AMC Hornet

AMC Hornet
1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon
Overview
ManufacturerAmerican Motors Corporation (AMC)
Also called
Production1969–1977
Model years1970–1977
Assembly
DesignerDick Teague
Body and chassis
Class
Body style
LayoutFR layout
PlatformAMC's "junior cars"
Related
Powertrain
Engine
  • 199 cu in (3.3 L) I6
  • 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6
  • 250 cu in (4.1 L) GM I6—South Africa only
  • 252 cu in (4.1 L) VAM I6—Mexico only
  • 258 cu in (4.2 L) I6
  • 282 cu in (4.6 L) VAM I6—Mexico only
  • 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8
  • 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase108 in (2,743 mm)
Length
  • 179.3 in (4,554 mm) (1970–1972)
  • 185.8 in (4,719 mm) (1973–1977)
Width70.6 in (1,793 mm)
Chronology
PredecessorRambler American
SuccessorAMC Concord

The AMC Hornet is a compact automobile manufactured and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) and made from 1970 through 1977—in two- and four-door sedan, station wagon, and hatchback coupe configurations. The Hornet replaced the compact Rambler American line, marking the end of the Rambler marque in the American and Canadian markets.

Hornets were marketed in foreign markets and were assembled under license agreements between AMC and local manufacturers—for example, with Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM), Australian Motor Industries (AMI), and Toyota S.A. Ltd. in South Africa.

The Hornet became significant for AMC in not only being a top seller during its production, but also a car platform serving the company in varying forms through the 1988 model year.[6] Introduced late-1969, AMC quickly earned a high rate return for its development investment for the Hornet.[6] The platform became the basis for AMC's subcompact Gremlin, luxury compact Concord, liftback and sedan Spirit, and the innovative all-wheel drive AMC Eagle. Its design would also outlast the compact platforms the domestic competitors used, including the Chevrolet Nova, Ford Maverick, and Plymouth Valiant.

The AMC Hornet also served as an experimental platform for alternative fuel and other automotive technologies. Hornets were campaigned in various motorsports events with some corporate support. A hatchback model also starred in an exceptional stunt jump in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

  1. ^ "1970 American Motors Hornet sales brochure". lov2xlr8.no. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  2. ^ 1970 Rambler Hornet newspaper advertisement by AMI. Five Starr Photos. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2019 – via Flikr.
  3. ^ Michael (11 February 2011). "1971 Rambler Hornet newspaper advertisement by Toyota S.A. Ltd". Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  4. ^ "1970 Rambler American brochure cover by VAM". Club Vam Rambler Guadalajara. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  5. ^ Gunnell, John, ed. (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975. Krause Publications. pp. 36–49. ISBN 978-0-87341-096-0.
  6. ^ a b Dunton, Pete (21 October 2020). "1970-1977 AMC Hornet—the Little Car that Saved Jeep". Old Car Memories. Retrieved 30 November 2020.