLAYM8

My Dad owned a cab co in NW Mpls, he bought Ramblers. I could get AMC cars cheap. I had a Rambler American, an SCRambler, a Pacer, a few Gremlins and a 1969 Javelin 390 SST. He drove Ambassadors, a Hornet and a Matador. Lots of fun.

"The Corvette was just a few seconds faster than the AMX". Oh, is that all? Basically the same then! XD

I have always like the history of each car Mr. Leno presents.

I always loved the AMX, and American Motors! I wish they would make a comeback! A lady lived next to me when I was a kid who was a retired Boeing aircraft worker who drove daily a AMC Javelin SST with the 390 engine. Jay if you ever get the chance, please do a video on the AMC Javelin SST, you will like that car too as well. Great video!

My buddy Joe in NJ had a ratty red one in fair condition with the 290 and a 3 speed on the floor. He always had electrical problems behind the dash. He sold it to a shop in Pompton Lakes NJ in 1986 and it sat on a rack there for at least 10 years. Before he delivered it he took me on his last ride in it and that car was quick! Back then everyone talked big cubic inches but seeing this video that sticker on the air cleaner, "high compression", which obviously made a difference. This guy has a great story with that car.

Reminds me of when my family got an AMX as a loaner in the "70s. Really cool car. Remember sliding around the back seat with my brothers.

*Great episode! When I was a kid my fathers pilot bought one of these and I was in love with the car! After looking for a red one like the pilot's for 40 years, I finally found one! In 2018 I bought a '74 AMC/AMX Javelin, with the powerful little 304-CID V8. She had 90-K original miles, which is pretty good for a 45 year old car. The car was in nearly original garage-kept condition, the only difference being the paint job, which was a 'PPG Trans Am Red', otherwise She is completely original. I had only owned the car for two days, then my wife drove it... and POOF!... from that moment on it magically belonged to my wife! lol... but, she still 'allows' me to service the car and detail it every Spring lol. I read a bit about the story of Victoria Vetri's attempted murder of her husband, "Rocker" Bruce Rathgeb. Victoria Vetri, AKA Victoria Rathgeb & Angela Dorian, as stated in the video, had been Manson murder victim Sharon Tate's best friend and, even though Manson was locked-up for forever and a day, she still feared that Manson was after her. As also stated in the video, the well-known director and pervert, Roman Polanski not only gave her a part in his movie, he bought her a gun to protect herself from Manson, the very same gun with which she shot her hubby. Her, and her "former rock star husband" were doing meth for most of the day, so, she was obviously not in a rational state of mind. After shooting him, her husband heard her repeating the words, "No more Charlie!" Luckily, her hubby made a complete recovery. I attempted to find out if she is still in prison but, there was no update, at least not here in Europe where the results are heavily censored.*

love the intro music. I love the quirky AMX, even looks good in pink

I worked with her husband and rode in that car many times in the late 90s. I always thought it was a shame about the condition it was in. Victoria's measurement were on the glove box... She was always really nice to me. I can't think what could have happened to push her over the edge like that. :( Glad you got the car back together. :)

Thank you so much for this show. The more I watch the more I appreciate classic cars!

Lucky Jay that he did not have audiences like this guy!!

That first dude needs to lighten up. Yeesh.

My Dad had a 1969 Rebel SST. Nice reliable car that was very comfortable ...ahead of it's time with factory shoulder belts. Smooth 290 engine. But I lusted after the Machine with the 390 4 gear and red, white and blue paint scheme!

I had a 68 with a 390, Borg-Warner 3 speed automatic and four wheel drum breaks. Great fun to drive...frightening to stop.

The AMX was a seldom seen car when I was in HS. The performance of my 1969 390 4-speed, rear end was very low ratio. It was a BEAST until you hit 120 or so.......The RPMs forced you to back off........

Angela Dorian was her "Playboy Playmate" name. Her real name was Victoria Vetri......which she used as her character's name in Polanski's Rosemary's Baby. I got to spend time with her in the 1980's before she was married. She was a fun and fascinating lady in those days....and yes she had the AMX then but it was a beat up ghost of its former self.

This is my all time favourite AMC vehicle. As for the colour, I could drive, no problem at all (especially with its historical background). The only negative on my wish list would be that it does not have the 390. Beautiful restoration, thanks for showing it to us all!

I love how about everybody is freaked out about the story. But without the story and its uniqueness, this is just another AMX, when you get down to it.

Jay is creeped out by this guy haha

Excellent Restoration on a Awesome Car with a Great History... I Glad it was painted back Pink and restored According to the great story behind this one of a kind AMX... EXCELLENT JOB.!!

Thanks for sharing this AMX & it’s story. AMX has always been one of my favs.

Very nicely styled car front and back and I love the pink colour. They really should make more cars in pink. The only current one I know of is the Mitsubishi Mirage, which they call Passion Purple, but it's really pink.

I remember my dad used to have a mint AMX, but in 1987 he was forced to sell the car. Being a 2 seater and my mom being pregnant with my another child, he knew he could not keep it. Now my dad has a couple pictures of that car in his office, which is funny because he doesn't even have a picture of us. lol

Two guys driving around in a pink car.... Heh heh heh 😍

Great to see Jay not interrupting the guests and letting them speak.

That is a very clean AMX. Nice job guys. Thanks Jay for another great episode. You and are children of the 20 th century , you have a decade on me. I love your stories because they are like mine. We all grew up with friends with the old cars.

Gorgeous car! Well done restoration!

The best looking car AMC built

AMX is very nice. I like those and SC Scrambler and Rebel Machine. Good restoration.

Great restoration. I still love AMC autos, as i've owned two Rambler Rebels out here in NZ.

The "BEST" of AMC, LOVE the 1970 AMX!!!!

This is a very interesting cool story, Find some more of these Jay.

Gorgeous car, with a crazy story

amazing story for the AMX

Awesome car... Always had a soft spot for the AMX when I was a kid. I love the lines and look of the body... Sharp! Thanks Jay ^_^

There is a google pic of her in the car recently, I guess he wasn’t kidding about picking her up from prison! 😂

Thanks for bring the car back. Beautiful.

I thought it was the AMX that AMC ran in Trans-AM but it was the Javelin. That period of racing and that series was pretty amazing.

Lovely looking car. I've always loved the 1967-69 AMX and Javelin. :)

Thanks Jay! Very interesting car. Enjoyed the back stories.

Great story and cool unique car. I always liked the AMX. Jay should buy this car once it’s up for sale based on it’s history. This owner shared a great story! Thx.

Nice restoration and one-of-a-kind story. Thanks to Jay and the owner.

I had dozens of muscle cars and the 1 car I miss the most is the 1969 390 AND I bought when I got home from Vietnam ,best 2 seater car ever made and even better than the corvette ,in fact the AMX got the nickname of " Corvette Killers " by hotrod magazine .

I had a 70 AMX with a 360, automatic tranny, in British racing green. I traded a 73 'Cuda 340 for it. Both were great cars but the AMX handled better and had excellent brakes for its time. I really liked the cuda but when I saw that AMX in the front yard with a for sale sign on it, I had to have it. I'd never seen one before. thought it was the coolest thing id ever seen. wish I still had it of course....

Great!!!!!!!!!! show Jay. Always something Different. Love the celebrity rides.

It looked ordinary in black - and so extravagant and funny in pink, love it!

I felt like Jay lost interest a bit, once he figured out it was a 290 instead of a 390. It's a great story and a very nice restoration.

Awesome awesome awesome that car is beautiful. Jay I'm glad you took my advice, and finally showed us a AMX . Keep up the work. see if you can dig up a GSX next👍🚗🚙

Great restoration and what a great owner story!!

It is a beautiful piece of work. Great restoration. Interesting connections.

Really enjoyed this one Jay. Nothing beats the odd balls.

The music and car reminds me of Austin Powers.

Great history of the car. Awesome restoration!!!

My first car was a 69 AMC Javelin ‘SST’ - white/ blue stripes, fake hood scoop, blue vinyl roof, 390 automatic, two-door W/ rear seats & interior near identical (minus the measurements) to that one! Mine & a ‘Rambler Rebel’ W/ a 390 - 4-speed stick were the fastest cars at our HS.. He’d take me off the line - and I’d pull away after that. Most powerful car I’ve ever owned ~

I would have loved to talk to Jay right after this interview!!! HAHAHA!--

Lmao @ "Forget the husband, just give me the title"

These were great cars. My cousin still has his that he bought BRAND NEW in 1968. I remember cruising around in it when I was around 5. VERY surprised that AMC did not use their best engine in this...the 390. But still.....gorgeous.

Thanks Jay you make a guy feel like he is riding along with you . Great job!

hahaha Leno was on his comedy game!... you can tell this stiff doesn't have much of a sense of humor! "In the hopes that you will be playmate of the year: hahahaha The look on that guys face!

I thought the restoration guy was going to pass out at one point. :P Relax man...Jay is chill. Cool story about the car. I like AMX's. Too bad Angela went wacky. I can see why she was Playmate back then. :)

Nice car. Nice restoration. GREAT CAR STORY. Thank you Mr. Leno

Beautiful car. Love the colour. Love its unique history.

since I was 17 in 1982 I have wanted an AMX Javelin.

Beautiful looking AMX. There was a time when I found the 1968 Javelin SST, with its "divided" grille more attractive than the 68 AMX. But today, I find both quite nice looking cars to look at. I find the 1968-69 Javelin and AMX more attractive than the 1970 Javelin and AMX models. I love the colour of this AMX. I love pink. :)

Love your work Jay!!!!!!

My friend Bob and I drove my new Beetle down to the American Motors Dealer in Denver and sat alone inside of their first AMX in a really cramped garage space. We could only see the interior which we sat in for a few minutes. We didn't have enough room to stand back and look at it. Always loved the lines of this original design. Orémus Y'all.