page_title: AMC Spirit
section_title: Turbo pace car
hierarchical_section_title: AMC Spirit / Spirit AMX / Turbo pace car
caption_attribution_description: English: 1980 American Motors (AMC) AMX Turbo Pace car built for the 1981 PPG IndyCar World Series - view of the engine bay. This car features AMC's venerable 258 cubic inch (4.2 L) straight six engine. It uses an exhaust driven turbocharger built by Turbo Systems and a Porsche fuel injection system to produce 450 HP. Photograph taken at the AMC 100th anniversary Rambler meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
context_page_description: The AMC Spirit is a subcompact marketed by American Motors Corporation from 1979 to 1983 as a restyled replacement for the Gremlin. The Spirit shared the Gremlin's platform and was offered in two hatchback variations, each with two doors — marketed as sedan and liftback. Manufactured by AMC in Wisconsin and Ontario, as well as under license in Mexico, the Spirit was also marketed from 1981 to 1983 as the Eagle SX/4 with four-wheel drive.
  Performance versions of the AMC Spirit competed in road racing. The B.F. Goodrich tire company sponsored a two-car team of Spirit AMXs in the 24 Hours Nürburgring race track. The AMXs were the first American entries and they finished first and second in their class out of a 120-car field in this grueling 14.1 mile, 176 turn road race. AMC Spirits were also privately campaigned in International Motor Sports Association Champion Spark Plug Challenge and Racing Stock Class events, as well as in drag racing.
context_section_description: An AMX Turbo Pace car was built to be one of four official safety cars in the PPG IndyCar World Series for the 1981 auto-racing season. The objective was create one pace car for each of the four major American car companies based on existing production models of that time. There were two design proposals, both using the Spirit liftback body and designed by Dick Teague, AMC's Vice President of Automotive Design. One car was shown by PPG Industries featuring a white/red/blue/black painted production 1979 Spirit AMX with covered headlamps and integrated and smoothed front bumper and air dam unit.
  The highly modified fastback car was constructed by Autodynamics of Troy, Michigan under contract from PPG Industries.  The body has a more aerodynamic efficient, fiberglass shell with smooth bumpers. A unique ram air induction system was designed into the rear quarter panel while the rear featured an integrated spoiler with a high center fuel fill. The interior was modified to include new front racing bucket seats along with a special roll bar and cage. 
  The turbo-charged and fuel-injected 258 cu in (4.2 L) I6 was built by Turbo-Systems Inc. to produce 450 bhp (336 kW). The car is equipped with Goodyear Eagle GT low profile 245x50x16 tires on 16x8-inch "Gotti" aluminum alloy wheels.The car made its debut as the official pace car for the Milwaukee 150 on June 7, 1981, for the 14 race series.
  This was the final chapter in AMC's AMX racing story and the car went to AMC's Vice President of Design, Richard Teague. It has since been maintained by collectors with the AMX Turbo regularly appearing at automobile shows.
caption: Turbo-charged and fuel injected AMC I6
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