1974 AMC Matador Coupe - The Forgotten Coupe
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- It was a nice surprise when AMC released the sleek and elegant styled Matador Coupe for 1974. By 1974, most U.S. automakers were playing it safe, the Matador Coupe by comparison was a bold car that Car and Driver magazine called "1974's Best Styled Car". For a car that made such a great impression back in 1974, the Matador Coupe has unfortunately been forgotten over the last 4 decades.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Own 3 of em.
1975 360 Coupe, 1974 401 X and a 1975 304 brougham.
The X Coupe is in mint condition and has 53 Miles on the clock from its years of being moved around in the garage. It's never touched a road outside.
The brougham has been chopped and widened Full IFS front and rear (my own design) now housing a full 10 point cage and a 1200 horse 440ci hemi married to a 6 gear manual, overall 35% weight reduced track beast.
The 75 coup is fully restored and in the same condition as if it came right off the line (my daily driver).
Just love these cars.
I am always impressed with this channel's vids. This guy does his homework and generally presents a well rounded, researched and subjective points of view. As a life-long AMC enthusiast all the facts and opinions for the Matador and AMC here are spot-on. This video was really well done. Imo AMC was building as good a product (or.better) as any other domestic producer at the time - which may not be saying much with most of the junk that was allowed to be built in that era. Long live AMC.
AMc had a small production setup in Australia and was running after America shut down its plants. the cars were assembled in right hand drive and much loved by Aussies. Great videos as usual thank you again.
AWESOME video!!! brings back BOATLOAD of memories from when I was a kid and absolutely LOVED these cars!
All I’m going to say is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I remember when this car was used by Francisco scaramanga in the James Bond film the man with the golden gun the same movie also featured the barrel roll scene in a 1974 AMC hornet X hatchback
Fred Wucher
That film was primarily financed by AMC.
I went to a car stunt show in summer 1971 and saw a Javelin DO the "Astro Spiral" used in the Bond movie. Tech info and testing information was in the show program, with photos of jump / spiral being done with remote control equipment....a college engineering experiment. Banner under the floorpan of Javelin read right side up as it spiraled between ramps. And program stated "coming soon to a BOND film." I wanted / Looked for a clean RED Hornet X for years at AMC shows, while showing my 69 AMX.
Fred Wucher
Fred Wucher is that the one that sprouted airplane wings ???
Yes, the Matador coupe, driven by Christopher Lee's character Scaramanga, was the one that converted to a plane. They used a remote control model in the film, for the flying scenes. Matador X coupes were sold in Australia in right hand drive. Be very few of them left now.
my dads last car was a 1978 matador barcelona edition..... a beautiful car..... he loved it.
These were easily the most beautiful cars AMC made. Stunning and graceful.
I owned an Oleg Casini Matador coupe in 1975 with the 360 2 v engine and it was very comfortable and beautiful and was surprisingly quick for its size. I really liked that car and the only other car I ever owned that was close to being as luxerious was a loaded 1977 Ford Thunderbird with a 400 2v engine.
Did you get rid of the Matador for the T-bird?
They were very uniquely designed vehicles that, like the Marlin of 1965-1967 did not quite capture the hearts & minds of the public....personally I thought the design was a major breakthrough for AMC. Within the next few years AMC would be designing some very unique vehicles for its time ( i.e. two being the Pacer & the Gremlin) Their one mainstay of that decade would be the Hornet which was built to compete with other automakers.
@@shwt121 unique...for sure.
Like they never learned the "language of Design, at all"
Or they needed WAY MORE drug screening , in those days..then previously thought !!!
I had the 74 Matador coupe as my first car in the late mid/late 80's, and used a 75 Oleg Casini Matador as a parts car after an unfortunate ice incident with a tree. Really loved that car. it just floated over the road like a cloud, and that hood stretched out forever it was like a 6 foot hood... it was so sporty looking, and made of nothing but solid American steel. The engine ended up needing a rebuild, and I was forced by circumstances to switch for a relatives inherited car; i've always regretted that trade.
@@shwt121 The Hornet and the '67 (only) Marlin had much more cohesive lines & proportions imo. Unique for sure though, but like the Pacer, not to everyone's taste.
Matador trivia: This was the “off duty” car of the Pete Malloy character on “Adam 12.”
Tan with a Vinyl top! Pete did'nt get the digital clock. He told Reed it was too costly at $50.00
Funny, I JUST got done watching that episode and searched on the car which brought me to this video! I always thought when looking at this car, “what were the stylists thinking”?
The police cars were AMC cars, also.
So glad to find this video. My first car was a '74 Matador Brougham with a 304 V-8 that I bought from my dad, who worked for AMC. Sienna Orange with beige vinyl top. I happened to work at an auto parts store while going to college. Of course, dual exhaust soon replaced the single, Cragar S/S wheels replaced the stock ones, and tires with raised white letters. Oh yeah, and air shocks to give the rear end just a little lift. God, I miss that car. The person I sold it to destroyed it in an accident and I saw the remains. Broke my heart!
You did a really fine job with profiling this car. Thank you. The Brougham really brings out the C pillar and reflects on how beautiful it was (is). The designer Matador was gorgeous. I never knew there was a designer Matador.
Very well done. Great to see a channel on yt with videos being done by an enthusiast with a correct and vast knowledge of automotive history and information.
Thank you I enjoy this series very much.
Regards
I had one of these fabulous cars. I'll be an AMC fanatic forever. I still have a '64 Typhoon, though I'd love to have another coupe.
Ahh, the days when NASCAR used actual cars.
And Trans-Am was a thing everyone knew about and wanted to see.
The Matador never raced in it's life in TransAm.....The AMC Javelin was a King in the Series, not the Matador
Osborn Tramain,
I never said the Matador Coupe raced in Trans-Am.I only pointed out Trans-Am was a popular Racing series. But Yes I know the Javelin (one of my all -time favorites) raced in Trans-Am before that series was best known as a top-drawer V8 Firebird.
when the sc meant stock car
I've heard stories where NASCAR teams would wreck their primary and secondary race cars at the track and actually go to the local dealership and get another car to modify and race in the 1950s and 60s. (That must have been a real madhouse in that garage working against a race deadline.) Full frame cars weren't as hard to get race ready as the unit body cars like the AMCs, Ford Fairlanes and Chrysler- Plymouth Roadrunners/Dodge Chargers of the 1960s and 70s. I, like you, wished that NASCAR continued to require mostly stock cars to be raced. After all, it says "stock cars", but if you looked at what was available, there wasn't much to work with coming out of Detroit (and Kenosha). In the 1980s there was actually plans by NASCAR to drop V8 engines and only use the V6 in then Winston Cup.
Thanks for showcasing '74-'78 Matador as a potential collector car, to rise in value & appreciation.
The Matador at 3:38 in that Color was Gorgeous indeed BTW Love this Channel and AMC Cars
My Daddy had a blue one when I was a kid, he used to call it the Enterprise!
I bought a blue DL model 74 in 77 with 60k miles for $1450 it was a very nice car.
Working in a speed & spares shop in London we rarely saw AMC cars though when we did it was a rare treat,,,,,,,great car and vid a very big Thanx for your great vid,,as always a pleasure to watch,,,
Tho Amc did import r h d cars to uk in the early 70s, notably the ambassador. ..there were a few gremlins in Lhd privately imported but no one wanted a small car with 4.2 motor and barely 100 mph!
So THATS a Matador.. road tripped to Key West from Ma in 1976 in a blue 1974 Matador 304. Those reclining seats came in handy. My Dad drove a Gremlin X 304 stick. Good times..!
Thanks for a very informative video... AMC certainly deserves to be remembered as America's other choice of fine American automobiles.
I remember the TV commercials' catchphrase, "So THAT'S a Matador!"
Looooove these retro reviews
This car was a sign of the times, I think the 455 HO Trans AM had 250 HP. so these cars for this time period was no slouch. And styling was also on pare with what the big 3 were putting out! My 69' Javelin turns heads every time I take it out, and these cars are rare!
My sister had an amc matador with the 366 in it I went with her when she bought it from our neighbor she boarded 800 dollars from at the time that was 1975 she had that dame car until 2005 don’t know the miles but it always ran AMC did something right pitty there not around anymore
I could not let this slide by without a comment. In the early 1970s I was employed by a Tier One supplier working on anti-pollution devices. My customers were Ford and AMC; some of my coworkers were engaged in the same work for Chrysler and some foreign competitors. I was given, among other cars, a Matador to test the devices we were developing. I also had a Ford Pinto engine on the dyno and an AMC six. We put about 6,000 miles on the Matador, first breaking it in and establishing a baseline of emissions and fuel economy, and then testing the various devices and adjustments.
I clearly recall some of the foibles, the first of which was when the car had less than 500 miles on it and we were doing baseline tests. I drove over a set of railroad tracks and the entire headliner fell down upon our heads. I recall the thin chrome strip on the center of the steering wheel coming loose and tangling my hand while turning a corner. I made the mistake of driving the car to the gas station on a winter day without taking my coat; after all, it was only a couple of miles. The car quit half way there, the electronic ignition having failed. Door handles coming off in your hand were a constant joke; the rear view mirror fell off one hot day. It was a never ending pattern of minor faults daily until we returned the car. They gave us an AMC Pacer to work on...gee, thanks.
So did you enjoy your young years?
Coulda been ANY American Car. El Poopo Junko--------------------------------The
Lemon Laws were made,but not made because of Japanese cars.They were insanely marked up from 76- 86 and then finally the Import Duties to "level the field" made Japan bring their factories here.
Germany soon followed.
VW saved Chrysler because they had no engines for their compacts,and Mitsubishi made them after VW balked at mass pricing.Then,Mitsubishi saved Chrysler and their engines and transmissions ( manual) were in Fords,Chryslers,Jeeps,and many other cars and light trucks.
Many mechanics with nothing but domestic skills hated the foriegn cars-the parts were very expensive and took a while to get.The foriegn car dealers were able to reap huge profits from eager buyers of rust buckets.
And now look where we are.A 4 door sedan from Toyota (Camry) is headed for $40,000 base.
And so is Hyundai- who'd a thunkit?
THANK YOU!!! Thought I was the only one to notice that all cars, start at $30-40K!! And loose 1/3rd its value the minute it goes off the lot. And trucks are $40-70K!!! For a truck?! It only took me 35 years of buying new cars every 2-3 years, to finally keep my last car, now 13yo, wish it was a Toyota Camry,...not a 'GM/Daewoo' :( But with 41K miles on it, and still looking brand new,...its my last car....ever! Not going to pay $500 a month for 6 years to own a rolling computer, with 75 computers and a turbo. Unreal. @
I lived in Kenosha and my father worked for AMC and I say just looking at that car should make you want to forget it!
Love the AMC cars!!!!! Those were great!!!! Loved the video!!!!
A buddy of mine had the Amc matador station wagon. I can't remember the year it was made but that thing was still running after he sold it in the mid 1990's.
I always remember this car from The Man With The Golden Gun as the villain's car.
Strangely, the plans to build some actual flying cars were with the 1971-1974 Javelin design, but The Man With The Golden chose the Matador instead.l
I remember the "Barcelona coupe" with it's very unusual and (for the era) luxurious velour interior. My Dad referred to the coupesvas the "flowerpot cars" due to the wide-eyed headlight design.
I remember the "what's a Matador?" Television commercials.
Loved those old Matador Coupes. They looked so different back in the 70's and 80's. The coffin nose Matador sedans/wagons were pretty cool looking as well. My Grandfather had a 78 Matador Barcelona sedan with the 304. Beautiful driving, supremely comfortable car, with adequate power.
In the early 70's my neighbor had one of these Matators. At the time I was driving a 72 Javelin AMX. He backed it in to his car port every day.
I left early and returned late, while droving by it every morning and every night. And each time I did, I had a spit up burp, just like whenever I saw an AMC Pacer!
I loved my AMC. Just not all of them!😆
I own one, it was my grandfathers first car and he passed away, he Ment so much to me and I’m about to get it when I’m 16
My friend growing up had one with the 401 black with red interior it was tough to beat
As the 2md owner of a 74 Matador coupe, since 1994, a few notes to add.
The Matador never ran in Trans Am. It did win a number of races in NASCAR and ARCA series.
Penske/Donohue did have a hand in the 74 coupe design. Today if you visit Penske racing there is a bigger than life size photo above the shop floor of a 74 Matador and if you talk to the folks there they will tell you that Penske had a hand in it.
My 74 Coupe was ordered with big sway bars front AND back and the car today handles better than any of the personal lux cars of the era.
The 304 does a good job of moving the car along.
It is a very well built car. While mine only has 36K original miles it is still a pleasure to drive.
Thanks
This car always looked like it had a worried look on its face.
DMETS519 lol
DMETS519 ...rightfully so.
It had pimp headlights,and the rest of a submissive
My friend had a red one without the stripe and with a 401 as he worked for American motors . Went pretty good but nothing like my 69 396 SS Nova. He spent more on the rear end and auto beefing up the tranny than I paid for my car. Not money well spent for speed but it was new.
My dad had one for years. It was a light green I think. Then he entered it into a demo derby around 1985ish, I was probably in first grade.
I remember it had the straight 6 but I can’t remember which one. Good memories! :)
ford carburetor, gm steering wheel box, and Chrysler transmission is what made AMC stand for ALL MAKES COMBINED 😁😁😁
These cars were featured prominently in the 1974 James Bond movie the man with the golden gun which is amusing to watch as AMC is generally laughed at today.
By people who know squat about AMC
Laughed at by people whos taste is in their mouth.
I had a 1974 A.M.C. Hornet from 82 to 86. It was a great car. I sold it to get a pickup.
I always liked Rambler / AMC products. Never owned one but admired many of them.
I’m not a muscle car guy, but always thought the Javelin was the best looking “muscle car”.
AMC was chronically short of development funds..and it showed. Technically, they were years behind GM and FORD. But their products were reliable. As for the matador, the Us navy bought tons of them for staff cars.
I always thought that the Matador looked like an overgrown Ford Maverick.
When car technology is going strait downhill that's not the worst thing...
They were not reliable.
And Chrysler parts. From the Ford parts bin: Duraspark electronic ignition / Bendix brakes, front suspension for smaller cars that looked like an early 70's Mustang,. Chrysler: Torque Flight auto trans. GM the Iron Duke 4 cyl made from an inline 6 , Delco starter . Even Audi provided a inline 4 engine.
@@bobroberts2371 In the 60's AMC bought the Buick 3.8 liter "oddfire" V6, but GM bought it back from them in the 70's.
Like the channel ! Keep up the good work. When I was a little kid my neighbor had one. I liked the rear tail lights. The front is ok I guess.
great video, as always.
It seems that anything forgotten from any decade the 70's tops the list. It was a great decade but gets overlooked.
@Vladimir_Bone Spur_tRump
Were you around then?
@Vladimir_Bone Spur_tRump
Ok.
Back in the day I was in Kenosha Wisconsin for a week. Old town with nothing but pizza and bars side by side everywhere. Old AMC car plant on the Lake Michigan. I never saw so many Matadors in my life. Thousands of them. Seems like everyone in town drove one.
Thanks for this video, I always wanted a Matador X.
I love those cars.
My cousin owned one of these in 1974. It was a 304 Matador with a column shift and bench seat. It was orange with a white stripe. It had some electrical gremlins that the dealer never could correct. He finally gave up and traded the car. He wanted to support AMC because he was a fan of Mark Donahue and NASCAR.
This is my favorite 70s AMC. I like it even better than the Javelin. Always has been, and as a kid in the 80s, I caught a lot of flack from my more car-centric friends. It was dopey compared to Novas, Grand Prix, Darts, Mustangs, AMX, etc.
Good to see this video. I thought I was the only one in the country that liked them. Thanks. :)
I read somewhere that, on the drawing-board, these Matador coupes had hidden headlights. But the bean-counters decided "Nah! Let's save some money and give it frog-eyes.". OTOH, to me, the rest of the Matador was better looking than the contemporary top selling Chevy Monte-Carlo. That Monte-Carlo front-end also had frog-eyes! 🙂
With frog eyes, its still a great looking car! Always loved AMC.
@@petestaint8312 AMC mde some nice cars. My Grandfolks had a '60 Rambler Classic wagon and their last car was a '76 Pacer. For me though, the frog-eyes kinda spoiled the Pacer, like they did with the Matador, Ford EXP, Monte Carlo, etc....
I all ways liked the. AMX..and the javelin ..
I had a 1974 Javelin AMX 4 BBL. Great car loved every minute of owning that baby. Dual exhausts auto trans, air conditioner. All I ever did was replace the front shocks. What a beautifully shaped car with a distinctive inside interior. I miss that baby.
Rodney Brand, I washed cars for an AMC dealer, and he would let me use
a 1968 AMX 390 with the Go Package. That car could go up the
road sideways. It was overpowered
3 times over. Amazing...
Rodney Brand Me too!
"1974's Best Styled Car" that totally explains the 70's
Well, it was.
I had a 74 Matador Brougham back then, with the 360 v8. It was that beautiful copper color with the tan vinyl top. It was my first
car with a stereo FM radio. It was a very comfortable car. The seats were big and plush. The doors were too big and heavy. Had to give them a good push to close...
More desirable than many of it's contemporaries it truly is a forgotten treasure
The 1974 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 454 V-8 Sport Coupe is the best looking and performing car for the 1974 model year, hands down!
what about the Grand Am.
My parents had a Matador. It was a decent car. My mother really liked it, but when my father got stationed overseas he left it with my grandmother and it sat for 3 years and wasn’t started. My father got it back to running condition and gave it to my cousin
I would love one of these Matador coupes. A Ford Granada, Plymouth Volare, Chrysler Cordoba, 1973-1977 Pontiac Lemans, and a 1987-1995 Range Rover. All in the same driveway.
I spent many an hour in the back seat of that car as a kid on trips, wish we still had that car. We called it the " bubber bubber" car because of the rear tail lights.
We almost bought a 1974 Matador Coupe to replace our 1970 Catalina which got totaled. We loved the roll down rear windows!
When I was a kid I had a friend that had one of these rusting away in his backyard.
AMC=All Makes Combined.
Wrongo
Is American Motors Company,but to be honest,AMC cars did resembled cars from the big three
@@elcabezon5487 nope. Dummy. You on drugs.?
KENOSHA KADILLAC
Moron.
Excellent review and I really like the car and like AMC's PlanetX
I bought myself a '75. I like it! It's a great looking two door. It's a affordable V8 coupe and the lines are nice.
I love your videos, but I have to say I think you're being very generous with the AMC Matador Coupe. I remember when these came out. They were big clunky ugly cars that looked like gas pigs. Something like a futuristic exercise from the 1960's. No one really wanted them. In my area they just sold enough to see them in traffic a couple of times a day. Personally I found them depressing adding to the rotten feeling caused by a dismal national economy with high unemployment. Most people that wanted an AMC car bought the Hornet. Basic in design they didn't offend the eye and were a very good car too. I gave you a thumbs up. Though I don't like the AMC Matador, I do completely appreciate what you do.
Merry Christmas and Happy New year from me in Hamilton Ontario Canada
I had a 1974 Matador X Coupe. It was so pretty - red with the white stripe.
I WOULD DRIVE THIS MATADOR TODAY I LIKE THIS HAS MORE CHARACTOR THAN THESE NEW PLASTIC PILES OF GENERIC PLAIN CARS TODAY.
You deserve to drive this car.
It was made for the people that know nothing about cars or automotive styling...you are the target audience...just a little late.
But I see a 2018 Toyota Yaris Sedan in your future...there is a bright side!
MindDezign why are you watching a video about the Matador, then? Go amaze lady gaga video viewers with your masterful wit, and leave the Matador vids to those of us that enjoy them.
@@MindDezign Styling is subjective, not everyone likes what you like you imbecile.
@@MindDezign I owned one and Ioved it!! Is far as you trying to say I aIso know nothing about cars, you are dead wrong, I grew up working on cars !! I NOW own a 260Z
I bought a 1974 MatadorX brand new. Fawn Beige with black stripes. 304, handling package (stiffer springs and a rear sway bar), reclining front bench seat, right side rear view mirror, rear window defogger (a fan). The dealer put it on the stand out front for about a week before he called to tell me it was in. I added American Racing wheels and BF Goodrich Radial TA's and it handled surprisingly well. $1,000 less than a Camaro and I would run dead even with a 350 automatic. I beat on it pretty hard. I passed my brother's 440 GTX on the highway just as he blew a rod from over-revving. He said his speed-o-meter was reading 130.
IIRC most of the electrical components were Chrysler, as was the 3 speed Torqueflite. I don't think it had a Ford motor, the block and heads were the same as a 360 or 401. I installed an intake manifold, 4-barrel Holly (took some tweaking), and headers from a 360. Electronic ignition for a Chrysler.
Yes, the rear windows opened part-way. It looked stupid and created a tornado so unless someone was in the back I never opened them.
It did look pretty cool without the bumpers, especially the front. It also sat about a half an inch higher.
Ran up 108,000+ miles in 5 years with no serious issues. Last time I saw it the right side had been destroyed and it was bound for the boneyard (or crusher). Towing, fines, and storage charges were more than I sold it for as it was weeks before the owner notified me.
It was a very sleek and beautiful large car.
That's a badass looking car!
Watching old CHIPS reruns bring back the past, with those cool cars and trucks that don't exist anymore.
The 258 six with a stick was a very decent performer up to normal driving speeds; it had tremendous torque at low to mid revs, making it the perfect engine for every day driving. Unfortunately, everyone else was blinded by the numbers game of the time, and most ordered the V8's. The downside? When the a/c kicked in, it did kill the performance, so you had to downshift to give it equivalent performance. My neighbor had one of these lovely coupes in black with a white stripe, I had just gotten my license, and he promised that he would sell it to me when he got a new car. But he moved away before it every came to be. I still remember that car.
My wife use to spin the sneakers on our 74 Matador Coupe and it got the Neighbors upset so I traded it for a 75 Volvo 245 Wagon with Automatic! I had a 78 out of Florida as a Collector Car about eight years ago with 40,000 smiles!
A good friend’s dad had a red one with the white stripe. Cool car.
AMC really tried hard.
📻🙂
I always thought AMC did try very hard to bring out fresh and new looking vehicles that were very dependable in spite of their business issues and situations.
My dad had one, a 75 model, beige with beige interior, straight 6, air tilt wheel,and cruise control,we took many trips in that car. It was unusual to have the dome light In the rear seat.
I wouldn't mind having one at a reasonable price.Nice cars.
Very interesting. Thank you for creating this video.
For me, I think the front end looked goofy. The rest of the car looked good - especially from the side.
I was too young to remember these. First time I ever saw one was when I started to watch the TV series Adam 12 about 15 years ago. There are lots of them in the final few seasons of Adam 12.
Those were Matador sedans. Very different styling from these coupes.
Growing up in the 70's I remember the roads used to be littered with these cars about 8 months ago I saw one on my way to lunch and was amazed you never see them anymore After all these years I didn't think it was half bad looking!
I wish I still had my 73 Hornet Sportabout. It was a fun car. The 258 c.i. I-6 was very dependable.
I started work at a buy here-pay here in FL. A Matador had been marked down to $395 cash for months. So i totally detailed it, and it sold that week for $1795. We got it back after he paid $1100 towards it. Then we sold it again and never saw it after that...... Its probably being still traded!
Wow, that's a stunner and no mistake.
I kind of like it, and sure,..I’ve had a few drinks. I remember when I was a kid and just bought ice cream at Carvel and I saw the aftermath of one that caught fire while eating my ice cream. I became intrigued by these Matadors after that. When my next door neighbors had parties, these cars were pretty standard in their driveway, along with heavy pot smoking. It was 1981. As a six year old kid staring out my bedroom window, my eyes were glued to these. Then....they just faded away and were replaced by fox body Mustangs, IROCs and then, the more sedentary Chevy Beretta and Cavalier. I still think the Matador is quite sexy.
I love this channel 👌
i always liked those cars....here it is i said it, its out of my chest!
During my yard work days as a teenager ine the mid '70s, two clients had AMC's. One a Gremlin, the other a Matador. Both seemed cool. Had no idea they offered a 401then but loved AMX's.
Very nice 🎉.
AMC made some great cars. I had several Concorde sedans, they were big, yet compact, made of THICK metal!, not paper thin tin like other cars. Easy to maintain, and it was kind of a small luxury car. Nice thick seats, and so quite inside, like the old Cadillacs.
I did forget all about the Matador. I loved my Javelin, this car kind of looks like a bloated Javelin. AMC never got the respect it deserved. Between the Concorde, Javelin, Spirit, even the Gremiln:), it had something for just about everyone. Hey...cant forget the Pacer!!
Their best seller was the Eagle,not sure if the wagoneer too
@@elcabezon5487 My family had 2 Wagoneers when I was growing up. Good ol mud machines.
My old man had one of these...and as a kid we were mortified to be seen riding in it..
If I could find one, I would buy it!!!
I remember a customer at the shop where I worked had a Matador with the 232-3-speed manual combination. It was adequate in performance. Also, I saw a period styling proposal for a Matador sedan based on the coupe themes. Too bad that never made production.
Wow! My fist car was a brown 1974 AMC Matador Coupe with 1/2 vinal top and a 360 V8. Bought it used in 1982 for $500. It actually ran pretty good although I only kept it less than 1 year before buying a 1972 Olds Delta 88 with a 455 V8.
Norm Coffey 1/2 vinyl roof...lol. I had one on a tbird..vinyls never came back
I always found these nice looking in any model
I find the title of this video so ironic because I find the Matador coupe the most memorable coupe of the 1970s.
I loved that Hornet Hatch . The 304 model was fun
I remember asking an AMC salesman why there weren’t more Hornet hatchbacks for sale. He said they sell every one they get in but AMC limited their production because they thought hatchbacks cheapened the Hornet line. Couldn’t believe what I just heard.
I've seen a Matador X Coupe with the bumpers removed - it was IIRC Seafoam Green - it was beautiful. Totally changed the look.
Excellent discussion. My best friend had a 74 with a 304 and it was pretty speedy. The 304 was a good revving engine
It had the funky can't start the car unless the seat belt was buckled. Ok, just buckle it and stick it behind you in the seat
Was a nice car. Had a lot of interior room for my friend who is 6'3" and had nice seats. The Timing chain went on it. Actually I think it used plastic sprockets.