American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.

American Motors' most similar competitors were those automakers that held similar annual sales levels, such as Studebaker, Packard, Kaiser Motors, and Willys-Overland. Their largest competitors were the Big Three—Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

American Motors' production line included small cars—the Rambler American, which began as the Nash Rambler in 1950, Hornet, Gremlin, and Pacer; intermediate and full-sized cars, including the Ambassador, Rambler Classic, Rebel, and Matador; muscle cars, including the Marlin, AMX, and Javelin; and early four-wheel drive variants of the Eagle and the Jeep Wagoneer, the first true crossovers in the U.S. market.

Regarded as "a small company deft enough to exploit special market segments left untended by the giants", American Motors was widely known for the design work of chief stylist Dick Teague, who "had to make do with a much tighter budget than his counterparts at Detroit's Big Three", but "had a knack for making the most of his employer's investment".

ambassador

The Ambassador is an automobile manufactured and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1957 through 1974 over eight generations, available in two- and four-door sedan, two-door hardtop, four-door station wagon as well as two-door convertible body styles. It was classified as a full-size car from 1957 through 1961, mid-size from 1962 until 1966, and again full-size from 1967 through 1974 model years.

rebel

1967-1970

The AMC Rebel (known as the Rambler Rebel in 1967) is a midsized car produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from the 1967 until the 1970 model year. It replaced the Rambler Classic. The Rebel was replaced by the similar AMC Matador for the 1971 model year. The Rebel was positioned as the high-volume seller in the independent automaker's line of models.

The Rebel was available in several specialty models, including station wagons featuring themed trim and luxury equipment offered only in some geographical regions. A high-performance, low-priced muscle car version was produced in 1970, the Machine, which is most recognized in its flamboyant white, red, and blue trim.

The Rebel is the shorter-wheelbase, intermediate-sized version of the longer-wheelbase, full-sized Ambassador line.

The six-cylinder engines that were introduced by AMC in 1964 were continued. However, the 1967 Rebel models introduced the first of a family of all-new V8s that replaced AMC's long-lived "Gen-1" designs in the mid-sized automobile market segment.

javelin

The AMC Javelin was a sports coupé produced by the American automaker AMC. Two generations were produced between 1967 and 1974.

The Javelin belonged to the class of pony cars and therefore competed mainly with the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro. The car was available in various equipment and engine variants, from an economical pony car to a powerful muscle car.

The first generation Javelin appeared on the market in 1967. The car featured several safety innovations, including flush door handles and A-pillars with a safety padding in the interior. 

The Javelin's standard engines were either a 3.8-liter straight-six engine with 147 hp or a 4.8-liter V8 engine with 228 hp. This allowed the car to reach a top speed of 129 km/h and 161 km/h respectively. Both engines were mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. A three-speed "Shift-Command" automatic transmission was optional with a gear lever located on the center console that also allowed the driver to manually shift through the three gears.

In 1970, the Javelin was given a facelift. The new front design featured a wider "twin venturi" radiator grille with recessed headlights and a longer bonnet. 

amx

1968-1970

The AMC AMX is a two-seat GT-style muscle car produced by American Motors Corporation from 1968 through 1970.  As one of just two American-built two-seaters, the AMX was in direct competition with the 2.5 cm longer wheelbase Chevrolet Corvette, for substantially less money. It was based on the new-for-1968 Javelin, but with a shorter wheelbase and deletion of the rear seat. In addition, the AMX's rear quarter windows remained fixed, making it a coupe, while the Javelin was a true two-door hardtop.

Fitted with the standard high-compression 4.8 L or optional 5.6 L or 6.4 L AMC V8 engine, the AMX offered sporty performance at an affordable price. Despite this value and enthusiastic initial reception by automotive media and enthusiasts, sales never thrived. However, the automaker's larger objectives to refocus AMC's image on performance and to bring younger customers into its dealer showrooms were achieved. After three model years, the two-seat version was discontinued.

The AMX's signature badging was transferred to a high-performance version of its four-seat sibling, the Javelin, from the 1971 to 1974 model years. American Motors capitalized on the respected reputation of the original two-seat AMXs by reviving the model designation for performance-equipped coupe versions of the compact Hornet in 1977, Concord in 1978, and the subcompact Spirit in 1979 and 1980.

hornet

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. Introduced late-1969, AMC quickly earned a high rate return for its development investment for the Hornet. 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 Hornet was initially available in a choice of two economical straight-six engines or a 5.0 L V8. When equipped with the V8 engine, the Hornet was in the compact performance market segment (along with the 4.9 L Ford Maverick, 5.4 L Chevrolet Nova, and 5.6 L Mopars for buyers who "wanted to drive something fun" without increasingly expensive to operate muscle cars.

gremlin

The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin) 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. The small domestic automaker marketed the Gremlin as "the first American-built import."

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.

matador

The AMC Matador is a series of American automobiles that were manufactured and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) across two generations, from 1971 through 1973 (mid-size) and 1974 until 1978 (full-size), in two-door hardtop (first generation) and coupe (second generation) versions, as well as in four-door sedan and station wagon body styles.

In the late 1960s, Kaiser Industries Corporation decided to leave the automotive industry and sought a buyer for its money-losing Kaiser Jeep division. American Motors' vice president for manufacturing, Gerald C. Meyers, headed the team sent to evaluate Kaiser's Jeep factories. Although opposed by AMC's top management, Chapin made a significant decision in February 1970 to purchase Kaiser Jeep for $70 million. Although it was a gamble, Chapin believed Jeep vehicles would complement American Motors' passenger car business. The Jeep market was also a market in which the Big Three had no presence, and therefore there was no competition. American Motors gained the iconic Jeep brand of light trucks and SUVs, as well as Kaiser-Jeep's government contracts – notably the M151 line of military Jeeps and the DJ-Series postal Jeeps. American Motors also expanded its international network. The military and special products business was reconstituted as "American Motors General Products Division", later reorganized as AM General.

pacer

The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact car produced in the United States by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1975 through the 1980 model year. The Pacer was also made in Mexico by Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM) from 1976 until 1979 and positioned as a premium-priced luxury car.

Design work began in 1971. The rounded shape and large glass area were unusual compared with the three-box designs of the era. The Pacer's width is equal to full-sized domestic vehicles at the time, and AMC promoted this unique design feature as "the first wide small car". The Pacer was the first modern, mass-produced, U.S. automobile design using the cab forward concept.

Upon its introduction, reviews used descriptions such as "futuristic, bold, and unique". The Pacer featured an aerodynamic "jellybean" styling, numerous innovations such as different door lengths. This was noted "as a space-efficient car, seemingly from the future". The Pacer stood out at a time when "Detroit was still rolling out boat-sized gas guzzlers."

Initially AMC offered only six-cylinder engines but for the 1978 Pacer AMC introduced a (5.0 L) V8.

concord

The AMC Concord is a compact car manufactured and marketed by the American Motors Corporation for model years 1978 through 1983. The Concord was essentially a revision of the AMC Hornet that was discontinued after 1977, but better equipped, quieter, and smoother-riding than the series it replaced. It was offered in four-door sedan, two-door coupe (through 1982), three-door hatchback (through 1979), and four-door station wagon with a rear liftgate. The Concord was AMC's volume seller from the time it appeared until the introduction of the Renault Alliance.

The car was available as a sports-oriented two-door hatchback AMX model without any "Concord" badges or identification for the 1978 model year, as well as the Concord Sundancer convertible during 1981 and 1982, an authorized conversion sold through AMC dealers.

The 3.8 L AMC Straight-6 engine was standard, with the 4.2 L six-cylinder and a 5.0 L V8 being optional on the D/L models. Transmission options included a three-speed manual, a three-speed automatic, or a floor-shifted manual four-speed. A Concord with the V8 engine was tested by Car and Driver magazine and recorded acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.4 seconds and had a top speed of 160 km/h.

spirit

The AMC Spirit is a subcompact car sold by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1979 through 1983. Replacing the AMC Gremlin, the Spirit was available in two different body styles, both of which were two-door hatchbacks – but neither was marketed as such. Instead, AMC offered a restyled Gremlin either as a "Spirit Kammback" or "sedan", while an additional model with a more gently sloping rear was introduced as the "Spirit Liftback" or "coupe". Due to budget constraints, the Spirit shared the Gremlin's platform – its floorpan, powertrains, and many other parts were carried over. AMC also offered a four-wheel drive cross-over version using the Spirit's bodywork, marketed from 1981 through 1983 model years as the AMC Eagle SX/4 and Eagle Kammback (1981-1982 only). Spirits were manufactured by AMC in both Wisconsin and Ontario, as well as under license by V.A.M. in Mexico where they retained the Gremlin name on the restyled models.

The AMC Spirit was largely a restyled Gremlin, which had been manufactured from 1970 through 1978. 

The standard engine on all models except the AMX was a 2.0 L EA831 inline-four supplied by Audi. Optional were AMC's 3.8 L and 4.2 L inline-sixes (the latter standard on the AMX). The 5.0 L AMC V8 engine was offered as an option only on the liftback.

eagle

The AMC Eagle is a compact four-wheel drive passenger vehicle manufactured and marketed in a single generation by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for model years 1980 through 1987 and continued by Chrysler Corporation following its acquisition of AMC in 1987, for the 1988 model year.

Introduced in August 1979 for the 1980 model year, the coupe, sedan, and station wagon body styles were based on the AMC Concord. In 1981, the two-door subcompact-sized AMC Spirit-based models, the SX/4 and Kammback, joined the Eagle line aimed at both first-time buyers and fleet sales.

The AMC Eagles were the only four-wheel drive passenger cars produced in the United States at the time. All models featured "passenger-car comfort, plus 4WD security for all-weather security." Marketing materials of the time refer to the Eagle as a "vehicle," "automobile," "car," or “sport machine.” Although the description was not in use at the time, the AMC Eagle is widely recognized as the first crossover vehicle.

On March 31, 1978, American Motors and Renault announced a sweeping agreement for jointly manufacturing and distributing cars and trucks that would benefit both.

A year later, with its domestic market share at 1.83%, the company struck a deal with Renault, the nationally owned French automaker. American Motors would receive a $150 million cash injection, $50 million in credits, and also the rights to start building the Renault 5 in 1982 (a deal for Renault products to be sold through the American Motors-Jeep dealer network had already been made in 1979). In return, Renault acquired a 22.5% interest in American Motors. This was not the first time the two companies had worked together. Lacking a prestige model line in the early 1960s, Renault assembled CKD kits and marketed Rambler cars in France.

Having increased its stake in the company several times to keep it solvent, Renault eventually owned 49% in 1983. Some view this development as ending American Motors' run as a truly American car company.

alliance

The Renault Alliance is a front-wheel drive, front-engine subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for model years 1983–1987. The Alliance and its subsequent hatchback variant, the Encore, were re-engineered Renault 9 & 11 for the U.S. and Canadian markets.

Initially available in two- and four-door sedan configurations, three- and five-door hatchback variants (marketed as the Renault Encore) became available in 1984, and a convertible in 1985. AMC also marketed a sports version called Renault GTA for 1987. A total of 623,573 vehicles were manufactured in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Production was discontinued after Chrysler's acquisition of AMC in 1987.

The Alliance and Encore derived from AMC's 1979 partnership with Renault, which held controlling stake in AMC. The cars featured exterior styling by Robert Opron, director of Renault Styling, and interior design by AMC's Dick Teague, with both the Alliance two-door sedan and the convertible body styles uniquely developed by AMC.

More beneficial to American Motors' future was the introduction of an all-new line of compact Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer models in the autumn of 1983 for the 1984 model year. Renault's François Castaing, head of AMC's product development team, designed the new Jeep platform with styling by Dick Teague. Renault was interested in selling the Cherokee in Europe, but the vehicle needed to be lighter and more fuel-efficient to meet European expectations.

AMC's initial forecasts of 40,000 Cherokee and Wagoneer sales were shattered, with sales amounting to 75,000 in their first year. The three leading off-roading magazines, Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road, Four Wheeler, and Off-Road each named the new Jeep Cherokee as the "4x4 of the year." The popularity of these downsized Jeeps pioneered a new market segment for what later became defined as the sport utility vehicle (SUV). 

jeep cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) is a sport utility vehicle manufactured and marketed across a single generation by Jeep in the United States from 1983 through 2001 — and globally through 2014. It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, front-engine, rear- or four-wheel drive configurations.

Designs of the compact-size XJ Cherokee date back to 1978 when a team of American Motors (AMC) and Renault engineers drew several sketches. Clay models were based on the then-current full-size SJ Cherokee. Early sketches of the XJ Cherokee had a European influence, and most of the styling cues were done by AMC engineers under the direction of Dick Teague, vice president of design.

Under pressure from Renault executives following Besse's death, Renault's new president, Raymond Levy, set out to repair employee relations and divest the company of its investment in American Motors. Renault owned 46.1% of American Motors' outstanding shares of stock. In 1986, American Motors posted a $91.3 million loss.

The earlier agreement between Chrysler and American Motors in 1985, under which American Motors would produce M-body chassis rear-drive large cars for five years from mid-1986 through 1990, fed the rumor that Chrysler was about to buy AMC. According to the head of manufacturing for Chrysler, Stephan Sharf, the existing relationship with AMC producing a car for a competitor facilitated the negotiations.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the driving force behind Chrysler's buyout of American Motors; Lee Iacocca wanted the design. Chrysler completed development and released it to the public in late 1992 and continues to use the nameplate.

On March 9, 1987, Chrysler agreed to buy Renault's share in American Motors, plus all the remaining shares, for about $1.5 billion.  Chrysler made no secret that they were only interested in AMC for Jeep, AMC's new assembly plant in Canada, and AMC's network of 1300 dealerships nationwide.

In 2009, in a deal brokered by the Obama administration, Italian automaker Fiat initiated a white knight takeover of Chrysler to save the struggling automaker from liquidation. The deal was immediately compared to the American Motors-Renault deal; some commentators noted the irony in that Chrysler now faced the same fate that American Motors faced 30 years earlier, while others expressed skepticism of whether the Italian firm could save Chrysler, given how the Renault deal failed.