This is an ugly, poorly manoeuvrable and rusty fuel guzzler, but there are still compelling reasons to build it. With its styling that only gargoyles would like, and the driving dynamics of the bricks on the wheels, Gremlin, aptly named, is a low point in American car design-surprisingly, people actually buy them in droves .
Others, such as the Ford Model T and Austin 7, changed society by allowing the masses to drive cars. But others are miserably thoughtless and poorly executed. They should be thrown into the dustbin of automobile history.
The AMC Gremlin in the 1970s was such a car. In the absence of funds, declining sales volume and lackluster model series, the only way for AMC to decide to survive will be to take a share in the ultra-small market, a lucrative industry that has reached 100 sales in one year in the United States alone. Million vehicles. It’s hard to understand why a car company named car machinery after destructive clown creatures
AMC approved the project faster than preventing the oil spill. Legend has it that designer Dick Teague sketched the car design on the back of the airline’s sick bag during a business trip. If this is not ironic enough for you, the big men of AMC also decided to launch this car on April Fool's Day in 1970. The fast back shape at the back looks terrible.
There is no practical reason for this, because this car does not have a rear door, only the use of the optional-yes, optional-'flip to enter the small trunk' rear window. Although hard to believe, Gremlin's ugly appearance is not the worst feature of this car. It is important to understand that this is an attempt by AMC to build cars for the public, so cost-cutting measures have been taken, including vacuum-assisted windshield wipers.
The Engine Of The AMC Gremlin
Under the hood, a heavy cast iron straight six-cylinder strives to fill the unnecessary large engine compartment. The best speed it can achieve is about 18 MPG, which is sad considering that it is called an economical car. The acceleration is acceptable because it can reach 0-60 MPH in about 10 seconds, and the later 5.0-liter V8 version shortens it by a second or two, but this is a small bonus because the car is handled very badly. Mainly because of its solid axle and agricultural rear leaf suspension.
In an emergency stop, the sponge brakes and the tendency of the car to dive in the front and swing in the rear give the impression that the real elf is working hard. Excessive body roll means that turning is essentially an unknown journey, and the three-speed gear lever is strangely located in a position beyond the reach of ordinary drivers, so only people with chimpanzee arms can comfortably reach the joystick.
Among the exciting colors to choose from, there are (urine) gold, (feces) brown, and (vomit) green. The final step of AMC is to decorate the fuel tank cap with the chrome-plated Gremlin logo. They might as well stick a badge with two-finger salute. Despite the defects in the vehicle, AMC had the last laugh. By the end of production in 1978, the company had sold more than 670,000 hellish cars. More importantly, the elves have entered the hearts of Americans, especially for first-time homebuyers and students with limited budgets.
Do you want a second-hand Gremlin?
seriously? Surprisingly, second-hand prices are not cheap, although you can buy dirty peanuts. A quick search on the Internet revealed that a 1972 model traveled 34,555 miles on the clock and sold for as much as $45,183. If this sounds too much—obviously, it does—average prices tend to be between $8,000 and $13,000. The most popular examples are the V8 powered model and the "Levi" version, because the seats are decorated in blue denim-what else-blue denim. An interesting feature of this version is that the decoration also includes rivets, which tend to make passengers' backs hiss in hot weather.
This brings up the question of whether you want to buy one. Of course, there is no wise reason to do this, but there are loyal fans of this car, including comedian Jeff Dunham, who owns two (Jay Leno thinks, one Permanent standby to replace the malfunctioning vehicle).
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AMC Cars