AMC was the David to Detroit’s Goliaths. Operating on a shoestring budget, they out-innovated the Big Three with bold designs. From the muscle-bound Javelin to the world's first crossover, the Eagle, AMC proved that you don't need the most money to build the most character.
Explore the current production vehicles.
The brawny and beautiful pony car that took the fight to the Big Three. The Javelin was a true muscle machine, but its legendary, short-wheelbase, two-seat AMX variant was the purest expression of AMC performance. A true icon of the muscle car wars.
The car that invented the crossover SUV. The AMC Eagle was a revolutionary concept, brilliantly blending the on-road comfort of a sedan or wagon with the go-anywhere capability of a 4x4 system. A true pioneer, decades ahead of its time.
The quirky, loveable, and undeniably bold subcompact with the chopped-off tail. The Gremlin was AMC's answer to the fuel crisis, a unique and economical car with a huge personality. With an available V8, it was a true automotive anti-hero.
The iconic 'flying fishbowl.' The Pacer was a revolutionary experiment in 'cab-forward' design, wider than it was tall and with a massive glass area. It was a futuristic, quirky, and unforgettable statement of 1970s automotive innovation.
The mid-size muscle car with a patriotic attitude. The pinnacle was 'The Machine,' a limited-edition, red-white-and-blue monster with a potent 390 V8 and a functional hood scoop. It was AMC's unapologetic, in-your-face street brawler.
The versatile mid-size known for its dramatic and aerodynamic coupe. The second-generation Matador coupe was a bold styling statement, a long-hooded fastback that looked like a NASCAR racer for the street and even served as a villain's car in a James Bond film.
The dependable and brilliantly packaged compact that became the backbone of AMC. The Hornet was a versatile platform that spawned the Gremlin, the Concord, and the Eagle. The rare SC/360 was a potent, giant-killing compact muscle car.
A daring and distinctive personal luxury car. The Marlin was famous for its dramatic, sweeping fastback roofline, a bold styling statement that set it apart from everything else on the road. A unique and polarizing classic from the 60s.
The car that made AMC a major player. The Rambler was the champion of the compact car, a sensible, reliable, and fuel-efficient alternative to the excesses of the Big Three. It was the foundation of the company's 'economy car' success story.
The flagship of the AMC lineup. The Ambassador was the largest and most luxurious car the company offered, a full-size sedan known for its spacious interior, comfortable ride, and features like standard air conditioning in its later years.
The car that pioneered the 'premium compact' segment. The Concord was an evolution of the Hornet, a well-equipped and luxurious small car that offered the comfort and features of a larger vehicle in a more sensible and efficient package.
The sporty and spirited successor to the Gremlin. The Spirit was a versatile subcompact available as a sedan or a stylish liftback. The high-performance Spirit AMX, with its V8 power, was a final, brilliant flash of compact muscle from the brand.
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In a world dominated by the "Big Three" (GM, Ford, Chrysler), AMC was the scrappy fighter from Kenosha, Wisconsin. They didn't have the massive budgets or the endless resources of their rivals. What they had was ingenuity. They had to take risks because playing it safe was a death sentence.
Formed in 1954 from the merger of Nash and Hudson, AMC carved out a niche by building cars that were smaller, more fuel-efficient, and often significantly weirder than anything else on the road.
Don't let the "economy car" reputation fool you. AMC built legitimate street machines. The Javelin was their answer to the Mustang, and it was a serious contender. It won the SCCA Trans-Am championship back-to-back in 1971 and 1972, beating factory teams from Ford and Chevrolet.
Then came the AMX. While other muscle cars were 4-seater coupes, the AMX was a strictly 2-seater sports car, a budget-friendly alternative to the Corvette. With a 390 cubic-inch V8 and a short wheelbase, it was snappy, fast, and handled like a go-kart on steroids.
AMC is perhaps most famous for its unconventional designs in the 1970s.
Decades before the Subaru Outback or the modern crossover craze, AMC looked at their Concord wagon and thought, "What if we put a Jeep 4x4 system underneath it?"
The result was the AMC Eagle. Launched in 1979, it was a passenger car that could drive through a blizzard. It sat high, had rugged tires, and featured a true full-time 4WD system. It was the grandfather of every crossover you see on the road today.
Perhaps AMC's greatest contribution to history was buying the Jeep brand in 1970. It was AMC engineers who designed the Jeep Cherokee XJ. That boxy, unibody SUV essentially created the modern sport utility market and kept Chrysler alive for years after they acquired AMC in 1987.
AMC proves that constraints breed creativity. They couldn't afford to be boring. While they are gone, their DNA lives on in every Jeep Cherokee and every modern crossover. Collecting an AMC isn't just about owning a car; it's about championing the underdog.
Yes. The AMC Eagle (introduced in 1979) is widely considered the grandfather of the modern crossover SUV.
Decades before the Subaru Outback, AMC engineers lifted a Concord station wagon and equipped it with a full-time 4-Wheel Drive system. It offered the comfort of a passenger car with the bad-weather capability of a Jeep, creating an entirely new vehicle segment.
While they look similar, the distinction is in the wheelbase and seating:
Yes. The legendary 4.0L Inline-Six found in millions of Jeep Cherokees (XJ) and Wranglers is pure AMC engineering.
Developed by AMC before they were bought by Chrysler, this engine is famous for its bulletproof reliability. Its cast-iron block and seven main bearings allow it to easily surpass 300,000 miles, serving as AMC's most enduring legacy.
The AMC Pacer was designed from the inside out to maximize interior space, resulting in massive glass windows for visibility.
A unique feature of the Pacer is its asymmetric doors. The passenger side door is significantly longer than the driver's side door, designed to make it easier for passengers to climb into the back seat from the curbside.
The Go Package was a factory performance option available on the Javelin and AMX.
It transformed a cruiser into a serious muscle car. It typically included power front disc brakes, a heavy-duty cooling system, a Twin-Grip limited-slip differential, upgraded suspension, and "Magnum" 500 wheels with high-performance tires.
In 1987, Chrysler (led by Lee Iacocca) purchased AMC primarily for one reason: Jeep.
AMC owned the Jeep brand and had just finished developing the revolutionary Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ). Chrysler wanted the profitable Jeep division and the new manufacturing plant in Brampton, Ontario. The AMC car brand was subsequently phased out, merged into the new "Eagle" division.
Essentially, yes. To respond quickly to the fuel crisis and the VW Beetle, AMC designers took their compact car, the Hornet, and sliced off the rear trunk area.
Introduced on April Fool's Day 1970, this "Kammback" design made the car shorter and lighter while retaining the inexpensive mechanical parts of the Hornet, making it a cheap and reliable economy car.
The Hurst SC/Rambler (often called the "Scrambler") is one of the wildest muscle cars ever made. It was a budget-friendly Rambler Rogue stuffed with a massive 390 cubic inch V8.
Built in collaboration with Hurst Performance, they featured a distinct "mailbox" hood scoop and a loud Red, White, and Blue paint scheme. With no weight and big power, they were terrorizing drag strips in 1969.
AMC was famous for being the "Little Guy" from Kenosha, Wisconsin.
While the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) were based in Detroit, AMC's Kenosha home gave them a scrappy, underdog culture. Their smaller budget forced them to be creative, leading to parts-bin sharing and innovative concepts that the bigger companies were too conservative to try.
The Matador "Machine" was a short-lived muscle car package based on the mid-sized Matador coupe.
It featured 15-inch slot mag wheels and dual exhaust. It is best known today for its appearance in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, where a Matador Coupe was transformed into a flying car, cementing its place in pop culture history.