The Cars

Explore the other AMX/3 Chassis

Below you will find a general timeline of the AMX/3 project

  • May 1967 AMC gave Richard “Dick” Teague, the head of design at American Motors, and Bob Nixon, his chief designer, are given the go-ahead to propose a mid-engined prototype. The project was called AMX/K and it convinced AMC management of the idea to actually build a mid-engined sports car, the AMX/3.
  • March 1968, Meyers and Teague went to the Geneva Motor Show to meet Giorgetto Giugiaro and to ask him for a proposal.
  • April 68 photos exists from the Dick Teague design team that present the in-house AMX/3 design. The actual design team included Bob Nixon, Jack Kenitz, Eric Kugler, Dick Jones and Gary Guichard plus clay modelers Chuck Hosper, Keith Goodnough, and Howard Clark. At the same time Fred Hudson and Bob Nixon execute the AMX/2 design from a shape sketched by Dick Teague in ’68.
  • 3rd quarter of 1968 Bizzarrini S.p.A. has to close down for financial reasons, and a trustee is appointed for the bankruptcy.
  • 3rd quarter of 1968 Salvatore Diomante establishes AutoOfficina SD in the 1965-1968 Bizzarrini S.P.A. Livorno factory and begins the process of purchasing all Bizzarrini tooling, parts and inventory out of the Bizzarrini S.P.A. bankruptcy.
  • October 1968 Giugiaro, Bizzarrini and Diomante completed the Manta.The car is presented at the 50th Salone dell’Automobile in Turin, Oct 30th – Nov 10 1968.
  • November 1968 the Giorgetto Giugiaro Styrofoam proposal arrived at AMC headquarters for the AMX/3 design competition.
  • Parallel to (and prior to) the design competition, AMC was looking for ways to outsource the engineering and production of the new car.
  • Reported that Hal Siegel of AMC handed the initial job of creating the first prototype body to Sergio Coggiola of Carrozzeria Coggiola in Torino. Coggiola started the body but backed out and left the first body unfinished so Siegel turned the job over to Bizzarrini and Diomante. (Confirmation of this report is needed from another source.)
  • Reported that Karmann was hired to oversee the AMX/K project. Karmann commissioned ItalDesign to manage the project. ItalDesign (Giugiaro) commissioned Bizzarrini to develop the chassis for the first car probably some time in mid-late November 1968.
  • December 5, 1968 Bizzarrini first meetings with KONI engineers with drawing of the front shocks.
  • December 24, 1968 Bizzarrini drawings for the front springs for KONI.
  • January 30, 1969 Bizzarrini drawings for the rear springs and shock absorber for KONI.
  • February 1969 the fiberglass mockup AMX/2 is shown at the Chicago Auto show. This is a “teaser” project to draw publicity for the forethcoming AMX/3.
  • March 1969, BMW and AMC signed a $1.5 million DM contract (about $800k USD) to test the quality of the Italian prototypes, improve them and verify its performance. BMW Project E18.
  • June 1969 the first prototype was sent to BMW for testing. “BMW engineers found the scope of the tested prototype No. 1 to be far too weak and yielding.” The first prototype is built in Via della Padula in Livorno by Autofficina SD but it was finished by the crew of Diomante at BMW factory. The second prototype Chassis No. 02 is built at ItalDesign in Nichelino, Torino.
  • July 25, 1969 The custom pre- and final silencers were developed under special order SK 5998.01 and SK 5998.02 by Friedrich Boysen GmbH & Co. KG of Altensteig, Germany. Engineers at Boysen kindly provided scans of the original production drawings for these commissions.
  • October 15-23, 1969 BMW exchanged the Girling system on prototype Car #1 with German ATE components. The work was performed at Alfred Teves (ATE). and included the installation of a larger master cylinder, dual vacuum operated brake boosters T50-29-11 (subsequent cars were to receive single T51 boosters), four-piston calipers M4-40 and ventilated discs in the front, and twin L38 two-piston calipers in the rear. The handbrake handle was taken from a BMW E3/E9  (Bavaria/CS coupé).
  • December 5, 1969 BMW test report the torsional rigidity “of prototype No. 2” noted that the AMX/3 had a 50 percent higher stiffness compared to a benchmark Mercedes-Benz model.
  • February 1970 Diomante moves his busness from Livorno and starts Autocostruzioni SD in Moncalieri. Giotto operates under the corporate name Z2 and operates as an external consultant for Autocostruzioni SD. Car #2 is finished here and car chassis 3-9 are built here.
  • Feb 21 – March 1 1970 Chicago Auto Show The fiberglass AMX/3 Pushmobile is presented.
  • March 23rd 1970 press unveiling of Chassis No. 03 in Rome. Cavalieri Hilton Hotel. Rome Colosseum.
  • End of March 1970 Chassis No. 03 imported to AMC
  • April 3rd 1970 US press release at the Waldorf and appeared at the April 5th 1970 New York Auto Show.
  • April 10, 1970 The last available BWM test & development report: “due to lack of test specimens / cancellation of the development program by AMC as per [BMW] internal note dated January 7, 1970”.
  • May/June 1970 it appears Chassis No. 05 was imported to the US by AMC per VIN sequence or perhaps was imported later as “parts” by Teague after the project was canceled. Unknown.
  • June 25th 1970 AMC photos document the design changes of the raised cowling area to conceal the wipers.
  • July 1970 (Reported summer or perhaps some time between April and near the end of 1970) the AMC funded project was offically canceled by AMC. Bizzarrini and AMC discussed AMC committing to supplying parts for 30 cars, AMC purchasing 10 and Bizzarrini selling 20 on his own. Bizzarrini declined, perhaps some time after the Oct 28 1970 Turin Car Show.
  • Oct 28 1970 Turin Car Show Chassis No. 04 is shown. Was this the first marketing attempt of “Sciabola” or was it presented as the AMX/3 or both?
  • 1971 March 30th AMC agrees to sell Jerry Werden and William P. Demichieli Chassis No. 04  and Chassis No. 02 for $15,000. Agreement states for Werden to pay Autocostruzioni SD all shipping and import fees. See AMC letter.
  • February 1971 Italian magazine “iO” shows Chassis No. 06 unfinished in silver/light-blue and Chassis No. 01 in green. Chassis No. 07 and Chassis No. 09 seems to be gone also therefore both already sold to Giordannengo in 1971. Chassis No. 08 was also not there so perhaps Bizzarrini was already began turning it into the Varedo.
  • Nov 26th 1971 Chassis No. 02 and 04 are finally imported to the USA.
  • Oct 1972 dated photo outside the Diomante Moncalieri shop shows unfinished Chassis No. 01 in green, still in Italy.
  • 1972 March Giotto Bizzarrini returns to Iso to build the prototype of the Varedo, after a design by Ercole Spada, built on a modified and lightened AMX/3 Chassis No. 08 as a head start. The body consists entirely of glass fiber reinforced plastic. The car is presented at the 54th Turin Motor Show November 1-12 1972.
  • Late ’72 William P. Demichieli sells Car #2 to James E. Silvey.
  • 1973 (or after Oct 1972) Chassis No. 01 Imported to AMC by Teague design team. Originally green and Dick Teague had the car painted bright yellow in 1973. Chassis No. 01 came from Italy unfinished with no motor, transaxle, brake system, wheels, and miscellaneaus interior items and gauges missing. The braking system is completely not there. Dick Teague later donated a transaxle to the owner.
  • 1973 Oct 31 Pushmobile fiberglass mockup is donated to the Rippey’s Veteran Car Museum, Denver CO. Metallic Green at that time.
  • 1973, Salvatore Diomante moves Autocostruzione S.D. from Moncalieri to Nichelino.
  • 1973 (or later) Chassis No. 01 is sold by AMC/Teague to Scotty Dawkins. inherited by Ian Dawkins in 2016. Still remains unfinished and unrestored.
  • 1973 or around this time, Teague paints the yellow pushmobile green, the green Chassis No. 01 is painted yellow, and the red Chassis No. 03 is painted silver-blue and the silver Chassis No. 05 is painted yellow.
  • 1976 AMX/3 Chassis No. 06 appears at the Turin Car Show as a marketing tool labeled “Sciabola” in an attempt to help OTO Melara to sell 4MXPD transaxles.
  • 1976 Jack Cohen buys the Chassis No. 02 car from James Silvey.
  • 1978 June 17 Rippey’s Car Museum sells the pushmobile mockup for $2000 to Jim Jenson.
  • 1978 Richard Teague buys cars Chassis No. 03 and Chassis No. 05 from AMC. Chassis No. 05, originally silver, now yellow, Teague installs the upside-down ’79 Firbird tail lights. Reported black was tried first on car #5 but Teague said it hid the lines.
  • 1979 I see the book “The Cars that Never Were” and read about the AMX/3 for the first time. 
  • 1981 Scotty Dawkins stores Chassis No. 01 at the Gilmore museum in Michigan. They are supposed to restore Chassis No. 01 to present it in the museum, but that never happens and the car is stored in the basement.
  • 1984 AMO Nationals Kenosha WI,  I meet Jack Cohen and I sit in the mostly unrestored, all original AMX/3 Chassis No. 02.
  • 1985 Teague sells Chassis No. 05 to George Doughtie Jr of Norcross GA, and the car had about 200 miles on it, descibed by Doughtie as “not driveable”, “needed lots of work because it was an orphan car and had rough, cobbled-up stuff on it”.  George had to have the instrumentation built since the car had none. It took George over a year to make the car driveable and get it show ready.
  • 1988 Chassis No. 05 sold by George Doughtie Jr to James Mimbs of Georgia.
  • 1989 Chassis No. 05 sold by James Mimbs to Pat Ryan’s Prisma collection Montgomery AL, along with the AMX/2 mockup
  • 1989 Walter Kirtland buys Chassis No. 02 from Jack Cohen.
  • 1989-90 Teague restores Chassis No. 03, repainting the then silver/blueish #3 back to the original press release red.
  • 1990 Kirkland restores Chassis No. 02 at Bill Decarr at Bill’s Body Shoppe in Bellflower California in preparation for the 1990 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
  • 1992 Giordannengo sold the AMX/3 Chassis No. 07 and AMX/3 Chassis No. 09 AMX Spider to Roland Dieteren.
  • 1995 reported The AMX/3 Spider was finished.
  • 1997 (or 2003?) Chassis No. 05 Sold by Pat Ryan’s Prisma Collection to Bernie and Joan Carl, the current owners in Washington DC.
  • 1998 photo showing Christian Giordanengo who says he reformed (restored?) the Chassis No. 07 in 1998.
  • 1999 Chassis No. 01 is returned from the Gilmore museum to the home of Scotty and Ian Dawkins. Awaiting restoration.
  • 2000/2001 the AMX Spider appears. The present owner Roland Dieteren stated that he acquired the car in 1992 from Mr. Giorgio Giordanengo from Cuneo, Italy, right around the corner from Diomante’s shop.
  • 2004 Chassis No. 02 shown at Concorso d’Italia
  • 2006 Chassis No. 05 restored at Autosport Designs Inc., Huntington Station, New York.
  • 2006 Chassis No. 05 shown at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
  • 2007 Chassis No. 05 shown at Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance
  • 2007 April 9th Jim Jenson sells the fiberglass pushmobile mockup for $22,000 to Tom Dulaney.
  • 2008 Chassis No. 05 shown at Goodwood Festival of Speed
  • 2013 Chassis No. 03 shown at the Chicago Auto Show by Ray Scarpelli after it’s restoration by David Draper/Time Machines Unlimited.
  • 2013-14 Chassis No. 04 Restoration underway in Indianapolis IN by original and still owner Jerry Werden. Reported work done in the shops of DJA and Paul Winkler in the Indy area.
  • 2014 Jurgen Wilms of Düsseldorf, Germany buys Chassis No. 02 from Walter Kirtland. Restored by Thomas Gralak TG Classics in Willich.
  • 2014 September 6th Chassis No. 05 shown at the Concours of Elegance held at Hampton Court Palace, UK
  • 2015, Jan 29 Chassis No. 04 eBay add bidding ends at $235,899.00, reserve not met. 2017 photos appear online of the car now painted but the restoration not complete.
  • 2015 Chassis No. 02 shown at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este
  • 2016 Chassis No. 05 shown and Car #2 Best in Class Winner, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
  • 2017 Jan 23 Wilms sells Chassis No. 02 for $891k to Rick and David Biafora, Morgantown WV.
  • 2018 May 8th Chassis No. 02 show at the Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance by Richard Biafora.
  • 2018 June 18th Chassis No. 02 shown at The Elegance at Hershey 2018 by Richard & David Biafora winning the Chief Judge’s Award.
  • 2019 May, Chassis No. 01 sold to Michael Chetcuti and Kyle Evans of Northport Michigan by the Dawkins family. Ian Dawkins and close friends will do the restoration