the San Diego Auto Museum has one of the 6 existing AMX 3 concept cars, head over and see it for yourself!

Thanks to Marisela and Chris for their time and effort to allow me to photograph the AMX 3 so well!

A good question to banter over when talking to car people, Who has designed the best looking cars in the past 100 years?

I arrived at that question when looking at http://www.ridelust.com/designer-century-most-beautiful-cars/#more-1423 which may be accurate, in awarding Giorgetto Giugiaro the honorific. I'm not debating Ridelust on this, just offering this premise to you for bench racing the next time you are among other knowledgeable automotive people who can offer their thoughts.

Sadly, I don't know of anyone I can discuss car designers with who is topically knowledgeable on them. I'm no expert, but I can hold my own by knowing the cars, car names and manufacturers, and possibly remember the names of designers if someone else jogs my memory, and the cars they worked on.

I offer Chip Foose, Dick Teague, Pininfarina, Bill Mitchell, Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Marcello Gandini, Raymond Loewy, J Mays, Buckminster Fuller, Paul Jr, Larry Shinoda, Elwood Engel, Henrik Fisker, Syd Mead, Freeman Thomas and others I'd recognize if someone mentioned them

The AMX-3 links

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/10/27/amx3-pushmobile-found-replicas-forthcoming/

AMX -3's may soon be made, ( http://www.amx390.com/0.html ) for a great look at how innovative AMC could have been, see these links
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/01/heres-background-story-on-amx3-love.html#links

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2006/12/dick-teague-concept-cars-for-amc.html#links

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2006/11/beautiful-amx-3.html#links

The beautiful AMX-3

http://e-carzone.com/american_motors/ source of the yellow AMX 3 pics, the only one painted yellow. Only 3 exist I think, it's the only yellow one.

The AMX 3 was the design of Dick Teague. A long time hot rodder, and head of design at AMC.

Dick Teague story written years ago, but a good story.

Listed in his current stable are two of only five AMX III concept, European-style sports cars hand-built in Italy in 1968.

He also has a production AMX 2-seater, a '60 Corvette, A '61 Berlinetta, a rare vintage Ferrari, 1906 and 1932 Packards, one of only six 1904 Ramblers extant, an early Polk-Hartford and his most prized possession -- a 1907 American (no kin to AMC) Underslung he recently acquired after a 35-year pursuit.

He considers it "the first American sports car," and its frame uniquely was placed under its springs. The low, hunkered-down appearance that resulted was striking during an era when most cars looked like phone booths on wheels.

Underslung's 476 cu.-in. (7.8L) 4-cyl. engine, good for 50 hp, stood out as well.

A witty, colorful storyteller, Mr. Teague recalls that while dating his wife-to-be, Marian, he told her he'd marry her if she ever located an Underslung.

Only 2,000 copies were built during the Indianapolis automaker's 1906-'13 existence. By Mr. Teague's count, only 27 survive. Marian, to his surprise, soon got wind of four -- all owned by one family in Pennsylvania. "She said 'I found an American Underslung. Now we'll have to get married.'" Mr. Teague chortles. He kept his vow the next year.

All four cars sat idle until restored in the mid-'60s. It took two more decades to convince the family to part with one, purchased new by its patriarch in 1907. Why'd they sell? "I guess it was my persistence," says Mr. Teague. "Maybe they felt it would get a good home."