Back in 1969, BMW engineers took delivery of an aggressively styled mid-engine coupe, code named ‘E18’, for development and testing. The car wasn’t a BMW, it evidently wasn’t built in Germany, and it was destined for the American market. That car was the very first of the AMC AMX/3 chassis No. 1s, and it would sit at the German facility for decades before eventually making its way to the US. It is only now, some 50 years later, that it will finally receive the completion it deserves. BMW’s testing programme ended in January 1970. BMW’s engineers reportedly found the frame weak and flexible and made some alterations, but apparently focused more of their attention on chassis No. 2. AMC cancelled the AMX/3 programme after importing at least two of the nine chassis built to the US. Chassis No. 1 stayed in Italy until 1972 before being exported to the US, sold to an AMC employee, and stored in the Gilmore Car Museum. It is now owned by Michael Chetcuti and Kyle Evans. The pair plan to complete a top-to-bottom, inside-and-out restoration, and have pledged to provide restoration updates on Facebook (AMC_AMX3) as well as on AMX3.org.
