American Motors – CARS-YDSE.com

1979-1983 AMC Concord

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I wish I could say this car is a 1979 or any year up until the 1983 when it was last produced but I can’t tell. This car was the last gasp for AMC and its U.S. designed and built cars. The AMC Concord was an attempt at providing a “Luxury” look and feel with an economical price tag.

AMC struggled for almost 30 years after being formed in the 1954 amalgamation of Nash and Hudson motor companies. By 1983 AMC was no longer credit worthy and Renault acquired a controlling interest in AMC to help fund the company.

This particular car looks like new. It is really in great shape and truly is a Car You Don’t See Everyday.

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwgMNjkmzQ?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]

1970 AMC Gremlin

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Yes, I know this car does not look showroom new. Look at the beginning of the next post down (previous post) to read why.

Back in the early 1970s is when the Japanese and German car makers began to dominate the U.S. market. The VW bug and the Toyota Corolla and others from Datsun and Opel sold almost one million vehicles that year. That’s when the American Motors Corporation introduced The Gremlin, the first American sub-compact. AMC tried numerous tactics to get a piece of the market. They made a high-performance two seater version and offered a 12,000 mile warranty but they had disappointing results.

Here are some photographs of a Gremlin survivor I spotted in San Francisco. Yes, it is a rusty hulk but still has most of its original “charm”. It probably still gets over 20 MPG. By the way, notice that the hubcaps are all original American Motors.

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Here is a video I found that describes American Motors strategy for releasing the Gremlin in 1970 1/2.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivX48OcZE_Q?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]

1963 Rambler 4 Door Classic

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I was just a sophomore in college when this car hit the market. Gas was about $0.49/gal and all except the Vietnam War was going well.

George Romney, later Governor of Michigan was the CEO of what became the American Motors Company. He completed a strategy in 1962 that brought all of the numerous car models together under the Rambler name. Romney also publicly chided the leaders of the “Big Three” automakers as “gas-guzzling dinosaurs”. When he left to become Governor, Roy Abernethy, his successor change the strategy and began the process of undoing Romney’s plan.

AIn 1963, the entire Rambler line received the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. However, Romney’s departure to become Michigan governor opened the door for his successor, Roy Abernethy, to redirect the company towards a strategy of competing head to head with the Big Three (General Motors, Chrysler Corporation, and Ford Motor Company) with a variety of bodies and automobile platforms. This new plan also included marketing the various models apart from the Rambler brand name, which Abernethy felt would be a hindrance in the market segments he hoped to pursue.

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A great video was posted showcasing the Motor Trend article as a great sales tool, watch it below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QOa4vXHLIM”>Sales Tool Video]
© Fred Winograd copyright 2011

1959 Rambler American Wagon

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This car was spotted on a drive from San Francisco to Napa California in 2006. When Nash and Hudson merged in 1954, it was the largest corporate merger in history. American Motors was the odd car company when I grew up because of it’s styling and size. GM, Ford and Chrysler were all making larger cars and the styling was quite different. The “little round thing” was what we called my aunt’s Nash convertible.

Now, at least to me, this car looks fine and is right up to date with some of the cars on the road today.

American Motors was formed from the merger of Hudson Motors and Nash-Kelvinator. The deal was the largest corporate merger up to that point – worth $197,793,366 – but was just one phase of a planned megamerger of Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Packard. The combined company would cover all segments of the market, and their size and ability to share engineering would amortize costs nicely; at least, that was the plan of Kelvinator’s George Mason, whose company owned Nash. The name “American Motors” originated with Mason, who started working on the plan just after World War II (thanks, Dan Minick.)

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59 Nash, Still Looks Good

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One day a few years ago, I went to our local supermarket on 18th Street. When I came out, this 59 Nash was sitting right there. I don’t know why, but I love the way these cars looked. My aunt had a convertible from about 1959 that looked a lot like this car. Talking to my cousin, he recalled it having a top that slid along the top of the car so it was just the middle part of the roof and the rear window frame that was canvas. Nice car.
© Fred Winograd copyright 2009

1961 Rambler Station Wagon

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This car is not really in very good condition but, it’s acceptable. I hope to find one in better shape so I can replace this car someday soon.
© Fred Winograd copyright 2009

An American Car From England

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In 1954 American Motors introduced a neat little car called the Metropolitan. It was developed by surveying customers as to what they wanted in a small commuter car. The rest of the industry in America was making cars bigger and bigger. American Motors decided to go the other way. The car survived until 1962 when production ceased.

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