Click on the picture to Z O O M in.
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.
Click on the pictures to Z O O M in.
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]
© Fred Winograd copyright 2009, 2012