Because of its Nash roots and assembly plant there, AMC will forever be associated with Kenosha, Wisconsin. But the company—formed in 1954 when Nash-Kelvinator merged with Hudson—was headquartered in Detroit.

AMC pride borders on the religious to some, and it's Detroit where the faithful congregate every August, as the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is the mecca that draws the pilgrims. The American Motors Owners Association (AMO) leverages the cruise weekend to host a well-attended car show, while a more informal group dubbed Nashnutz crowds the suburb of Birmingham during the cruise.

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Rich Corsello founded the Nashnutz club as a way to draw fellow AMC owners (as well as owners of Nash, Hudson, Jeep, and related brands) and enthusiasts together during the Dream Cruise. They have been getting together there for 13 years. Many members also belong to AMO, and between the two organizations there are more SC/Ramblers, AMXs, and Javelins in the Motor City than you can shake a stick at. (That's sort of a pun because a javelin is a long spear, a stick, right?)

AMC owners live in the shadows of Hemis, Stage Is, Bosses, and big-blocks, a status that strengthens their infectious camaraderie, even if their ranks don't quite match all of the Corvettes, Mustangs, and other mainstream muscle cars cruising Woodward. Simply put, these owners are about as down-to-earth as they come.

Yes, the Kenosha plant is long gone and the old AMC headquarters building in Detroit is literally a stripped-out, gutted shell awaiting the wrecking ball. But AMO and the Nashnutz keep alive the legacy of the Motor City's underdog muscle car manufacturer.

See all 31 photos This 1973 Javelin has a unique history. It carries serial number 0011 and was used by AMC's marketing department to show off the new Maxi Blue exterior color in print ads and brochures. A year later it was resprayed Mellow Yellow to show off the 1974 color palette. It was returned to its original blue hue in 2006.

See all 31 photos Bruce Hofsess' red-on-red 1970 AMX features a 325hp 390 and a four-speed trans. The engine pumped out 10 hp more than the 390 in the 1968 and 1969 models. It was a swansong for the specialty two-seater AMX, however, which became a trim level in the Javelin line in 1971.

See all 31 photos Ken Martin is the original owner of this rare, one-of-784 1971 SC-360. The 66,000-mile Hornet-based muscle car is motivated by a 285hp 360 engine, which is backed by an automatic transmission.

See all 31 photos AMC built only 825 401-powered Javelin AMXs in 1972. Although the high-compression days were over, the engine cranked out a respectable 345 lb-ft of torque. This one is a factory A/C car owned by Brad Mathis.

See all 31 photos Michael Levi has owned this 1970 Rebel Machine for 40 years. The 390/four-speed car wears the red, white, and blue paint scheme, identifying it as one of the first few hundred built. Levi's was built in December 1969.

See all 31 photos Jeff Bristow built this 1968 Javelin race car replica as a tribute to AMC's inaugural year in the Trans-Am series and the team run by Ron Kaplan.

See all 31 photos Another original-owner AMC at the AMO show was Lee Griffin's 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler. It wears all of its original equipment, including the 315hp 390 engine and Borg-Warner T-10 close-ratio four-speed transmission.

See all 31 photos The Matador replaced the Rebel in AMC's lineup in 1971, and still offered customers respectable V-8 performance in an intermediate-size package. Al Hodgson's restored example has a 210hp 304 under the hood.

See all 31 photos We didn't get Mitch's last name, but his two-owner 1971 Javelin SST was memorable. It was the first production year with the blistered fenders, and the SST package offered the twin body-side stripes. This one has a 360 engine.

See all 31 photos Only 2,320 of the 1974 Javelin AMXs were built with the 360 engine. This example is mildly warmed over with a Holley carb and headers. The 1974 model year was the final year for the Javelin, as new bumper regulations would have required extensive and expensive revisions.

See all 31 photos The 1973 Hornet hatchback was a deceptive performer. With a shipping weight of only 3,031 pounds and the optional 360 V-8, it packed a surprising punch. Al Nemzek is the original owner of this unrestored example, which looks great with the period Appliance wheels.

See all 31 photos For anyone harboring Adam 12 AMC replica fantasies, this 1973 Matador sedan fits the bill. It even has a TorqueFlite-backed 401 under the hood.

See all 31 photos Jack Hillie dragged this A-paint-scheme SC/Rambler out of barn in 2013, where it had hibernated for 25 years. We even did a write-up on the Rare Find in our Dec. 2013 issue. The car was originally purchased by Jack Whitt, who drag-raced it at Lapeer Dragway, Detroit Dragway, and Tri-City Dragway, in Michigan. It went as quick as 13.20.

See all 31 photos Bill and Janet Brodnicki's gorgeous Golden Lime 1970 AMX has it all: 390 engine, T-10 four-speed, 3.91-geared Sure Grip rear axle, and more. The engine was breathed on, too, with a hotter cam and an Offenhauser intake.

See all 31 photos Ronald Goodnaugh's 1970 AMX wears an SCCA-inspired paint scheme, where the cars were originally classed in B/Production, along with the Shelby G.T. 350. The engine in Goodnaugh's car is an automatic-backed 360.

See all 31 photos Among the Nashnutz Woodward gathering, this ultrarare 1970 Trans-Am Javelin is one of 100 built. Randy Hensinger brought it to Detroit from Ohio, but it is his father's car.

See all 31 photos Roger Nelson's Big Bad Blue 1970 Mark Donohue Javelin is one of the best, capturing the AMO Best in Show award five years ago.

See all 31 photos Tom Guarr's 1969 AMX is an authentic Hurst-prepped S/S factory drag model, one of only 52. Under the hood is a purpose-built, high-compression 390 with a pair of Holley four-barrels. It's as rare as AMC muscle gets.

See all 31 photos Waldo and Lisa Riesterer came, appropriately enough, from Wisconsin with their Bayshore Blue Rebel Machine.

See all 31 photos J.C. Worley is the original owner of this black 1971 Javelin AMX, and he brought it all the way to Detroit from Texas to join the Nashnutz.

See all 31 photos Mark Donohue was Jeff Filz's (originally from Kenosha) hero, and owning one of his namesake Javelin models is the fulfillment of a longtime dream. The Big Bad Orange car is one of 2,501 produced.

See all 31 photos Terry Weiner is the original owner of this Burnished Brown Metallic 1971 Javelin AMX, which he ordered in December 1970. Interestingly, the high-compression 360 two-barrel engine wears International Harvester red paint. AMC built engines for IH and apparently had a few leftovers that were put into some of its cars.

See all 31 photos John Becker is another Nashnutz member who came up from Texas, showing his 1970 AMX with the $52 Shadow Mask option. The treatment blacked out the hood, and 982 of the 4,116 AMXs built that year featured it.