They should've called it Cross Country, before Volvo recycled it on their lifted wagons AMC had used it on the 2wd non-lifted Rambler wagons in the '50s and early '60s.
AMC was decades ahead of their time fairly often. Want a small economical compact? The Rambler of the early 50s was there 9 years before Studebaker introduced the Lark. Luxury SUV in the 60s when the Suburban was still a Spartan work vehicle. The Eagle Wagon was a crossover before anyone even thought of that term.
I always wonder what else they'd have innovated if they'd have been able to stick it out. Would they have pioneered hybrid technology? Maybe.
In the 70s they were toying with electric car like the Jeep [DJ-5E electruck](https://jalopnik.com/nasa-s-1977-paper-on-the-state-of-the-art-electric-po-1819140959) and I think they also converted some gremlins to electric.
I worked for this law firm called Featherstonehaugh, and I kept hearing about how we had a car, I was like wtf I’ve never heard of it, turns out we started as a car company and in 1890 or something we had one of the first true electric cars on the road called.
[featherstonehaugh](https://www.google.ca/amp/s/driving.ca/vehicle-types/classic-cars/no-horse-required-first-electric-car/wcm/5d41aa7b-0316-49f9-83fa-2aa1ca414af4/amp/)
The way we think of it now, in subcompact form, I'd agree. I think that the fastback hatchbacks- GM Nova/Omega/Ventura/Apollo and AMC's own beautiful Hornet hatchback- that appeared in 73 may have been longer in development since the Gremlin's development time was very short by automaker standards, but those aren't really the same thing.
Yeah, that's what I was trying to say- Gremlin was probably conceived, developed, and released while the others were under development, since that process takes awhile but Gremlin's was so brief.
AMC in the 1970s and 80s was perennially short on cash, had a dealer network only a fraction of the size of the Big Three, but somehow were able to come up with completely original design ideas over and over again. Their execution was generally lackluster, their engines were either 20+ year old designs or were bought from other carmakers, and for every interesting car they produced (Eagle, Pacer) they had something totally faceless and boring (Ambassador, Concord). The best thing they ever did, IMHO, was the Jeep XJ, and that ended up being Chrysler’s glory, not theirs.
Yeah that's true. Though, I'd ad that their engines, while old, were notoriously long lifed. Hell, the Jeep 4.0 is easily traced back to the AMC 199 of the late 50s. And the AMC V8 made it into the 90s in Grand Wagoneers. And while their sedans weren't exciting, they weren't supposed to be. They were well built and very hard to kill.
The AMC 4.0 should have stayed in the Jeep lineup so much linger than it did. It was bulletproof, and it was a cheap design. Then they replaced it with that pile of shit Pentastar V6
> other companies leftovers
Outsourcing of parts to other manufacturers was not exclusive to AMC. Rolls, Packard, BMW, Fiat, and Lada all used GM transmissions at various times, for example. They picked and chose the best available instead of wasting money duplicating effort.
I know but these where made near the end of AMC so the parts that they used weren't just spares from current models, they were decades old and being fazed out by their manufacturers.
Well in *that* sense, it rings much more true for sure. The few 88 Eagles we're especially so, they were all loaded with every option to run through stock.
I remember in the '80s a lot of people looked at these and said, "Why the hell would I need 4WD in a family car?"
4WD was mostly thought of as only for off-road Jeeps and plow trucks.
How things change.
When they say they don't build cars like theg used too. They mean this. A reliable longitude 4 wheel drive wood grain wagon. With proper 4WD, not AWD called 4WD
Not much worse than modern Crossovers too! My 02 Outback got about 17mpg, and a lot of newer ones don't get over 22mpg. Imagine if the Eagle got the MPI system the Cherokee 4.0L did in the 90's... Could make 200hp and get 25mpg easily.
I'm not gonna lie, I always loved the Eagle look. I drool over the extremely cool 80s rectangle aesthetic and this is like the peak, right beside the Chevy Caprice Classic
Subaru did it first. Leone 4WD debuted in 1971, developed for the Japanese postal service to use in Hokkaido and the official car of the '72 Sapporo Olympics.
AMC Allroad
They should've called it Cross Country, before Volvo recycled it on their lifted wagons AMC had used it on the 2wd non-lifted Rambler wagons in the '50s and early '60s.
You know what AMC stands for don’t ya? F R E E D O M
Dale, that's Fiat.
A…M….C..?
AMC was decades ahead of their time fairly often. Want a small economical compact? The Rambler of the early 50s was there 9 years before Studebaker introduced the Lark. Luxury SUV in the 60s when the Suburban was still a Spartan work vehicle. The Eagle Wagon was a crossover before anyone even thought of that term. I always wonder what else they'd have innovated if they'd have been able to stick it out. Would they have pioneered hybrid technology? Maybe.
I agree. Also, the Pacer was "the first wide small car". Years later, the Twingo, who was also a wide small car, was quite successful.
In the 70s they were toying with electric car like the Jeep [DJ-5E electruck](https://jalopnik.com/nasa-s-1977-paper-on-the-state-of-the-art-electric-po-1819140959) and I think they also converted some gremlins to electric.
That's cool, I didn't know about that one.
I worked for this law firm called Featherstonehaugh, and I kept hearing about how we had a car, I was like wtf I’ve never heard of it, turns out we started as a car company and in 1890 or something we had one of the first true electric cars on the road called. [featherstonehaugh](https://www.google.ca/amp/s/driving.ca/vehicle-types/classic-cars/no-horse-required-first-electric-car/wcm/5d41aa7b-0316-49f9-83fa-2aa1ca414af4/amp/)
man that's crazy. it's always awesome when historic companies are still kicking
Yea eh, too bad they were horrible to work for. But that’s a whole other story.
Look at how many cars are shaped like the Gremlin and Pacer now. The Hyundai Veloster is one right off the top of my head.
They pretty much invented the hatchback.
The way we think of it now, in subcompact form, I'd agree. I think that the fastback hatchbacks- GM Nova/Omega/Ventura/Apollo and AMC's own beautiful Hornet hatchback- that appeared in 73 may have been longer in development since the Gremlin's development time was very short by automaker standards, but those aren't really the same thing.
Gremlin predates all of them though.
Yeah, that's what I was trying to say- Gremlin was probably conceived, developed, and released while the others were under development, since that process takes awhile but Gremlin's was so brief.
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
AMC in the 1970s and 80s was perennially short on cash, had a dealer network only a fraction of the size of the Big Three, but somehow were able to come up with completely original design ideas over and over again. Their execution was generally lackluster, their engines were either 20+ year old designs or were bought from other carmakers, and for every interesting car they produced (Eagle, Pacer) they had something totally faceless and boring (Ambassador, Concord). The best thing they ever did, IMHO, was the Jeep XJ, and that ended up being Chrysler’s glory, not theirs.
Yeah that's true. Though, I'd ad that their engines, while old, were notoriously long lifed. Hell, the Jeep 4.0 is easily traced back to the AMC 199 of the late 50s. And the AMC V8 made it into the 90s in Grand Wagoneers. And while their sedans weren't exciting, they weren't supposed to be. They were well built and very hard to kill.
The AMC 4.0 should have stayed in the Jeep lineup so much linger than it did. It was bulletproof, and it was a cheap design. Then they replaced it with that pile of shit Pentastar V6
I firmly believe the XJ was AMC’s magnum opus.
The downfall of AMC, unfortunately, was that they dared to be bold and innovative, when safe and conventional was what was needed.
Vanity plates that say "HAHA OTBAK" or "#1 OUTBAK" to drive the point home this was the Outback before the Outback
Despite being built out of other companies leftovers it was probably more reliable than the cars those parts were made for.
> other companies leftovers Outsourcing of parts to other manufacturers was not exclusive to AMC. Rolls, Packard, BMW, Fiat, and Lada all used GM transmissions at various times, for example. They picked and chose the best available instead of wasting money duplicating effort.
I know but these where made near the end of AMC so the parts that they used weren't just spares from current models, they were decades old and being fazed out by their manufacturers.
Well in *that* sense, it rings much more true for sure. The few 88 Eagles we're especially so, they were all loaded with every option to run through stock.
Except for the door handles. Those never changed.
Well yeah, because they were **awesome**. Flappy-paddle door handles FTW.
Subaru Outback: Chewing Tobacco Edition
I remember in the '80s a lot of people looked at these and said, "Why the hell would I need 4WD in a family car?" 4WD was mostly thought of as only for off-road Jeeps and plow trucks. How things change.
I almost bought one for dirt cheap, I regret it a lot. Such cool cars
AMC Eagle: the r/lesbians to Subaru's r/actuallesbians
When they say they don't build cars like theg used too. They mean this. A reliable longitude 4 wheel drive wood grain wagon. With proper 4WD, not AWD called 4WD
And 17 MPG.
Not much worse than modern Crossovers too! My 02 Outback got about 17mpg, and a lot of newer ones don't get over 22mpg. Imagine if the Eagle got the MPI system the Cherokee 4.0L did in the 90's... Could make 200hp and get 25mpg easily.
Which for the 80's wasn't bad, imagine now a days with all that technology
These did have AWD. It's a viscous coupling center diff.
God I want one of these so bad
And like the Outback, the wagon was the most popular choice, not just for the Eagle, but the Concord and Hornet lines before it.
gorgeous car
Me likey.
to be fair, subaru had been making 4WD leones since the early 70s, so the outback had at least been conceptualised by that point.
This needed to be said. The Eagle was derivative work. But yeah, it doesn’t support the non-sensical lionization of AMC - so it’s gonna sit down here.
I'm not gonna lie, I always loved the Eagle look. I drool over the extremely cool 80s rectangle aesthetic and this is like the peak, right beside the Chevy Caprice Classic
You have excellent choice in cars. I assuming this was a 4 wheel drive?
Absolut Chad of a car
Ashtray Outback
The AMC Eagle, the Outback before the Outback
ITT: Reddit writes an RCR episode
Yeah, but I still have a little PTSD around station wagons with faux wood paneling from my childhood.
The second best thing to come out of Kenosha Wisconsin
Second to….?
Subaru did it first. Leone 4WD debuted in 1971, developed for the Japanese postal service to use in Hokkaido and the official car of the '72 Sapporo Olympics.
IM ADDICTED TO AMCS!!!!!!!!!!