American Motors Corporation's advertising slogan for the year was…
"If you had to compete with GM, Ford, and Chrysler, what would you do?"
This memorable slogan effectively set American Motors apart from the big three automakers and created a sense of sympathy for the underdog position that AMC held in the marketplace. AMC answered their own rhetorical question by launching an extensive television and print advertising campaign that highlighted and showcased what each of their distinctive car lines had to offer that the big three manufacturers did not. The loser image that the company had deliberately set out to change was gradually being transformed into that of a serious contender offering consumers a better and more appealing choice.
The big news for the Hornet line was the introduction of the new Sportabout, which was the only compact wagon available on the market at the time. The new wagon offered a very sporty hatch-style opening instead of the more commonly used conventional tailgate door design. This innovative design made the wagon feel less like a traditional station wagon and more like a sport sedan—and it proved to be pretty popular with consumers.
The Hornet Sportabout design was foreshadowed and influenced by a Javelin station wagon show car that was specifically used to survey potential customers and determine how the rear side window pillars should look for optimal styling.
The Hornet sedans were pretty much unchanged from the previous year's models, with the notable exception of the powerplant configuration. All models in the lineup received a 232 cubic inch displacement six-cylinder engine as standard equipment.
A new performance model called the SC/360 Hornet was introduced to the market with the hope of recapturing the previous commercial and racing success of the 1969 SC Rambler. Equipped with a powerful 360 cubic inch displacement two-barrel V-8 engine and trimmed with distinctive styled wheels and side stripes, the SC/360 offered impressive high performance at a remarkably low price—just $2,663 base price. Muscle car performance for the masses!
This limited production performance option featured a distinctive blackout grille treatment, unique hood-mounted functional air scoop, sporty contrasting color stripes with SC/360 identification callouts and rear panel blackout treatment between the tail lamps, styled steel wheels with fat performance tires, heavy-duty handling package for improved cornering, and of course the AMC 360 V8 engine available in 2bbl. or functional ram air 4bbl. versions with dual exhaust system and AMX type "torque link" traction bars for improved traction. This muscle car version of the Hornet was no doubt specifically designed to give it a competitive advantage in racing categories where factory-issue stock equipment is required by the rules.
Total 1971 Hornet production reached approximately 89,000 units across all body styles. The SC/360 was produced in very limited numbers, with only 784 units manufactured during the 1971 model year, making it one of the rarest and most collectible Hornet variants today.
The SC/360 Hornet competed directly against other budget muscle cars of the era, including the Plymouth Duster 340 and Chevrolet Nova SS. Despite its impressive performance credentials and affordable price point, the SC/360 struggled in the marketplace due to AMC's limited dealer network and the general decline in muscle car sales as insurance rates skyrocketed for high-performance vehicles.
Performance specifications were impressive for the era: the standard 245-horsepower two-barrel version could achieve 0-60 mph in approximately 7.5 seconds, while the optional 285-horsepower four-barrel ram-air version reduced that time to around 6.7 seconds with quarter-mile times in the low 15-second range. These figures made the SC/360 competitive with much more expensive muscle cars from the big three manufacturers.
The SC/360 was available in both two-door sedan and four-door sedan body styles, though the two-door was far more popular among performance enthusiasts. Factory color options were limited to specific high-impact colors including Big Bad Blue, Big Bad Orange, and Big Bad Green, along with more conservative white and black options.
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Copyright © 2025, Alexander Ortiz. All Rights Reserved. | AMCHornet.com was established 2002 | Updated March 27, 2026