News: Putting FUN and FRIENDLINESS, FIRST into owning and learning about AMC small bodied cars, primarily Eagles, Spirits and Concords as well as vehicles built in AMC's Mexican subsidiary, VAM.

The AMC Eaglepedia can now be accessed using the buttons found below  This is a comprehensive ever growing archive of information, tips, diagrams, manuals, etc. for the AMC Eagle and other small bodied AMC cars. 

Also a button is now available for our Face Book Group page.


Welcome to the AMC Eagles Nest.  A new site under "old" management -- so welcome to your new home for everything related to AMC Eagles, Spirits and Concords along with opportunities to interact with other AMC'ers.  This site will soon be evolving to look different than it has and we will be incorporating new features we hope you will find useful, entertaining and expand your AMC horizons.

You can now promote your topics at your favorite social media site by clicking on the appropriate icon (top upper right of the page) while viewing the topic you wish to promote.


  • March 28, 2024, 08:50:06 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!  (Read 2524 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline matt1971

  • Eagle Sport
  • ****
  • Posts: 439
  • Thumbs Up 15
Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« on: April 01, 2014, 11:14:23 AM »
Hi. Matt here. Today is April 1st 2014. The AMC Gremlin was introduced on April 1st 1970 44 years ago as a 1970 1/2 midyear entry. It debuted 6 months ahead of the Chevy Vega and the Ford Pinto. I used to own a 1974 AMC Gremlin. It was trans am red with a black interior and a white stripe. it had a 258 I-6 motor with a column shift automatic transmission.

Offline IowaEagle

  • AMC Eagle Archivist
  • Administrator
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ******
  • Posts: 31968
  • Thumbs Up 476
Re: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2014, 12:36:06 PM »
I bought a '70 Gremlin  in '70.  The Pentagon found out and shipped by 20 year old butt overseas.
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


Not a Jeep.  Not a Car.  Its an AMC Eagle!

1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport;
1980 Concord DL;
1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe;
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport - Freedom Drive II

Offline matt1971

  • Eagle Sport
  • ****
  • Posts: 439
  • Thumbs Up 15
Re: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2014, 12:52:03 PM »
Doug, please explain. I don't understand. with goodness, -Matt.

Offline vangremlin

  • Administrator
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ******
  • Posts: 4411
  • Thumbs Up 212
Re: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2014, 01:35:24 PM »
I've had 3 Gremlins in my lifetime, plus the beefed up descendant of the Gremlin, the Kammback.  There were two Gremlins in my family.

A couple interesting things about some of the first year Gremlins, features that were to either save money or improve fuel economy, were the fixed back window and lack of a back seat!
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline DownwardFlame

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 172
  • Thumbs Up 5
Re: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2014, 05:12:05 PM »
Thats kinda ironic isn't it? I mean the gremlin being introduced on April fools day...
-1970 Mustang Coupe
-1982 F-150 Stepside
-1980 Eagle Wagon
-1981 Sx4

Offline Amc1320

  • Eagle Sundaancer
  • ******
  • Posts: 785
  • Thumbs Up 48
Re: Happy Birthday AMC Gremlin!
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2014, 05:43:08 PM »
One has to wonder the marketing strategy of naming a car Gremlin in the first place, and releasing it on April fools day to boot. Ive been in marketing ll of my life and I would have voted no on both accounts

But still they did sell a ton of them for the first several years. They were the right car for the times, small and fuel efficient and AMC's 6's are pretty bullet proof so they could take a lot of abuse and survive much better than their competition.

A brand new Gremlin was like $1800 back then, that's comparable to a 10K car in todays dollars, can you even buy a brand new car for 10K today? If there is one I doubt it will still be around 40 years later.

I have a gremlin me and my Dad are restoring, hope to get it done this summer, its a fun little car to drive and certainly is a conversation piece wherever you go!

I have also noticed that gremlin prices have really gone up on Ebay and such, they are the HOT AMC for collectors nowadays it seems
Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk