World's Rarest 1970 AMC Javelin Honors America's Iconic Trans-Am Series

AMC's muscle car was a rather slow seller compared to the Mustang and Camaro. But even though it lost the sales battle, the Javelin defeated its main rivals on the race track. In 1971, American Motors won the "Over 2-liter" class of the SCCA Trans-Am series, ending a five-year period dominated by Ford and Chevy.

AMC joined Trans-Am in 1968, two years after the competition was established. It finished its maiden season third, behind Chevrolet and Ford, and above Pontiac. AMC failed to win races that year, but scored eight podiums. Chevrolet and Ford remained unbeatable in 1969, and AMC finished fourth.

Things turned for the better in 1970 when Penske Racing left Chevrolet to handle the AMC Javelin program. Roger Penske also brought Mark Donohue with him. AMC won three races and scored six podiums, finishing the championship in second place (behind Ford).

The Javelin/Donohue duo became unstoppable in 1971. AMC won eight of 10 races and had no issue winning the championship. It was the first time the winner wasn't Ford or Chevrolet. AMC won its second title in 1971, this time with George Follmer behind the steering wheel.

Although it was discontinued in 1974, the Javelin remained in use at the race track. Two years later, the pony car secured its third Trans-Am championship, which was AMC's final victory in the series.

The company's Trans-Am venture brought a few limited-edition models into showrooms. The 1970 Mark Donohue Javelin, built to homologate the Donohue-designed rear ducktail spoiler, is one of the most iconic. However, the Trans-Am Javelin version produced that same year is by far the rarest.

The Trans-Am Javelin wasn't a road-legal race car, but it came with a few extras, including the 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8 engine as standard, a heavy-duty suspension, and unique front and rear spoilers. The cars were also painted in the outfit's patriot racing livery of Matador Red, Frost White, and Commodore Blue (front, center, and rear).

AMC built only 100 units, making the Trans-Am the rarest Javelin. For reference, the company built 2,501 Mark Donohue cars and sold 31,090 Javelins in 1970. Fewer than 40 Trans-Am rigs are known to exist, and YouTube's "Muscle Car Campy" just documented one of them.

The result of a frame-off restoration, this Javelin SST is also one of the finest Trans-Am models out there. It looks pristine inside and out and packs an amazingly clean 390-cubic-inch V8 (which was rated at 325 horsepower).

In addition to being one of only 100 made, this Javelin is also one of only 36 units listed in the Trans-Am Javelin registry. One of the 36 vehicles was apparently destroyed, so it's one of only 35 known to exist. Kudos to the owner for preserving this cool piece of American Motors and muscle car history.

Unfortunately, these rigs don't get the attention they deserve, and the very few examples that went under the hammer in recent years didn't even hit the $100,000 mark. But if you're a fan of old-school Trans-Am racing, this Javelin is definitely worth checking out.