01
Origins
AMC could not afford to develop a small car from scratch, so designer Dick Teague famously sketched the solution on an airsickness bag: cut the Hornet off behind the doors and close it with a chopped Kammback tail. The Gremlin appeared on 1 April 1970 — the date was deliberate — beating the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto to market by months and giving America its first home-grown subcompact. The proportions were odd, the rear seat cramped, and the ride choppy, but the car was cheap, sturdy, and powered by proven sixes rather than the fragile new engines its rivals gambled on. AMC even offered a V8. Around 670,000 were built through 1978, and the car's very oddness has made it an icon of its decade — mocked at the time, remembered with affection.
1971 AMI Rambler Gremlin Ann MD driver · CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, releases all rights but a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. Please leave a note at Wikipedia here. Thank you! · CC BY-SA 3.0
