The late 1960s and early 1970s are considered by most car enthusiasts to be the “Golden Age” years of the American muscle car. Most manufacturers offered more than one muscle car model, but only a few offered a compact version. AMC, with their Hornet offering, was one of those companies.
Topspeed.com lists ten of the most memorable muscle cars of the era, but none are compact cars. Three autos topping their list begin with the 1964 Pontiac GTO which is considered by many to be one of the pioneer muscle cars during the 60s and 70s. The GTO accelerated from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds (impressive for the time), reached a standing quarter-mile in a mere 14.8 seconds, at a speed of 99 mph. Second is the super rare 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake. Only two units were built, both were essentially race cars modified for use on the street. The Cobra was powered by a 427 cu. in. V8 Shelby engine, with power amplified by a pair of Paxton superchargers, resulting in a mindboggling output of 800 horsepower.
Finally, there's the 1968 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet. Most enthusiasts think of the Mustang when muscle cars are mentioned, and no other car draws accolades like the 1968 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet. Ford rated the Mustang Cobra Jet power output at “a mere” 335 horsepower, but independent tests showed its output closer to 410 horsepower. The AMC Hornet is not usually grouped with these models or other traditional muscle cars of the era, and the following are features that make it underrated.
The AMC Hornet Bucks the End Of The 70’s Muscle Car Era
The Muscle car era came to an abrupt halt in the mid-70s primarily due to two events. In December 1970, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed an Executive Order that created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The impact on automobile design was significant. To meet new emissions requirements, auto manufacturers detuned engines by lowering compression ratios and increased bumper sizes, adding weight to their vehicles. The result was a severe decline in performance.
If the new U.S. Federal Government regulations were not enough to discourage the production of gas-guzzling muscle cars, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) placement of an oil embargo in 1973 was sufficient to pound the nail in the coffin. Before the embargo, crude oil was priced at $3.00 a barrel. After the embargo, prices (through 2020) never dropped below $11.00 a barrel.
While young car buyers sought powerful and fast muscle cars during the late 60s and early 70s, the younger adults wanted smaller vehicles in the late 70s that were cheaper to operate. Hence, the “Sub Compact” became an attractive alternative to traditional sedans, and car manufacturers detuned their muscle cars.
The AMC Hornet was an exception. The compact size kept its weight down, giving the car reasonable gas mileage even with a powerful, muscle-car engine.
1971 AMC Hornet SC/360, the Low-Cost Traditional Muscle Car
AMC created the 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 as a lower-cost alternative to larger traditional muscle cars. Their goal was to capture a larger share of the performance-car market that was negatively impacted by stricter government regulations and increasing insurance premiums. The company hoped to disguise its high-performance specialty car in the body of the compact Hornet.
The standard 1971 SC/360 came equipped with a 245hp, two-barrel, 360 V-8 engine. AMC offered an optional four-barrel that produced 285 horsepower. Most Hornets sold were six-cylinder models, and only 784 SC/360 were produced. For 1972 AMC used all the high-performance parts manufactured in 1971 to produce the Hornet X package, the closest model to the discontinued factory-produced SC/360.
The 1971 Hornet SC/360 sold new for a mere $2,663, $40 less than a new '71 Duster 340. Chevrolet offered the 1971 Camaro V8 at an MSRP of $2,848.
WWE Wrestler and Actor John Cena’s Daily Driver is a Hornet
John Cena is an American classic car fanatic and has more than 20 muscle cars in his collection. The former WWE wrestler can choose from an impressive variety of cars, but his daily driver is a manual 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360. Cena rates his Hornet an 8.5 on a scale of 10, claiming, "It's compact, lightweight with a huge V-8, it's a four-speed, great car," he states. "No frills, just fun. I'm a bit of a car guy. I especially have a favorite spot for American-made stuff."
Cena says the AMC compact car is unique, “It's a low-dollar car. You can still buy one for a very good price if you can find one. But it's really cool; you can pull up to any car show and everybody can have all his best stuff out, and the Hornet always gets some attention because you just never see another one."
1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 a Collector’s Muscle Car at a Reasonable Price
When the muscle car market soared in the early 2000s, prices for traditional models skyrocketed out of reach for many classic-car enthusiasts. As a result, the AMC Hornet SC/360 suddenly became an attractive alternative.
The successor to the SC/Rambler and Rebel Machine, the Hornet was designed to fly under the insurance man's radar. AMC even said as much in its print ad for the SC/360, "Introducing a sensible alternative to the money-squeezing, insurance-strangling muscle cars of America."
The compact muscle today continues to be underrated. While a 1971 Boss 351 Mustang in excellent condition can fetch more than $100,000 in today’s market, a 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 can be found for under $30,000.
Sources: musclecars.howstuffworks.com, thetruthaboutcars.com, hemmings.com, motor-junkie.com