1969 Badger Javelin
& Regional Special AMCs
American Motors had many, REGIONAL promotions aimed at certain specific areas thru the years. Some are well known like the special 67 Rebel wagons: Briarcliffe, Westerner and Mariner. Others quickly come to mind like 69 Rebel Raider, (here is uber rare photo) 69 Pink AMXs, 69 Star Spangled SC/Ramblers, Bi-Centennial Pacers & Gremlins; P-38 Gremlins; and these Badger Javelins. Others might have been one of one for certain dealership or Zone. Many others lost in time like Lisa Javelin(s?), Mini Wagon Gremlins (sold at Frazzell AMC in Galveston, Texas); 69 100 Javelin Pace Cars; or the actual 69 AMX Pace Car at Meadowdale for same AMC Zone Promotion; 69 Pike's Peak AMXs for instance. No! You can't and WON'T ever document all of the Regional & Dealer Promotional cars that AMC did, period. AMC DIDN'T KEEP THOSE RECORDS. Have you ever seen a 73 NASCAR Matador stripe kit? It was a stripe kit for Matador 2 door owners.
Can you document a Randall XR 401 Gremlin? Ever see a Droke Brothers XP Javelin? Hertz Rent a AMX?
Go on, I could waste your whole day here talking about all the oddities. There may ore may
not have been a dealer's bulletin, why would dealers need to know about a say, Rebel
Raider in NJ & NY if they are in NM or AZ? They wouldn't. If the car was going to be
distributed nationally, then dealers would have probably gotten a Dealer Memo like for 72 Hornet Yellow Jackets.
Or the 100 Canadian "Green
Hornet" specials, I believe Canadian AM dealers only got memo of
those.
AMC was kicking some serious ASS in 1968 NHRA, NASCAR Trans Am racing. Peter Revson, driver, George Follmer driver, Ron Kaplan Chief Engineer, Jim Jeffords Team Manager for JAVELIN RACING TEAM, along with Carl Chakmakian former race car driver hisself made Javelin a force to contend with. The Javelins were using a 304V8 in 68, a modified version of the 290V8, and pulling over 400hp which could do a whopping 160mph in the straights to a slow 25mph in the turns! This particular photo is a copy of my original, it shows the Illinois Zone Office, which come raceday at the track, had gathered 100 Dealers....and Javelins....for the race! Rows upon rows of brand new spanking shiny Javelins drew crowds all day. You will never see 100 Javelins all together like this, even at any national meet. And no one knows if any of them exist now. The Grant Rebels...1967 & 1968 versions, were bored out 343 with a Supercharger pulling 1200 horsepower @ 9000RPMs and huge crowd favorites at NHRA events.
The Badger Javelin was unique to
Wisconsin only, as were many of "regional" promotions aimed at certain markets.
There were approximately 80 1969 Javelins built for this promotion. All were painted white
with special red reverse "C" stripe and lettering on the doors. They also came
equipped with the new for 1969 Breedlove ROOF
SPOILER and
MOD HOOD SCOOPS which was part of the MOD
PACKAGE one could order on any production color 1969
Javelin......and you could get the MOD on any 232-6, 290V8, 343V8 or 390V8 equipped
69 Javelin. The MOD PACKAGE would be extended to 1970, however for 70, the twin scoops
were gone....but like 69 you could also get it on a base 232 or new 258-6 Javelin up to
the 390V8. The roof spoiler was NOT available on any Mark Donohue Javelin with
the ducktail spoiler. A AM Dealer Order Memo outlined this although dealers
generally ignored it.
The Badger Javelins all sport Frost White paint with red reverse "C" stripe and a graphics kit, also had red interiors! Very striking indeed! All are believed to have a 343 4 barrel Typhoon or AMX 390V8 and automatic on floor. *Several Javelins were probably culled from regional AM Dealers to fill need for this promotion, similar to California 500 AMXs were to fill complete "order".
Dick McQuaid, right, manager of Specker Motor Sales, Marquette, Michigan, and Alan F. Mitchell lf, AMC General Sales Manager, stand in front of 80 1969 Badger Javelins that were part of a driveaway promotion marking AMC's 15th anniversary in Milwaukee, before the drive away, about 200 AMC dealers listened to William V. Lundberg, AMC President, at a breakfast meeting. Worth noting is that those dealers in the UP (Upper Peninsula )of Michigan were involved as part of a Wisconsin promotion! I do not know why 80 were produced except that at the time, I believe there were 80 AMC & Rambler Dealerships in Wisconsin.
Dick McQuaid was Time Magazines "Automotive Dealer of the Year" for 1980 later on, quite a honor.
Richard (Dick) James McQuaid...legendary auto dealer for Nash, Rambler, later AMC, passed away February 19th, 2011 at age 84. God Bless you Dick.
This is possibly the only ad known to exist of a Badger Javelin for sale, it is from Goben Motors, 100E Broadway , Madison, Wisconsin. Goben also sponsored SS/AMX #48 known as "Goben Cars"
Those with multiple locations like Buran Rambler would only get one car for instance.
There is no specific codes or numbers that I am aware of that would designate a Javelin as being a "Badger". There are 2-3 known to exist in 2007, making them some of the most collectible "regional" Javelins produced.
Here is one resurrected by Donny H of Illinois.
The Badger was the car issued to
Bunker Rambler Motors of New Lisbon, Wisconsin, which was in the
Milwaukee AMC ZONE.
:
Another Wisconsin Badger Javelin awaiting restoration, this one owned by Robert H
