1970 AMC Javelin Mark Donohue Edition 

Perfect owner: talks easy, knows his stuff backward, pleasant voice, and he has great taste in cars!

“Wow, starts right up” “Of course it does!”

AMC never got the credit or recognition it deserved. They not only made very good cars for the masses but great muscle cars like this rare gem. Thank you Jay Leno's garage for making and posting this video.

The way he smiles when he said "whenever im in this car, im 17 again" genuinely made my night.

"I'm not collecting trophies; I'm collecting smiles." Wow. What a quote!

This dude is a real car guy. Jay could probably talk to this guy all day,

Not the first person to mention this ... some of Jay's guests are duds. And then there are guys like Mr Fletcher who *clearly* knows his spit, not only about his car, but the company that made it and the racing program and other cars as well. 11/10 - would watch again.

Damn, Jay is an innocent bystander. This dude is level 100 expert...

"I'm not collecting trophies, I'm just collecting smiles" Great episode, with a great guest. Jay should feature him again, with his other rides.

"I'm not into collecting trophies, I'm into collecting smiles." --Mark Fletcher. What a wonderful statement!

Jay Leno bring the owner of this Javelin back again he was a pleasure to listen to and you two were perfect pair of guys to talk cars

My dad worked for AMC and brought these cars home, like the 68-70 AMX, 68-73 Javelin, 69 S/C Scrambler and 70 Rebel Machine and drove everyone of them. Brings back a lot of memories.

I enjoy episodes like this more than the fast talking sales guys selling their new cars!!!!

This guy and Jay would make a superb double act. Humble, easygoing, and knowledgeable about all kinds of stuff. This was an absolute pleasure to watch, and wow, what a great car.

One of the best guests Jay's had on the show in a long time.

What a nice and knowledgeable guy the owner is. He obviously likes his AMCs but also appreciates other manufacturers. Respect to Jay for just allowing Mark as a car guy to talk about the subject and even ask Jay questions. That Javelin looks incredible. It sits so nicely and the proportions are perfect. That white side decal is spot on - enhances the look. I'm always really impressed with what AMC and Richard Teague achieved on such a tight budget. Truly a David and Goliath story.

The moment he walked in, before he even said anything, you could tell he’s a good guest.

Mark is an encyclopedia of AMC knowledge. Really enjoyed this episode. Good move Jay to have him on the show.

Laughed out loud when he told the story about getting the horn fixed. That is hilarious and true to keeping the car's heritage alive. Loved this guest, he knows his stuff very well.

I owned a 1970 AMX 360 4-speed w/Go Package, 3.73 posi, Mickey Thompson tires. I've owned lots of cars since including a Corvette and Z28. I've never had as much fun in a car as I did as a young man in my AMX. It was quick. After many a street race, Mustang, Camaro and even some Vette owners gave me respect.

Jay found a guy who could hold his own in a conversation, GET Marks books, they rock

Float this man an offer to co-host. He seems like a natural. You got the classic straight and funny combo here and I need more of it.

Best episode for a long time! An owner that knows his car inside out and comes along for the ride and the narrative - more like this please Jay!

Two car guys out for a ride in vintage muscle on a So Cal afternoon. Gotta love it! Thanks for letting me ride along.

This has to be one of the best guests Jay has ever had on this channel! Very informative and seemed so comfortable talking to a huge celebrity like Jay.

Is cool when the owner is passionate about his car and knows his stuff! Makes for a really enjoyable episode

I’ve never seen jay listen before. Not like that. In fact, I could almost sense he was learning to listen in this video. What a great bloke the owner was! Bring him back!

"I'm not collecting trophies, I'm collecting smiles." 🤝🏻👏🏻

Nice to see this man actually in the passenger seat giving Jay a break from all the Covid solo rides in recent videos. Love to hear the dialog between two knowledgeable car guys! And this guy really knows muscle car history!

Jay: "Wow! It starts right up." Mark: "Of course it does." 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm reading these comments this morning with a smile on my face. Mark is my best friend and is the collaborator of three books with me; 1970 Maximum Muscle mentioned in the video, Hurst Equipped from 2012 (together we appeared in a Jay Leno's Bookclub segment back in 2012), and our third book, Hemi Under Glass: Bob Riggle and His Wheel-standing Mopars, will release any day. Most of the people leaving comments here get it. Mark is the consummate "car guy," a virtual walking encyclopedia of knowledge about cars in general, and Ramblers and AMCs in particular. Very few people could hold their own in a similar situation with Jay with the same grace that Mark showed, especially when Jay slammed the hood shut. Many of those leaving comments here recognize that. Watching the interplay between the two, a real, uscripted conversation between Mark and Jay, it is clearly evident that this was not a conversation between a TV star and some guy with an old Rambler. Rather it was a dialog between two people truly passionate about old cars. For the 1% of you you gave this video a thumbs-down, what on earth were you thinking when you did that? For the 99% of you who gave the video a thumbs-up, it's obvious that you recognize just how special a guy Mark is. A 99% to 1% is an incredible ratio, one rarely seen on any RU-vid video, on any subject. I'm obviously biased but I think this is one of the best segments ever of Jay Leno's Garage. I am so proud to call him my best friend. It should be apparent to anyone watching this video why I feel that way.

I love how the pinstripes (stickers?) on the passenger side aren't aligned from the front fender to the door. THAT's what these old survivor cars show you. Mass-production. It's nice to see on such a good example of this car. I saw my first AMX about 5 years ago (45 or so). I took a pic of my (then) 10 year old son next to it. He had NO idea why, but hopefully he'll appreciate that some day. LOL. I would have loved to have a his pic next to a Donohue.

Love it. Two old guys talking about the glory days of muscle cars. AMC is a fan favorite

A true car guy is always a true gentleman, just like these two old school gentlemen. Thank you Jay for letting us enjoy the cars, the manners and the right people.

Took me 3 days to watch this 30 minute video, but I'm glad I did! Keeping the flame alive for this little bit of forgotten history indeed.... Great design, clean lines, like they said AMC didn't have a big marketing budget, but they did their advertising at the track. Perfect. Peace all!

The reason this whole series is so incredibly successful is that even when Jay is in in the driver's seat he's in the back seat. Genius.

This show hits so nice on a rougher than usual Monday.. especially when jay is talking about some American muscle

You can almost smell the unburned hydrocarbons... That was a really enjoyable episode, Jay and crew! Just a couple of car perverts out for a sunny drive in SoCal, having a good chat.

This guy loves his car and it shows. He knows it inside and out. Perfect guest.

Thank you Mark, Jay... The enthusiasm of a teenager came alive in Mark... & what a shirt... Cheers or rather 'crank it' folks... !

These were so much better looking than the hump fender version. Almost bought one back when they were in production.

As a Mopar guy I don't mind seeing this type of AMC Javelin car going under the Mopar section at car shows. We will take them!

My father knew Roger Penske and his wife in the early 60's. To this day I have a photo of Mark in an open-wheel car on my mantel that some associated folks gave me when I was like 8 years old. We miss you Mark. Hats off to Roger for an amazing career.

I loved the Firebird Sprint segment because I own a first gen convertible but this is my favourite segment. The owner of this car is awesome. Knows his stuff, is humble and it just felt like two buddies talking cars. Those Javelins looked great and were under rated imo

I would love to spend an afternoon with Jay, this man is a national treasurer.

Truly a beautiful looking car with a sweet sounding V8.

Enjoyed this video. I had a '73 AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon that I really liked. It had the straight 6 and a 3-speed automatic that came from Chrysler. It was an attractive car. Because of the styling and size I called it a wagon for those of us who needed a wagon but really didn't want a wagon.

Australian made muscle cars are so fabulous and their reg car as well. The racing scene there was something i wish i could have been apart of.

Jay " so glad this car doesn't have the Hurst shifter". Owner "so this car has a Hurst shifter".

Mr. Fletcher could be a show host. Very easy to listen to and knowledgeable.

I love this. It's two true nerds talking about something they love, and what I love, but don't know nearly as much about as they do. Lovely listen. Kudos to both of these gentlemen.

This is one gorgeous car. I’m sure I’ve watched this before. What a treasure!

Winner car for sure! Thank you for sharing.

What a cool dude! "Let me ask you a question Jay." Lol laughing so hard at that.

"" when I drive this car..... I'm 17 again"" You said it brother... I smile the entire time I'm driving my 1966 convertible triple black fairlane GT...

Never paid attention to AMC but it's a really good car. I dig it

You can tell Jay likes talking to this guy cuz he doesn't interrupt him.

Good to see. My dad worked at AMC and after he died my mother bought a blue Javelin 390 automatic. Loved that car. Really fast for it’s time with a tight transmission.

I appreciate Jay letting him promote his book.

What a wonderful episode. I don't think I've enjoyed listening to a guest this much since Jay did the episode on the Admiral's Ferrari. Mark Fletcher has a wealth of knowledge and I hope Jay has him back in the future. No chest thumping, no bravado, just an intelligent, articulate conversation on the history of muscle cars in America. Well done.

Mark Fletcher, you have a beautiful car. Thank you for sharing. Jay, thanks for putting this car on the show.

Mark is a very cool dude. I wish Jay spent some time going over the interior, as well as more time with the exterior. Even still I really enjoyed the whole video just as it was.😍

my dad used to rent a house out to a guy who had almost every AMC pony car, he said they called them pony cars because they were small frames/body cars with a big power house engine. he had many trophy winning cars, some with very expensive and meticulous detailed paint schemes. I'll never forget going to visit him to fix something around the rental house when I was young and just being mesmerized by the amazing beauty of them all. I always was fond of the Javelins out of all the AMCs.

Wow!! this was a real treat, you just never see a Javelin on the road. No wonder Jay ran the guy down and invited him to come over to his shop, this guy was very knowledgeable about American muscle cars of the '60s & '70s. I enjoyed this video for sure. The only thing that could have made it better for me, if only I was the car guy behind the wheel of this beautiful Javelin. Thanks for this video Jay.

Wow-this guy is so super nice! I’d love to share a neighborhood with these two guys: I’d live right between Jay and this guest. They are both so knowledgeable, humble and personable.

Such a cool guy. Old school car guys are the best to talk to.

I love the sound of actual door handels.

I think '70 was the best looking year for Javelin. A little more refined looking than the '68-9's, but still had the same good basic proportions that they did. Unlike some folks, I also like the '71 and later Javelins, with the fuselage look that was popular at the time. I'd love to have an AMC. An original car like this would be even better.

I’m not a muscle car guy-I’m a hot rodder and a road racers. But I have to say that this is my favorite Jay’s Garage episode. Because of the guest and the way that he and Jay get along, and because of the guest’s amazing knowledge base on all things automotive. He should have a show if his own!

I bought a 1970 Javelin with a special ordered 401 - 4-speed, I don't recall it having the Mark Donohue badge. It had many extras like the Ram Air, A/C and reversible inserts in the seats. Raced many Fords and Chevys using Sunoco 260 on the unfinished portion of I-20 between Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC. The only problem was at over 110 MPH the windows were sucked outward.

This owner is awesome, he truly deserves that car because its what he really loves.

Love the exhaust notes from the 390 while at idle and when Jay romped on it.

Fabulous example. Always had a real affection for AMC, they did so much with such small budgets. Cheers Jay!

Being European, we didn’t really get or even get to know most of the American Cars from the period other than a few Mustangs, Corvettes, etc. so it’s just lovely to be introduced to some beautiful rarer designs. Absolutely lovely car and beautifully enhanced by such a great owner. Would much rather try or own this car than the other clichés, colour, stripes, just perfect 70’s muscle. Thanks for another great episode Mr. Leno and Mr. Fletcher.

"I’m collecting smiles." Said like a true enthusiast. I love it! 😄

One day my wife and I went to a car show. We saw many of the expected cars, and then came to an AMX. It was a 390 go pack car I recall - way cool. You just don't get to see that stuff all the time. My wife crinkled her nose, exclaiming something about ugly. I pulled her aside, worrying the owners nearby heard or saw her reaction. I explained that of all the cars there that day, this one may be the most rare and very cool in so many ways AND may be the most difficult to restore and maintain. You are looking at something special. You don't have to like the look of the car, but I hope can appreciate everything else about it. You are looking at something special. This Javelin - something special. Good job Mark - keep it up.

Like listening to guys like this. Marc knows what he’s talking about, very knowledgeable, and down to earth he sounds like.

Enjoy shows with a guest that is good on cam and truly knowledgeable about their vehicle. 🥰

The best JLG episode this year, Mark is a great guest for the show, I hope to see more of him in the future. Thanks Jay and Mark!

Beautiful Muscle Car Mark, the shade of Green and Stripes go very well together... Hand's down My favorite AMC. Since I was a kid I've been a fan of those door handles. Love the Hood Scoop and the sound of the engine. Wishing you many more smiles! 💯

Really enjoy this episode Jay. I own a 70 AMX and its so nice to see AMC's getting some good reviews. Mark Fletcher your Javelin looks great, thanks for keeping it a survivor. I hope to see you at an AMO show.

Nice guy, like the saying, ya either fall in love in your first car, or with your first car. Great car. Nice to meet you. Real car guy. And a beautiful car. Love the color scheme and the all original level. Outstanding.

What a beauty of a car, owner is a wealth of AMC knowledge. Great episode, 35 minutes went by in the blink of an eye.

22:54 When he mentioned the '70 Javelin Trans Am, I paused the video and looked it up. As soon as I saw it, nostalgia overwhelmed me. It was not because I had one, but because that car, with its red/white/blue paint theme and its early 70s styling just took me back to my childhood immediately. The America I experienced as a kid is gone forever, never to be like that again.

I love how these episodes have evolved from Jay doing comedy bits while driving to Jay just having a conversation with the owner about cars. This was a great video.

Jay I would bring this guy back to review more cars. He’s like your long lost brother or something.

I really love when a man stands behind his ride. When he loves it and stay with it. Its something total different between a guy and "his" car rather then those ppl's that have a new car every two years. When I was a little boy, my parents had a AMC Eagle...oh lord I loved this car! :-)

Sister in law had a 70 Mark Donahue Javelin. Red with white stripes. Red corderory interior and Hurst 4 speed. Got to drive it. Great car.

Back to what I like. Classic and muscle cars. This guy really knows his cars.🤠

Always a great episode when there’s a real car guy to chop it up

Beautiful, amazing, stupendous, great. Best ever!

Quick thanks Jay for your excellent Garage Programs. Love the narrative and the detail/story line that you never get at museums/shows. So nice to see them on the road, It shows your satisfaction, personal achievement, and how lucky we are for you sharing this with us !

Man, that's a sharp looking car. And with Mark Fletcher onboard, just a stellar episode.

YES FINALLY! One of my all-time favorite muscle cars, been waiting a long time for this!

In late 1970 or early '71, Mark Donohue came and spoke to our little ASME group (students in mechanical engineering) at Washington State University. Very humble, smart, and interesting. He talked mostly about the innovations Penske, with his support, had pioneered. IIRC, he said they had found they could go from five to three lug nuts, and were looking at whether they might possibly be able to go down to two! Anything to shave off a few seconds during a pit stop.

Probably one of the best shows you have done. You two guys together would make an awesome weekly show. I know I would watch.

Way to go Mark. You and your Donohue perfectly represent AMC.

One of the best guests ever.

Jay should bring back this guy with another one of his cars. Really good stuff!

This guy can keep up the chatter every bit as well as Jay does. I like this guy. You should get him back. Great episode :)