As the smallest of the Detroit automakers, little American Motors was careful not to take itself too seriously. Check out this tongue-in-cheek spot for the 1969 AMX. 

Several months ago, we told the story of the 1968 AMX, American Motors’ overachieving little two-place sports car (read our feature here). Not too long after that, we stumbled across this 1969 commercial that, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, perfectly illustrates the company’s marketing strategy for the AMX. Okay, so maybe it’s not a real sports car, whatever that is. But it’s a whole bunch of sporty fun for a lot less money than traditional sports cars. In those days, American Motors often used comedy to put across its message,  with memorable catch phrases like “What’s a Matador?” and “Where’s the rest of your car, Toots?”

Changes were minimal for the AMX in 1969. The interior and instrument panel were revised and a Hurst shifter for the four-speed manual transmission became standard in January. Another mid-year addition was the Big Bad color option, which offered ultra-bright blue, green, or orange paint with matching front and rear bumpers. This commercial, filmed at the old Bridgehampton Race Circuit on Long Island, stars an AMX in one of the more conventional colors, the popular Bittersweet Orange metallic. Video below.