American Motors Corporation was formed in 1954 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, through the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Company. For more than three decades AMC was America's last independent full-line automobile manufacturer, competing with the much larger Detroit corporations by emphasizing economy, practicality and distinctive design rather than size for its own sake.

AMC is remembered for memorable model lines including the Rambler, Hornet, Gremlin, Javelin, AMX, Matador and Pacer, and for its acquisition of the Jeep brand in 1970, which gave the company a strong position in four-wheel-drive vehicles. AMC designed its own engines, notably the rugged 232 and 258 cubic-inch straight-sixes and the 290 to 401 cubic-inch V8 family, which powered AMC cars, Jeeps, and also found their way into industrial and marine applications through third-party marinizers. The straight-six engines in particular earned respect for their fuel economy, smoothness and remarkable longevity, and they powered AMC cars and Jeeps for more than two decades.

AMC workshop manuals provide complete factory coverage of the engines and vehicles on this page: engine overhaul and tune-up, carburetion and fuel systems, manual and automatic transmissions, transfer cases and axles for four-wheel-drive models, suspension and brakes, and full electrical wiring diagrams. Torque specifications, timing and adjustment data, diagnostic procedures and the maintenance schedules recommended by the factory are all documented.

These manuals are essential for AMC and Jeep enthusiasts, restoration workshops, and independent mechanics who keep these tough American vehicles and their engines on the road or in the workshop. For the restorer, factory documentation is the only reliable way to confirm correct specifications for engines that are now well past their original production life.