AMX Team Highball Spirit's in Nurburgring, Germany
Amos Johnson's Team Highball Decal
AMC road-racing cars from the late 1970s are rare, and they might not jar any memories loose about road racing. Yet, while they were largely ignored here in the States, two 1979 AMC products made racing history across the Atlantic. The muscle car era was long over, and the so-called performance hardware coming out of Detroit was at its lowest low in 1979, but that year, tiny AMC had a giant check mark put next to its name at some of the most challenging road-racing circuits in the world. Peter Nightinggale prepares to literally take on the world in this photo. This Spirit AMX was ready for a 24 high speed race. Imagine sitting in that seat on a twisting turning track for hours! A photo of one of the Spirit AMXs taken at speed at over 100 miles per hour on a bank at Nurburgring.
Want a copy of this punishing race? I sell a DVD of it only $9.00 + $4.05 shipping Priority.
In October 1979, B.F.Goodrich sponsored two "Team Highball" AMC
Spirit-based AMXs. That alone is significant, but it's worth mentioning that
No other American car company had a entry.
AMC finished 25th and 43rd overall, BUT
FINISHED FIRST AND SECOND IN THEIR CLASS. This
wonderful DVD captures the race, most of it from behind the wheel!
Awesome "at speed" footage makes you feel as it you are there watching
the race in 1979. Team Owner Amos Johnson, Denis Shaw, Jim Downing, Lyn St.
James and actor James Brolin put these AMX's thru the tests. Team 1: Johnson,
Shaw, Brolin; Team 2: Auto journalist Gary Witzenburg, Dowling, and St. James.
B. F. Goodrich sponsored the cars, and amazingly enough, no tire failures in 8+
hours of this punishing race! The AMX's hit
speeds of up to 140 miles per hour. This was AMC's last
racing campaign. And what a story it was. Against Porsches, BMWs, Opels, and
others in this historic race.
If you are a big fan of the "Bullitt" chase scene with many in the car
shots, you will undoubtly enjoy this great DVD.
A awesome piece of racing history for AMC fans collections, or for those who
have loved the historic 14.1 German Nurburgring racing track, and all the
legends and stories it has told for decades.
Please note that this DVD will not play on all players. It works great on
my Sony, and have tried it on others like Apex, but it will not read it on my
Pioner, which is about 5 years old. I will not mark on the DVD, nor will I put a
sticker on it, as I sometimes these can jam up if come loose. You get a
brand spanking new DVD with ultra rare footage of American Motors last major
racing endevour. And "THE 24 HOURS OF
NURBURGRING" is something you will want to watch a
number of times, even show it at your local AMC club meeting, or put a small tv
and dvd player in your auto display like we used to do here in our local car
club display at the Astrodome, which would hold people's attention........
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Flash forward to 2006. Both of these cars still luckily for us AMC fans still exist. One is in NY, the other in CT. You will probably see one, or both at some of the AMC National and Regional meets in the coming years. Jerome Jacalone is the proud owner of Team Highball #1 while Scott Campbell is owner of Team High #2, having recently bought it in 2006 from Steve Francis.
Team Highball in Nurburgring Germany in 1979. A great shot of one of the Spirit AMX's on the track.
This is Amos Johnson's car, which is Team Highball AMX #1. Shown in 2005, it is undergoing a restoration. A rear shot of the car also. Here is the wonderful Spirit AMX interior, hard to believe someone was doing 170mph in this car, and driving it for 24 hours in all sorts of damned weather too. Engine bay of Team Highball #1.
This is Team Highball AMX #2, which is also undergoing a total restoration. My hat is off to both these owners for fixing these little bits of American Motors racing history alive. More to come! As of late 2005, I understand this second car is possibly for sale. These are some photos of it when it appeared on ebay. Front angle. Rear photo. Side Rear View.
