Editing American Motors Corporation (section)

== 1970s product developments ==
===Jeep and AM General===
[[File:Jeep Cherokee SJ Chief S f.jpg|thumb|Jeep Cherokee (SJ) Chief S]]
In the late 1960s, Kaiser Industries Corporation decided to leave the automotive industry and sought a buyer for its money-losing [[Kaiser Jeep]] division. American Motors' vice president for manufacturing, [[Gerald C. Meyers]], headed the team sent to evaluate Kaiser's Jeep factories. Although opposed by AMC's top management, Chapin made a significant decision in February 1970 to purchase Kaiser Jeep for $70 million. Although it was a gamble, Chapin believed Jeep vehicles would complement American Motors' passenger car business. The Jeep market was also a market in which the Big Three had no presence except for the [[Ford Bronco]] and the then-recently introduced [[Chevrolet K5 Blazer|Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Jimmy]], and the largest competition outside the Big Three came from the [[International Scout]] and low-volume imports of the [[Land Rover series|Land Rover]], [[Toyota Land Cruiser (J40)|Toyota Land Cruiser]], and [[Nissan Patrol]]. (The latter being the only [[Nissan]]-branded vehicle in the United States until the 1980s when the [[Datsun]] name was phased out in favor of Nissan.) Jeep by far had the largest market share of the 4x4 market during this time.

American Motors gained the iconic Jeep brand of light trucks and SUVs, as well as Kaiser-Jeep's government contracts – notably the [[M151]] line of military Jeeps and the [[Jeep DJ|DJ-Series]] [[United States Postal Service|postal]] Jeeps. American Motors also expanded its international network. The military and special products business was reconstituted as "American Motors General Products Division", later reorganized as [[AM General]].

===Hornet and Gremlin===
[[File:1972 AMC Gremlin X green 5-litre V8 Nashville.jpg|thumb|1972 Gremlin X]]
[[File:1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout.jpg|thumb|1976 Hornet Sportabout]]
In 1970, American Motors consolidated all passenger cars under one distinct brand identity and debuted the [[AMC Hornet|Hornet]] range of compact cars. The Hornet and the later [[AMC Gremlin|Gremlin]] shared [[Automobile platform|platforms]]. The Gremlin, the first North American-built subcompact, sold more than 670,000 units from 1970 through 1978. The Hornet became American Motors' best-selling passenger car since the Rambler Classic, with more than 860,000 units sold when production ended in 1977. The Hornet platform continued to be built under various models through 1987.

For a time, both the Hornet and Gremlin could be ordered with [[Levi Strauss & Co.|Levi's]] denim interiors.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metv.com/stories/these-vintage-hornets-prove-even-cars-were-hit-by-the-blue-jeans-craze-of-the-1970s |title=Even AMC cars were hit by the blue jeans craze of the 1970s |work=ME-TV Chicago |access-date=December 27, 2019 |archive-date=September 30, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190930210528/https://www.metv.com/stories/these-vintage-hornets-prove-even-cars-were-hit-by-the-blue-jeans-craze-of-the-1970s |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Matador===
[[File:1975 AMC Matador base sedan in Fawn Beige 03.jpg|thumb|1975 second-generation Matador sedan]]
The new facelifted, mid-sized [[AMC Matador]] replaced the Rebel in 1971, using an advertising campaign that asked, "What's a Matador?"<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.javelinamx.com/JavHome/articles/matx-rt.htm |title=Road Test: American Motors Matador X from ''Road & Track'' |date=March 1974 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080511184149/http://www.javelinamx.com/JavHome/articles/matx-rt.htm |archive-date=May 11, 2008 |access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> In 1972, American Motors won the tender for [[Los Angeles Police Department]] cruisers, and Matadors were used by the department from 1972 until 1975, replacing the [[Plymouth Satellite]]. American Motors supplied [[Mark VII Limited]] owner [[Jack Webb]] with two Matadors, a sedan and a wagon, for use in his popular television series ''[[Adam-12]]'', increasing the cars' public profile. Matadors saw fleet use as taxis, government, police, and fire vehicles in some states.

In 1973, American Motors signed a licensing agreement with [[Curtiss-Wright]] to build [[Wankel engine]]s for cars and Jeeps.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_rearview_mirror_15/ |author=((Ward's Auto World Staff)) |title=Rearview mirror |magazine=Ward's Auto World|date=February 1, 2000 |access-date=August 31, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111105205047/http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_rearview_mirror_15/ |archive-date=November 5, 2011}}</ref>

Starting in 1974, the Matador sedan and station wagon were mildly refreshed, with new boxier front and rear ends, making it full-sized. This second-generation model was produced virtually unchanged until 1978.

Sagging sales and tight finances resulted in the discontinuation of the Matador line after the 1978 model leaving American Motors to focus almost exclusively on its Hornet [[automobile platform|platform]]-based cars and the Jeep line.

===Ambassador===
[[File:1971 AMC Ambassador 2-door hardtop (26912016752).jpg|thumb|1971 Ambassador hardtop with "Brougham" trim]]
From 1970, the Rebel and Ambassador were identical from the A-pillar back. The Ambassador continued as AMC's upmarket model with higher trim, more equipment, and air conditioning as standard. From the A-pillar forward, the Ambassador was redesigned and stretched {{convert|7|in|mm|0}} to become the biggest ever, just as the 1973 [[1973 oil crisis|Arab Oil Embargo]] sparked gasoline rationing across the nation. The additional length was due to a new front-end design and more substantial energy-absorbing bumpers required of all automobiles sold in the U.S.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jan P. |last=Norbye |title=New bumpers have uniform height, take angle impacts|magazine=Popular Science |pages=90–91|date=October 1973 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lpiMSzja6W4C&pg=PA90 |volume=203 |issue=4 |access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref> Sales of all large cars fell due to economic problems and rising gasoline prices. The Ambassador became a full-sized car in 1974 and was discontinued after the 1974 model year, leaving only the Matador as American Motors' full-size offering. Nash and American Motors made Ambassadors from 1927 through 1974, the longest use of the same model name for any American Motors product and, at the time, the longest continuously used nameplate in the industry.

===Matador Coupe===
[[File:Matador1.JPG|thumb|1974 Matador X Coupe]]
In 1974, the first-generation Matador two-door hardtop, known as the "flying brick" due to its poor aerodynamics in [[NASCAR]] competition, was replaced with a sleek, smoothly shaped, and radically styled two-door coupe. The model received praise for its design, including "Best Styled Car of 1974" by ''[[Car and Driver]]'' magazine,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1974-1978-amc-matador1.htm |title=1974–1978 AMC Matador |date=October 26, 2007 |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210122101529/https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1974-1978-amc-matador1.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> customer satisfaction,<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Michael |last=Lamm |title=Styling is a knockout, but so is the low roofline! |magazine=Popular Mechanics|date=April 1974 |volume=141 |issue=4 |pages=98–101 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=odQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98 |access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref> and sold almost 100,000 coupes over five years.<ref>{{cite web|first=Craig |last=Bond |title=Matador Coupe History 1974–1978 |url= http://www.matadorcoupe.com/history.htm |access-date=January 16, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131017163907/http://www.matadorcoupe.com/history.htm |archive-date=October 17, 2013}}</ref> The Matador Coupe shared few components with the Matador sedan and station wagon other than suspension, drive train, some trim, and interior parts.

===Metropolitan Buses===
[[File:Portland AM General bus in 1984.jpg|thumb|AM General transit bus]]
In 1974, American Motors's AM General subsidiary began building urban transit buses in cooperation with [[New Flyer Industries|Flyer Industries]] of [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba. A total of 5,431 ''Metropolitan'' buses, including 219 [[trolleybus|electric trolley bus]]es, were built before production ceased in 1979.<ref name="Stauss">{{cite book|last=Stauss |first=Ed |year=1988 | title=The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses |pages=20–22, 116–117 |publisher=Stauss Publications |isbn=978-0-9619830-0-0}}</ref> Production of diesel buses had ceased in 1978,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.omot.org/roster/buses/amg.html |title=Coach Manufacturer History – AM General|publisher=Ohio Museum of Transportation |date=August 13, 2004 |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=November 25, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101125225345/http://omot.org/roster/buses/amg.html |url-status=live}}</ref> with only trolley bus production taking place in 1979.

===Pacer===
[[File:1975 AMC Pacer base model frontrightside.jpg|thumb|1975 AMC Pacer]]
The [[AMC Pacer]], an innovative all-new model introduced in March 1975 and marketed as "the first wide small car", was a subcompact designed to provide the comfort of a full-sized car. Its pre-production development coincided with tightened U.S. federal passenger [[Automobile emissions control|emissions]] and [[Car safety|auto safety]] regulations. The Pacer sold well its first two years with 262,772 combined units sold in the US.

With the [[Arab Oil Embargo]] of 1973, [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] aborted the [[Wankel rotary engine]] around which the Pacer had been designed, as its fuel consumption exceeded that of conventional engines with similar power. Therefore, American Motors's existing {{convert|258|and|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} [[AMC Straight-6 engine]]s were used in the Pacer instead. The fuel economy was better than the expected rotary engine's, but the I6's gas mileage was relatively low in light of the new focus on energy efficiency. Also, as the Pacer shared few components other than the drivetrain with other American Motors cars, it was expensive to make, and the cost increased when sales fell steeply after the first two years.{{original research inline|date=August 2016}} The Pacer line was discontinued in mid-1980.

Development and production costs for the Pacer and Matador Coupe drained capital that might otherwise have been invested in updating the more popular Hornet and Gremlin lines so that toward the end of the 1970s, the company faced the growing energy crisis with aged products that were uncompetitive in hotly contested markets. However, "AMC used cars, as far back as 1967, had the advantage of good warranty coverage ... so most owners were conscious of low-cost car maintenance ... AMC units became some of the very best buys on the used car market" by 1975.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Buying a Used Car |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |date=January 1975 |volume=29 |issue=1 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4wMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 |access-date=January 16, 2011 |page=27}}</ref>

The 1977 Gremlin had redesigned headlights, grille, rear hatch, and fascia. For economy in the fuel crisis, American Motors offered the car with a more fuel-efficient [[Volkswagen]]-designed [[Audi]] 4-cylinder engine {{convert|2.0|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}}. The engine was expensive for American Motors to build, and the Gremlin retained the less costly but less economical {{convert|232|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} as standard equipment.

The [[AMC AMX|AMX]] nameplate was revived in 1977. It was a sporty appearance package on the [[AMC Hornet|Hornet]] [[hatchback]] featuring upgrades, as well as the {{convert|258|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} inline six as standard with a choice of three-speed automatic or four-speed manual transmissions.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jim |last=Dunne |title=AMC for '77 |magazine=Popular Science |date=October 1976 |volume=209 |issue=4 |pages=129, 184 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HwEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA129 |access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref> The {{convert|304|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} [[AMC V8 engine#304|V8 engine]] was optional with the automatic transmission.

As all Matadors now received standard equipment that was formerly optional (e.g., power steering, automatic transmission), the "Brougham" package was dropped from 1977. Optional on the Matador coupe was a landau vinyl roof with opera windows, and top-line Barcelonas offered new two-tone paint.

===Concord===
[[File:1979 AMC Concord two-door sedan at 2015 AMO meet-04.jpg|thumb|1979 Concord 2-Door Sedan]]
For the 1978 model year, the Hornet [[automobile platform|platform]] was redesigned with an adaptation of the new Gremlin front-end design and renamed [[AMC Concord]]. American Motors targeted it at the emerging "premium compact" market segment, paying particular attention to ride and handling, standard equipment, trim, and interior luxury.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Rich |last=Ceppos|title=AMC for '78 – a V-8 for the Pacer, and now there's Concord |magazine=Popular Science |page=98 |date=October 1977 |volume=211 |issue=4 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=bQEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98 |access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref>

Gremlins borrowed the Concord instrument panel, a Hornet AMX-inspired GT sports appearance package, and a new striping treatment for X models.

The AMC Pacer hood was modified to clear a V8 engine, and a Sports package replaced the former X package. With falling sales of Matador Coupes, sedans, and wagons, their {{convert|304|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8 engine was dropped, leaving only the {{convert|258|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} Inline-6 (standard on coupes and sedans) and the {{convert|360|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8 (optional on coupes and sedans, standard on wagons). The two-tone Barcelona luxury package was offered on Matador sedans, and two-tone red paint was introduced as an additional Barcelona option. Matador production ceased at the end of the model year with total sales of 10,576 units. The Matador was no longer attractive as automakers struggled to overcome economic woes, including continuing fuel price increases and double-digit U. S. inflation.<ref>{{cite web |first=Thomas J. |last=Sugrue |title=From Motor City to Motor Metropolis: How the Automobile Industry Reshaped Urban America |url= http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Overview/R_Overview5.htm |publisher=Automobile in American Life and Society |year=2004 |access-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120312223811/http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Overview/R_Overview5.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Spirit===
[[File:1979 AMC Spirit GT V8 Russet FR.jpg|thumb|1979 Spirit GT]]
For the 1979 model year, the [[AMC Spirit|Spirit]] sedan replaced the Gremlin. A new fastback version of the car, the Spirit [[Liftback]], proved successful.

In December, Pacer production ceased after a small run of 1980 models was built to use up parts stock.

Concords received a new front-end treatment, and in their final season, hatchbacks became available in DL trim. On May 1, 1979, American Motors marked the 25th anniversary of the Nash-Hudson merger with "Silver Anniversary" editions of the AMC Concord and Jeep CJ in two-tone silver (Jeeps then accounted for around 50 percent of the company's sales and most of their profits), and introduced the LeCar, a U.S. version of the small, fuel-efficient [[Renault 5]], in dealer showrooms.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,948087,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101014125733/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,948087,00.html |archive-date=October 14, 2010 |url-access=subscription |title=AMC Liaison |magazine=Time |date=April 10, 1978 |access-date=July 29, 2010}}</ref>

Concord and Spirit models were dropped after 1983.