AMC Gremlin

AMC Gremlin
1975 AMC Gremlin
Overview
ManufacturerAmerican Motors Corporation
Also called
  • American Motors Gremlin[1]
  • VAM Gremlin (Mexico)[2]
Production
  • 1970–1978 (US)
  • 1974–1983 (Mexico)
  • 671,475 produced
Assembly
Designer
Body and chassis
ClassSubcompact
Body style
LayoutFR layout
Related
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase96 in (2,438 mm)
Length
  • 161.3 in (4,097 mm) (1970–1972)
  • 165.5 in (4,204 mm) (1973)
  • 170.3 in (4,326 mm) (1974–1975)
  • 169.4 in (4,303 mm) (1976)
  • 166.5 in (4,229 mm) (1977–1978)
Width70.6 in (1,793 mm)
Height51.8 in (1,316 mm)
Curb weight2,633 lb (1,194 kg)[4]
Chronology
SuccessorAMC Spirit

The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin)[1] is a subcompact automobile introduced in 1970, manufactured and marketed in a single, two-door body style (1970–1978) by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as in Mexico (1974–1983) by AMC's Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM) subsidiary.

Using a shortened Hornet platform and bodywork with a pronounced kammback tail, the Gremlin was classified as an economy car and competed with the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto, as well as imported cars including the Volkswagen Beetle and Toyota Corolla.[5][6] The small domestic automaker marketed the Gremlin as "the first American-built import."[7]

The Gremlin reached a total production of 671,475 over a single generation. It was superseded by a restyled and revised variant, the AMC Spirit produced from 1979 through 1983. This was long after the retirement of the Ford Pinto that suffered from stories about exploding gas tanks, as well as the Chevrolet Vega with its rusting bodies and durability problems with its aluminum engine.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b "The New American Car (1970 AMC advertisement)". oldcaradvertising.com. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Made in Mexico - Gremlins with a Spanish accent". Hemmings Classic Car. July 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Severson, Aaron (April 8, 2008). "Do Not Feed After Midnight: The AMC Gremlin > Ate Up With Motor". Ate Up With Motor. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  4. ^ Lamm, Michael (April 1970). "The Gremlins will get you if you don't watch out!". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 133, no. 4. pp. 106–109. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  5. ^ "Gremlin sub-compact draws bead on VW Beetle and other imports". Product Engineering. Vol. 41. Morgan-Grampian. 1970. p. 42.
  6. ^ National Research Council (1982). The Competitive Status of the U.S. Auto Industry: A Study of the Influences of Technology in Determining International Industrial Competitive Advantage. National Academy Press. p. 71. doi:10.17226/291. ISBN 978-0-309-03289-6. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Gustafson, Sven (April 1, 2020). "AMC Gremlin was unleashed 50 years ago today, no fooling". Autoblog. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Wojdyla, Ben (May 20, 2011). "Ford Pinto Fuel Tanks: Epic Auto Failures". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  9. ^ Huffman, John Pearley (October 19, 2010). "The Car That Nearly Destroyed GM". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved August 1, 2022.