Wrestler John Cena’s AMC Hornet for Sale on eBay
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The rare 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 recently offered on eBay belonged to superstar WWE wrestler John Cena. If you’re not a WWE fan, take note: Cena is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Cena later took his rugged good looks into the movies as a player in F9, Suicide Squad, and other films. (See eBay's page with John Cena souvenirs - opens in new window or tab..)
But all that shouldn’t overshadow the car, which is a celebrity in its own right. The Hornet has movie-star good looks when dressed in Mustard Yellow with black stripes and a functional ram-air hood scoop.
This Hornet Is Maxed Out
Cena’s former car was renewed to a high grade. The paint and chrome shine, the body is straight, and the interior is as new. The odometer shows 89,582 miles.
The Hornet is maxed out, with the Go package including that hood scoop, dual exhaust, and four-barrel carb. It also has the handling package. The engine is a potent, 285-horsepower, 360-cubic-inch V-8 that makes this relatively light car fly. Contemporary road tests had it reaching 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and topping out at 145 mph.
Hudson also used the Hornet name, but they were out of business by the time American Motors launched the Hornet in 1970. Auto history buffs will remember that AMC was formed out of a Nash/Hudson merger.
Cena's Favorite
In 2009, Motor Trendwrote about Cena - opens in new window or tab. and his love of muscle cars. The magazine reported that the wrestler’s daily driver was the ’71 Hornet SC/360 for sale on eBay. Cena said:
It’s compact, lightweight with a huge V-8. It’s a four-speed, great car. No frills, just fun.
At the time, he owned about 20 muscle cars. But the Hornet was his favorite to drive.
The Hornet’s the one that I love cruisin’ in because it’s so very rare. It’s an AMC product, and they’re long since gone. 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 their best stuff out, and the Hornet always gets some attention because you just never see another one.
The Hornet was a utilitarian cruiser with two- and four-door sedan variants, a wagon, and a hatchback. The Gremlin and Concord came from the same platform. And so did the groundbreaking all-wheel drive AMC Eagle—an ugly duckling but a pioneer in AWD.
The Hornet buyer was initially given a choice to two straight sixes and a five-liter V-8. But for 1971—with muscle demand in full swing—AMC added the two-door SC/360. In addition, the model got styled wheels, striping, reclining front seats, and other goodies.
A two-barrel carb was standard, but for just $199, the Go package got it from 245 to 285 horsepower. Also optional was a Borg Warner, Hurst-shifted four-speed manual, which the car on offer has.
A Real Muscle Car, But for One Year Only
There weren’t many AMC cars that Motor Trend would call “a plain gas to drive,” but this is one of them. Hot Rod magazine ran the quarter-mile in 14.8 seconds at 96.63 mph—in a bone-stock example with automatic transmission. It was a real muscle car, but a planned production run of 10,000 didn’t pan out. AMC made just 784—and only in 1971.
Also read this: "Collectors Turn Attention to AMC’s Experimental AMX Muscle Car - opens in new window or tab.."
Enthusiasts love muscle cars now, but they were less enthusiastic then. By comparison, the Sportabout wagon version of the Hornet sold 73,471 that year.
In late July, the Cena-owned car was the only Hornet on eBay’s page dedicated to the model - opens in new window or tab.. That underscores how rare it is. Nonetheless, eBay has another page for AMC cars - opens in new window or tab. based on the Hornet platform, like the Concord. AMC is long gone, but there’s a good supply of parts for AMC cars - opens in new window or tab. on eBay.
That will be reassuring to the car’s new owner, who can sit where wrestler John Cena once sat—and do burn-outs in this super-fast and ultra-rare AMC Hornet.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.