The AMX/3 Styling prototype was designed by Richard Teague to participate in a call for designs from AMC. Others participated in this call for designs including Bizzarrini. [Other sources indicate that Giorgetto Giugiaro built a styling mockup, which was never shown to the public.] The Teague design won by a long shot and was approved to the prototype stage.

BMW was contacted to construct the prototypes, but was not chosen because of their elevated prices. So AMC asked Giotto Bizzarrini [a top race car engineer and builder] if he would do the prototypes. [AMC also considered having Karmann in Germany build the car.] Giotto was contracted for ten prototypes and the follow on construction. (Apparently the brass at AMC felt unsure about the prospect of building a mid-engined car.) The first prototype was mostly completed (90%ish) and a construction problem appeared suddenly. The English to Metric conversions from the drawings were incorrect and the car could not be completed to a driving state. This car was a push-mobile used for shows only (It was cosmetically correct). The next 4 cars were completed with proper conversions. The research that followed was conducted by AMC in the U.S. as well as by BMW and Turin Polytechnic in Europe.

About this time (late 1969) AMC learned about Ford's work with DeTomaso and the Pantera. Result: AMC introduced the AMX/3 at auto shows around the world one full year before Ford introduced the Pantera. Designers from other makers were shocked (some refused to believe that AMC designed it) and amazed by the car.

Testing results started to come in from BMW and Turin Polytech. BMW proclaimed the body assembly (a boxed sill backbone structure) one of the most rigid structures that they had ever tested. Speed runs were limited to 160 M.P.H. due to body lifting because of the lack of a front spoiler. Cooling modifications were made to cars 2, 3, 4 and 5 and retrofitted to car 1 later in 1970. Meanwhile AMC ordered 5 more prototypes and Giotto began construction.

Ultimately, AMC found that the car would have to sell for more than $12,000; even though that is a small figure today, the Pantera was released for less than $10,000. AMC didn't take the risk. It ordered the unfinished prototypes destroyed and dropped the project. The End.

Story by Jerry Beck