Honestly, the AMC Eagle wagon is pretty much the perfect car. It had tons of interior room, was capable in bad weather, but easy to drive around town in nice weather. You could load up the family, or fill up the rear with whatever you bought, and it had decent enough gas mileage (at the time). Also it just looked cool - it's a design that's aged really well.
Consider that the design for both the sedan and wagon went back to 1970, and lasted until 1988, and the SX/4 was based on the Gremlin. Seems like half the cars on the market today are influenced by one or the other.
it's funny that the Subaru Outback is so insanely popular now. It's pretty much just an AMC Eagle Wagon. Although I guess its worth noting that the sedan version of the Outback was a huge flop
@@XJapanGonnaGiveItToYa-cd4xj Kinda sucks that outside of the PNW, the US market isn't really big enough / is already addressed-saturated by SUVs and Crossovers. Otherwise, seeing Hyundai, GM, and Ford try their hand @ challenging Subaru's place for Light Duty On/Off-Road *Wagons* and Sedans / *Coupes* sounds tantalizing. Funny enough, Hyundai had an AWD *rally* LC platform Accent that (IMHO) should've been used as a marketing springboard. The LC2, FD, RD2, GK, etc. platforms could have looked attractive in AWD/4WD options. IIRC, Hyundai's Egypt, India, Indonesia, etc. -market 'econocars' are fairly well-regarded for their durability on underdeveloped roads. [Ex. The LC/LC2 Accent was marketed in India until 2013, Indonesia 2012, and Egypt 2019->?] In other words, such might be attractive to a wider-market than merely gas-guzzling Americans.
I had an '83 SX4 Sport, 258 six, 4-speed manual, limited slip rear, rear louvers, fog lamps, sport caps, bucket seats, console and gauge cluster. It was a fun car!
My grandparents had an AMC Eagle that had the coldest AC ever installed in a vehicle. It was literally like being in a refrigerated food delivery truck. Absolutely unreal. That Eagle refused to die.
@derrickwoods2803 Yeah, R1234YF is awful at cooling in comparison to R12 or R134a. The only problem with R12 is that it is horrible for the ozone layer, otherwise it is way better.
I was wrong. It wasn't an Eagle. The car they had with the killer AC unit was a AMC Condord. It looks almost the exact same as the Eagle. I believe it was an 83.
I remember back in the '80s we had about a foot of snow, and I was behind several cars waiting for the one in front to make a left turn. This was on a country road with deep ditches on either side. All of a sudden a car flew around my right side into the ditch and I thought he lost control. Nope, it was one of those wagons and that maniac just barreled through it and passed all of us. I was flabbergasted but very impressed.
Like I used to do with my '82 full time 4wd Wagoneer, hehehe, get away from those slow mo folks before they wreck into me... An awesome advantage of that system if you start to lose it, back off the gas, AWD settles it right back down and ease back into it....
Most underrated and under appreciated vehcle ever. Great looking with two worlds in one package. It's what new cars are based on. People are slow to catch on, unless it's some flashy, stupid new trend. I'd drive this anyday, over any modern crap that copied this. I really love these. Even bought myself a Matchbox model. If I can get one here in the Caribbean, it'll be the most cool and badass machine, more capable than any 4WD out there.
Thank you so much! Love my SX/4, and can’t go any in a hurry because everyone wants to ask about it. It now has a modern 4.0 power plant, which truly does make it a sport machine. I have 5 Eagles total, actually. Again THANK YOU for recognizing my pioneering car!
I loved AMC so much! My mom had an SX-4, she's 91 now but that was still her favorite car ever! I had 2 AMCs myself, a 79 Jeep J-10 pickup truck and a 74 AMC Hornet Sportabout
I had a Dj 5 postal jeep. It was tough as nails. With chains, it was unstoppable in the snow. I went off road in 20” of snow, delivered the mail, and recentered the road with little effort.I flipped it, and had some guys to right me. I carried on. I sold it for what I paid for it.
We had a Hornet wagon when I was a kid. Spent more time parked or in the shop than actually driven lol Then we got a Malibu in '79, which was probably the 2nd largest (at the time) wagon GM had. Yes, it also spent more time in the shop than it should (issues with the fuel/carburetion system that took 3 years just to diagnose, and never did fully get resolved), but that was the car that refused to die lol 20+ years and 3 owners (and one rear axle replacement)
In the mid 80's I worked for a Jeep, GMC, Pontiac, Buick dealership in Glenwood Springs Colorado. Every winter we ordered up to 200 vehicles not only for our inventory gut for 4 different rental companies for ski season. One of my responsibilities was to check in all vehicles that were delivered to us. Eagle wagons, Jeep Cherokee's and Grand Wagoneer's and the Wrangler were the most popular vehicles in the area. I couldn't tell you how many of these vehicles I drove working for them but it was several. It was one of the coolest jobs that I ever had and I loved the AMC/Jeep products. Good memories!
That would have been Berthods Motors. I worked for them too on the John Deere side and across the street at Portland. Berthod's was a great dealer to work for. I had an Eagle wagon. My wife loved it. Worked at Sunlight Mountain ski resort. Passed everyone when the roads were bad.
When i first got my license...my Dad had an Eagle. 1981 ish. In Massachusetts, being able to get thru snow this car ruled. Really good. I ventured into a local graveyard with literally 2 feet of snow, with a girlfriend....got laid and knew nobody was gonna show up and ruin it. Heat worked too.
I did a married chick in a graveyard once after a good bar night. She got divorced the next week because her husband asked her why it said she died in 1908, written backward on her backside.
My mother was in the market for a new car around the early 80s, so I encouraged her to buy one of these. Instead, she bought an AMC Spirit. That turned out to be a great car for her. She took good care of it and it lasted a long time and got great fuel mileage. Say what you will about AMC, but I knew lots of people who owned their cars and they all loved them.
@@colinw7205 More of a Leone, which is Impreza's predecessor. There were other cars ahead of time like Golf Country (based on mk2) or modified by Dangle cars from Peugeot and from Citroen. However, none of those were produced in numbers like Eagle. VW made only 7735 GC and Dangle modified about 22000 vehicles (not only station wagons) from 1980 to late 2011.
def tru they also put made jeeps at one point with a amc UNKILLABLE 4.2l YES THATS RIGHT NOT A 4.L LMFAO that were made in canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the ones made in canada had different colors for models for example my 89 yj sahara from canada had a olivey miltary green with miltary pocket stuff and the yj for america had a hunter green color! but the weird part about my AMC motor and canadain jeep you hardly see THEM AT AMC CAR SHOWS LMFAO WHICH IS WEIRD BECAUSE THEIR NUMBERS THESE DAYS IN AMERICA ARE NEXT TO NONE! for example when i was dailying it i only saw one with my colors! so it says they are a gem and a missing peice of IMPORTING ANYTHING FROM CANADA because at that time canada was importing 99% of their cars from america and ONLY ABOUT 1% OF these things were exported!
I had an ‘81 Kamback…. 258 automatic with the shift on the fly 4wd. 28 mpg high way in 2wd, 22 in 4 wd! I absolutely loved that car! Mom had an ‘81 sedan and both would go anywhere in the snow!!!!
I had one of these! 258/auto, 1982. Lots of fun in the winter! Then I sold it to a fella from Saskatchewan. Later I saw it had been restored, and for sale in Saskatoon. I messaged the guy that it used to be mine. He's like, "Nope, couldn't be, blah blah blah." I'm like "See those little blue fog lights? They're from WalMart, I put them on. And the driver's seat you gripe about that's from a Ford Ranger? Wrong again. 80's Charger." Lol!!
I remember seeing the commercials for this car as a 6 year old. I think this car had a dial on the dash to switch to 4wd instead of having to engage it on the wheel hubs. Am I right?
@@dannydaw59 it varied a bit from year-to-year. Mine had a sliding switch on the bottom of the dash, which used vacuum to operate a sliding fork that would engage or disengage on a split right front axle shaft, and also engage the transfer case. No locking hubs.
@@roddydykes7053 it sure could be, mine was indeed brown! I sold it in the early 2000s, I think. The guy who restored it painted it emerald green. It looked good, but all the interior sheetmetal was still metallic brown.
The choir lady at my church had a wagon version of one of these back in the early/mid 90’s… when I was a kid I thought it looked goofy, but as an adult I love it. I really wish AMC had managed to stick around.
My brother bought an sx4 , new with the red paint job and the rear window louver. Four wheel drive was awesome when everything else we had was rear wheel drive. Still it didn't have abs and I learned a lesson in my young life that four wheel drive cars don't stop any better than anything else. One time we went out for a drive after a snow storm, the roads were still crap but we were hauling ass around town. We come over the top of a hill in town and maybe the change in the inertia sent the car a little loose. My brother Glenn hits the brakes and we spun a 360 right down the middle of the road. I don't think mom and dad ever heard about it. Glenn drove the wheels off of his sx4 , in wisconsin everything dies from rust.
True that... Sadly, more states should just sand. Shit everyone worries about the environment, yet most states are putting out salt that destroys our cars, the roads and sure the hell cannot be good for random bodies of water and anything living there...
I drive an Impreza, always fitted with winter tires when I lived in NY State. When the roads get icy, these 4x4s can spin like tops as the all-season tires on most of them do not grip like winter tires. Even then, you have to drive slowly until the roads are salted.
@@peteness9550 I think it was because no one had really seen one before. Like my Great-grandma had one. But we also had like a 350z in school when they were new in the early 2000s.
I hated these cars growing up in Maine in the late 80s early 90s. But now, the comment " I'd rather be seen in one of these than a current crossover" is so true. Fun video! Thanks
@@lessharratt8719 No wrong. The Eagle was a unibody car that started life as an AMC Hornet just a small compact. Jeep CJ was a body on frame vehicle and had NOTHING other than the engine and transmission shared.
I bought my first SX/4 Sport, a 1981, new in late 1980, and immediately mounted a solid Oak push bumper as I sometimes used it as a service vehicle for SCCA events. Also had roses etched in the side windows and a bunch of other modifications. That was #1, then had another 1981, a 1982, a 1983, and another 1983. All were "Sport" models with spoilers, rear louvers and 258 6cyl with manual transmissions. That last 1983 was bought in 1999 and was black with the red accent lines, oversized wheels and tires and was incredible. But at the same time I bought a very, very rare 1985 Eagle Sport Wagon, the same black with red accents, 258ci 5-speed manual. Unfortunately I had some health issues and had to sell my last 3 at about the same time to pay doctor bills. I've regretted it ever since, and living in Northwest WisconSIN, or Northeastern MinneSNOWta, they were the perfect vehicles.
We've owned several. Replaced my wife's grand wagoneer with a high mileage 82 limited wagon. Liked it so much, I found a clean 80 sport wagon with a dead engine. Rebuilt it and drove everywhere through everything. Later my order son got an sx/4 and later one also for me. Few more sx/4's. They all eventually met their demise by runaway rust issues
My friends and I all thought the AMC Eagles were cool AF. I think part of AMC's strategy was to cash in on the 4WD craze going on. Alot of people were trading in their muscle cars for Jeeps, Blazers, Broncos and even 4WD vans. And you were starting to see a lot of custom 4WD builds as well. People were putting Corvettes, Camaros, and even Gremlins on 4WD frames and they looked insanely cool!
I remember going on a high school field trip to the AMC plant in Kenosha, Wisc. and watched these being assembled. Most had the 2.5 Pontiac “Iron Duke” 4cyl going into them. It was very interesting.
A great concept saddled with a meh powerplant...pity it was too early for reliable, and reasonably-priced fuel injection. With the right engine, it would have screamed.
My friend has an SX4 and a Wagon that belonged to my grandpa. AMC Eagles were so far ahead of their time and honestly damn good cars. AMC in general is underrated
This is the style every manufacturer is missing. Simple but capable. "Sporty" enough that you could think of introducing it to highway speeds, for a short bit. Enough ground clearance to take you to the cabin, to the lake, to the beach, anywhere you need your SUV to take you to. Also light enough to keep you going through the snow. The modern SUV can't actually do any of that stuff. Too heavy, too much brick, not enough strength in the driveline. The SX/4 with modernized Iron Duke and modern grade axles would be the perfect car.
Mine is a mean machine on the highway. And it's pretty stock. 2.72 axles and a T4 4 speed. I used to drive it for a living and it was awesome because I could go 90 all day and never get a ticket for going more than 20 over.
one car company that gets close, I have a 2d hatchback from 86 from the Eagle's main 4x4 competitor. We had a Grand Wagoneer but we jumped to the better MPG tiny 4x4s. Still have a couple; pickup and 1/2 of a wagon for spares.. Of course they're rusty.
Such a cool and quirky car. Too bad AMC didn't survive because it would have been awesome to see what other avant garde creations they'd release these days. However, AMC did have competition that actually beat it to the AWD rugged car market that it ostensibly created: Subaru, who did their first American 4x4 in 1975.
I rode in one through mud, swamp, palmettos, and some small pine trees until an oak tree stopped us. Still got back, smoking and boiling. They're tuff as nails.
I remember when these came out. I seriously considered buying one. I was a Ford fan back then and just couldn't get past the AMC brand. Haha!! A lot older now and still I would consider buying one,,to me,,,they still are just cool.
I used to see these growing up. My buddy pat had a gremlin along time ago. Everyone thought it was so ugly but I loved it. the AMC at 1:03 is absolutely gorgeous. I loved this era of cars.
when i was a kid, my parents had an AMC matador and had to back to the dealership for a repaint due to a quality control issue. they gave them the wagon version of this vehicle and being a kid, i could barely get inside of it due to it's high ground clearance. ah yes..those were the days!
My grandma had an '81 Wagon, light tan, automatic transmission. Not the prettiest car, but that thing went anywhere and everywhere, even making sure we got out of town to the nearest grocery store during a major blizzard. The only setback, if any, was the transmission. Constant problems. The Eagles were seriously underrated and way ahead of their time. AMC knocked it out of the park when they made them.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the AMC Outback, Legacy and Crosstrek. Still looks awesome over 40 years later. AMC was generations ahead of their time with these.
I always liked these cars. One of the guys at work bought a new one and we all went out to lunch together in it. While it was parked on the side of the road in front of the resturant, a lady in an RV sideswiped it with its rear while she was turning, due to the RVs overhang. He was not happy but eventually it got fixed.
My Kammback was a money pit! In 1988 paid $1,500 for it and right away sunk in another $1,500 in 4x4 repairs. I have no clue where the engine oil went - sparks plugs were clean, exhaust didn't smoke, coolant was good, and it didn't leak onto the ground - but I had to give it a quart or more at every gas stop! Also, it refused to turn over if the engine was warm, so drive it and park it someplace you plan to stay for an hour or so. But cold starts were never a problem. Six months was all I could afford to keep it.
I got my sister's 1982?? as a hand me down around 1989. It was maroon, no spoiler, chrome trim, Pioneer super tuner, tiny amp, sweet 6x9's, and a tired 6 cylinder. The footage in your video of the person aggressively changing lanes reminded of how much my friends did not like it when I took it around a corner too fast. I liked the lifted look. It lasted about 1.5 years before the transmission went out. Dad sold it to some AMC enthusiast.
Thanks for covering that one. I grew up with these and to be honest i really didn't like them. That said, now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, I really like them.
My parents had one of these when I was a kid. I loved it and so did my mother. It was so underpowered, it could barely make it up the long mountain climbs in the high altitude of Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. I still miss that slow dinosaur. 🦕
I wanted an eagle when I first started driving. They were out of my price range at the time and now you just don't find em for sale often in decent shape
There are still an amazing amount available. I see at least a half a dozen a week for sale on the forums. Many are still in great shape. Even some decent Kammebacks still available.
While living in Arctic Canada during 1981 factory ordered a copper coloured '82 Eagle wagon with the straight six, leather, but no powered options. Unbelievable ride and absolute snow master! Caveat: wheels, at least one, does need to be in contact with the ground. In deep snow it would almost' hop' as the viscous coupling in the transfer case tightened/ locked and surged and relaxed. Pretty sure it had limited slip rear to. Around Inuvik in those times never needed ice roads to travel rivers or lakes.... Carried a shovel tho. Back to needing at least one wheel.... 😎
My first car was an 84 Eagle wagon in brown, my second car was an 81 Eagle Kammback in silver, both had the straight six and both were amazing cars for a high school kid obsessed with snowboarding and BMX. I could keep up off road with my buddies, get to all the remote party spots and bring the stereo, pack my bikes and snowboards in the back and never worry about the weather. In both, the back seat would fold down completely flat, and even in the short little Kammback I had enough room to lay down and camp for the night. With the seats down in the rear of the wagon there was enough room for two to sleep comfortably, although I didn't often need room for two, I mean, I was driving an AMC Eagle after all. In the early 2000's when coffee can exhausts on Honda Civics with Altezza tailights and Fast and The Furious graphics were all the rage, The Eagles were slow enough to keep me out of major trouble. Although once I got the Kammback running on all 6 it would scoot along pretty well and would do nice smoky burnouts and donuts aided by having almost no weight over the rear end. I have very few regrets in life, but a major one is selling those two cars, they were reliable, practical, surprisingly fun to drive, would start a conversation everywhere they went, and in my opinion were very cool looking. To this day my High School friends send me listings and articles every once in while and on the rare occasions I catch up with people the Eagles inevitably come up in conversation. If anyone has a nice Kammback or SX-4 for sale, I have and Audi S5 I might be willing to sell or trade.
The AMC Eagle wagon has HERO STAUS in my life. After being forced to continue our journey on foot when our bus was shoved off the road in an avalanche. A ski resort employee picked us up and blasted through 2-3 foot snow drifts, delivering us to safety for a long sit in at the lodge. Thank you who ever you were, for making a smart vehicle choice!
You forgot to mention the Subarus of that era. I had a 1979 Subaru wagon that I put mud/snow tires on, and took up 4x4 trails where Jeeps usually only dared. I also owned a ʻ86 Jeep Wrangler, and a 1977 Pacer, both with the 258-6, what a great torquey engine. I wish I could have combined a Pacer and a Wrangler into a moon mobile.
I was a big AMC fan. I drove them right up through their acquisition and eventual closing as Chrysler's Eagle division. It's a shame they aren't still around.
My family had a couple of these Eagles throughout the late 80s. I even took one to the prom. They were the 4-door wagon versions that were certainly NOT raised, with the bigger wheels and tires shown in the video. They did have the inline 6 though. Now I drive a Volvo V60 Cross Country, which is pretty much the same thing but 40 years of innovation added. I never noticed the connection until I saw your video.
I had an '80 Eagle wagon, beautiful two-tone blue, literally drug the skid plate across rocks. Crossed the US twice in it, went up to Canada. Plenty of power, zipped down desert highways at 100 mph. Handling with that Quadritrac was amazing. Great fun.
had one of these ( Station wagon variant ) as a family car when i was a kid growing up. it was flat out AMAZING!! drove it from Illinois to Maine during the winters & summers from 84-88. We drove it through upstate NY in January! had enough off road capability that we used it to heard cattle on our family farm in Illinois. super tough & reliable. great vehicle for camping! ours had a roof rack & an old towne canoe!
My buddy from High school back in the mid 90's had one of these. We went all over the East Coast and A LOT of off-roading with his Eagle. That car was so much fun.
Love these! Hard to believe how far ahead they were on the design and thought. A totally relevant vehicle today. Would love to see Stellantis bring this back
We had an Eagle wagon that was a great car for our young family living at the end of an unplowed dirt road in New England. The 258 AMC six was a bulletproof engine. The car served us well for years.
Dad had a silver wagon in manual transmission. That car was awesome. I was young, but as I got older I appreciated the versatility and capability of that Eagle.
I had a red 1984 SX/4, 4-speed. It was a junkyard rescue that looked too good to end its life in a crusher. The tires all held air, it started with a charged battery and some fresh gas, and it drove itself out of there... barely! It sat neglected in my driveway for some years until I gave it to my friend, Mark, a fan of the AMC Eagle. He dropped in a 4.0L fuel-injected straight 6 Jeep engine and a 5-speed transmission, and got everything working. Mark got some satisfaction and a lot of frustration working on it, but he was taken too soon to do much driving in it... He was mostly a collector of projects though, so I think he got most of what he wanted by getting it going and making it all work.
This car was before it's time!! I remember when I was a kid, my father went to a AMC dealership to look at cars. Well of course they talked my father into a test drive of the Eagle! He loved it. But ended up buying a new Concord instead. Still a AMC but not AWD like the Eagle. This car is still one of my favorite cars ever. The straight 6 cylinder in these were indestructible!!
My parents gave me an 1983 Eagle SX/4 as a hand me down first car. It was black on black with a rear spoiler with red trim and had Marchal fog lights, the 258CI six cylinder, and an automatic transmission. It wasn’t ‘cool’ like the Camaro, Mustang, Supra, or 280ZX I dreamed of, but it was quirky and unique enough to still be a damn cool first car. It was a snow monster and in Chicago winters it was an absolute blast to drive. I went on my first date in that car, and was very grateful to have that car as a teenager - it might as well have been a set of wings. It was pretty agricultural in its execution, but there’s no doubt that AMC was decades ahead of the industry in adopting all wheel drive for passenger cars.
Yes, they have reached collectors status! I had an '82 Kammback manual trans and an '85 Wagon. Also 2 1974 Hornet X, Great lil under appreciated cars for the time...
i bought an amc eagle for my first car and holy crap i love my car. i had never even heard of amc until a few months before i found mine. as soon as i saw my first eagle i had to have one. she is such a classy lady. i cant help but get excited when people talk to me about it
I had a beloved '81 Eagle SX4 mid-1995 -- 2000, then a year parked but started/run occasionally. Light blue with midnight blue accents. 'Iron Duke 4' Had a thumping half-a-V8 sound: because the exhaust system was routed to cross the car, then work it's way back over: Exhaust holes patched with leaky steel sheet and hose clamps. Great fun car. My 'Cool' car. Was fun just driving in a snowy parking lot. Or winding country roads. 'Great too for visiting my family cabin: a mile into woods on an old pioneer/logging road; had to ford a 29" deep beaver stream each way. ---Keep engine running after awhile to dry; alternator below engine. Had a cool moonroof. 4speed manual. Originally from Arlington VA according to a sticker. I drove it in NH, mostly. Had over 200K miles. Bought from a young mechanic friend, who I then hired to fix it occasionally. Sporty, but heavy: Iron Duke, etc took a while to spin up all that iron to get from stop across an intersection. Once rolling was most comfortable cruising 35-55-60... 75mph practical highway max. Happy too on frost heaved roads, gravel and Class 6. Interesting the various companies AMC sourced parts from: Pontiac 4cyl, Ford axles, Girling brakes...
I grew up in SE Alaska in the 80’s. Pretty much everyone drove one of these, a Subaru, or a pickup with a snowplow on the front. Good times. Thanks for making this doc and highlighting one of the coolest cars ever made. I don’t think I ever saw a Kammback up there. Lots of SX4s and wagons tho.
I was born in '86 and the mailperson delivered our rural route in a dirt brown AMC Eagle. It *absolutely* captivated me and I would always try to sneak a peek of that beaut
SX4 is awesome. Note that at the time quad cab trucks were rare/not that available and really long. It’s funny that back then winter roads were worse and 4WD’s were rare but people drove better. AMC nailed it but the market didn’t catch on. People were cautious recovering from lousy 1970’s. Incredibly the Eagle line was built so well that it was not prone to rust. Dad bought a new 1976 Subaru 4WD Wagon and did a great job of off-roading, traveling, volunteering during hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards. Poor little car got sand blasted underneath from the dunes of Cape Cod. There wasn’t much left to it by the time we got done with it. Served us well. Eagle wagon came a little late and a little too expensive for us at our time of conquering the world.
100% I feel like people back then were also more competent drivers in general - you should see the drivers here in NJ when there is even a sprinkle of snow lol
I had a 2 door sedan and a wagon. Nothing like them on snowy roads. I sold the wagon to a friend. I watched him as he drove through a field with snow up to the headlights to pick up his downed deer. My grandparents had a 4 door and got t boned in an intersection by a sherrifs car that was flying right along. It pushed them into a field. The responders said," good thing you were in this TANK". They were injured but okay. If I wanted to deal with old school car issues I would get one. ie starters, water pumps, alternators, stalling , exhaust system, etc.
I'm a kid of the 90's, I Remember when it was Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Jeep, and Eagle! 😮 I still see the Eagle Badge on some USPS Vehicle's in my small Northern Lower Michigan! 😮
We got an SX/4 in the fall of 1981, right after wife and I were married. We were in Casper Wyoming that winter and almost every morning there was a light pad of fresh snow on all of Caspers roads. Weight distribution felt nearly perfect. These things with a manual transmission on the floor (I forget how many gears) were great heaps of fun. I figure I had this huge grin like 80% of the time I was driving.
I remember when these were new, a friend's older sister got one for her 16th birthday. It was the SX4. About half of all the guys in school wanted one after seeing her roll up in that thing. Strange for the time but cool none the less. Sort of want to find one myself now. Thanks for the video , stats , presentation.
Growing up my best friend had a Concord.(we used to make Holy Grail jokes all the time), and I loved it. That car took more abuse from a group of 16yr olds. My friend plugged up one washer nozzle and pointed the other one to the right. Anyone walking got sprayed. So mature.
A friend of mine had one! He said he used to "catch air" driving offroad, or as he put it, "The Eagle has landed". We used to take it out into the country to go shooting. Good times.
My second car in the late 80’s was a 2 door Sx-4 straight six 4 speed stick . Great car! Really ahead of its time, the first crossover. My brother had the rarer Kamback which looked like a 4x4 gremlin! Would love to get another someday.
When I was in my teens and living with my mom and sis in a tiny little apartment our upstairs neighbor drove an AMC Eagle 4x4. This car was a real brute. It could take any kind of terrain (she often took it off-road when camping) and despite my being 6'5" tall I could fit in the back seat and still have plenty of leg room. I loved that car. The main issue she had with it was rust. I think a lot of people forget that the 80's was when US iron started to slip in quality. Most manufacturers weren't using the best metal for their automobiles and a lot of it was due to steel plants fudging inspections.
Had the wagon. Loved it. Swapped in the 4 speed from a Gremlin. In college (1989) some kid came through a red light at warp 8 and totaled the car around me. Still miss it.
I remember the SX4 being advertised as the "Eaglet", as apart from the bigger Eagle. Being an old AMC enthusiast (I owned several) I liked the AMC Spirit, especially it's AMX variant. SX4 was basically the 4X4 Spirit AMX.
My dad had a SX4 he bought new, and I recall it did well in Wisconsin winters. And apparently he liked it enough that some years later his place became "The Eagle Preserve", him having bought several variations of the car.
Honestly, the AMC Eagle wagon is pretty much the perfect car. It had tons of interior room, was capable in bad weather, but easy to drive around town in nice weather. You could load up the family, or fill up the rear with whatever you bought, and it had decent enough gas mileage (at the time). Also it just looked cool - it's a design that's aged really well.
Consider that the design for both the sedan and wagon went back to 1970, and lasted until 1988, and the SX/4 was based on the Gremlin. Seems like half the cars on the market today are influenced by one or the other.
Marty McFly's girlfriend's father drove one when he picked her up in the town square in Back To The Future.
it's funny that the Subaru Outback is so insanely popular now. It's pretty much just an AMC Eagle Wagon. Although I guess its worth noting that the sedan version of the Outback was a huge flop
@@XJapanGonnaGiveItToYa-cd4xj Kinda sucks that outside of the PNW, the US market isn't really big enough / is already addressed-saturated by SUVs and Crossovers. Otherwise, seeing Hyundai, GM, and Ford try their hand @ challenging Subaru's place for Light Duty On/Off-Road *Wagons* and Sedans / *Coupes* sounds tantalizing.
Funny enough, Hyundai had an AWD *rally* LC platform Accent that (IMHO) should've been used as a marketing springboard. The LC2, FD, RD2, GK, etc. platforms could have looked attractive in AWD/4WD options.
IIRC, Hyundai's Egypt, India, Indonesia, etc. -market 'econocars' are fairly well-regarded for their durability on underdeveloped roads. [Ex. The LC/LC2 Accent was marketed in India until 2013, Indonesia 2012, and Egypt 2019->?] In other words, such might be attractive to a wider-market than merely gas-guzzling Americans.
@Jett-Crash have you seen the Kammback?
I had an '83 SX4 Sport, 258 six, 4-speed manual, limited slip rear, rear louvers, fog lamps, sport caps, bucket seats, console and gauge cluster. It was a fun car!
Chick magnet
@@JTSunriseMusicwell..maybe not so much but a great little car.
@@Tom-og7fi my friends dad in grade school had one, why I liked the vid. It was a very innovative car for the time 🤣
The SX4 rally car still looks great even today!
My grandparents had an AMC Eagle that had the coldest AC ever installed in a vehicle. It was literally like being in a refrigerated food delivery truck. Absolutely unreal. That Eagle refused to die.
Probably because American Motors owned Kelvenator appliances. So they actually made freezers too!
Yup! That air conditioner was bone chilling cold 🥶👍
R12 baby
@derrickwoods2803 Yeah, R1234YF is awful at cooling in comparison to R12 or R134a. The only problem with R12 is that it is horrible for the ozone layer, otherwise it is way better.
I was wrong. It wasn't an Eagle. The car they had with the killer AC unit was a AMC Condord. It looks almost the exact same as the Eagle. I believe it was an 83.
I remember back in the '80s we had about a foot of snow, and I was behind several cars waiting for the one in front to make a left turn. This was on a country road with deep ditches on either side. All of a sudden a car flew around my right side into the ditch and I thought he lost control. Nope, it was one of those wagons and that maniac just barreled through it and passed all of us. I was flabbergasted but very impressed.
Like I used to do with my '82 full time 4wd Wagoneer, hehehe, get away from those slow mo folks before they wreck into me... An awesome advantage of that system if you start to lose it, back off the gas, AWD settles it right back down and ease back into it....
Most underrated and under appreciated vehcle ever. Great looking with two worlds in one package. It's what new cars are based on. People are slow to catch on, unless it's some flashy, stupid new trend. I'd drive this anyday, over any modern crap that copied this. I really love these. Even bought myself a Matchbox model. If I can get one here in the Caribbean, it'll be the most cool and badass machine, more capable than any 4WD out there.
The 1990-1994 Subaru turbo legacy would like to have a word with you and the claimed “under appreciated” status lol.
@@MeatHarmonica well a few made its way into the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago. Treated like trash.
++++
Its not more capable than most 4x4s, but better than really anyother shaped like it
Kind of like how every CSUV looks like a rounded off Pontiac Aztek now
Thank you so much! Love my SX/4, and can’t go any in a hurry because everyone wants to ask about it.
It now has a modern 4.0 power plant, which truly does make it a sport machine.
I have 5 Eagles total, actually.
Again THANK YOU for recognizing my pioneering car!
I loved AMC so much! My mom had an SX-4, she's 91 now but that was still her favorite car ever! I had 2 AMCs myself, a 79 Jeep J-10 pickup truck and a 74 AMC Hornet Sportabout
I had a Dj 5 postal jeep. It was tough as nails. With chains, it was unstoppable in the snow. I went off road in 20” of snow, delivered the mail, and recentered the road with little effort.I flipped it, and had some guys to right me. I carried on. I sold it for what I paid for it.
We had a Hornet wagon when I was a kid. Spent more time parked or in the shop than actually driven lol Then we got a Malibu in '79, which was probably the 2nd largest (at the time) wagon GM had. Yes, it also spent more time in the shop than it should (issues with the fuel/carburetion system that took 3 years just to diagnose, and never did fully get resolved), but that was the car that refused to die lol 20+ years and 3 owners (and one rear axle replacement)
In the mid 80's I worked for a Jeep, GMC, Pontiac, Buick dealership in Glenwood Springs Colorado. Every winter we ordered up to 200 vehicles not only for our inventory gut for 4 different rental companies for ski season. One of my responsibilities was to check in all vehicles that were delivered to us. Eagle wagons, Jeep Cherokee's and Grand Wagoneer's and the Wrangler were the most popular vehicles in the area. I couldn't tell you how many of these vehicles I drove working for them but it was several. It was one of the coolest jobs that I ever had and I loved the AMC/Jeep products. Good memories!
That would have been Berthods Motors. I worked for them too on the John Deere side and across the street at Portland. Berthod's was a great dealer to work for. I had an Eagle wagon. My wife loved it. Worked at Sunlight Mountain ski resort. Passed everyone when the roads were bad.
When i first got my license...my Dad had an Eagle. 1981 ish. In Massachusetts, being able to get thru snow this car ruled. Really good. I ventured into a local graveyard with literally 2 feet of snow, with a girlfriend....got laid and knew nobody was gonna show up and ruin it. Heat worked too.
I did a married chick in a graveyard once after a good bar night. She got divorced the next week because her husband asked her why it said she died in 1908, written backward on her backside.
Cool!
Go a big laugh out of that.
My mother was in the market for a new car around the early 80s, so I encouraged her to buy one of these. Instead, she bought an AMC Spirit. That turned out to be a great car for her. She took good care of it and it lasted a long time and got great fuel mileage. Say what you will about AMC, but I knew lots of people who owned their cars and they all loved them.
AMC vehicles were great.
Cool car way ahead of its time. AMC was a hard working company with some great ideas.
They basically made the subaru outback before there was a subaru outback
@@funfun5656 With the SX4 it's basically an Subaru Impreza. The the OP wrote "way ahead of its time".
There are period commercials on You Tube just Google them AMC Eagle commercials.
@@colinw7205 More of a Leone, which is Impreza's predecessor.
There were other cars ahead of time like Golf Country (based on mk2) or modified by Dangle cars from Peugeot and from Citroen.
However, none of those were produced in numbers like Eagle.
VW made only 7735 GC and Dangle modified about 22000 vehicles (not only station wagons) from 1980 to late 2011.
def tru they also put made jeeps at one point with a amc UNKILLABLE 4.2l YES THATS RIGHT NOT A 4.L LMFAO that were made in canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the ones made in canada had different colors for models for example my 89 yj sahara from canada had a olivey miltary green with miltary pocket stuff and the yj for america had a hunter green color! but the weird part about my AMC motor and canadain jeep you hardly see THEM AT AMC CAR SHOWS LMFAO WHICH IS WEIRD BECAUSE THEIR NUMBERS THESE DAYS IN AMERICA ARE NEXT TO NONE! for example when i was dailying it i only saw one with my colors! so it says they are a gem and a missing peice of IMPORTING ANYTHING FROM CANADA because at that time canada was importing 99% of their cars from america and ONLY ABOUT 1% OF these things were exported!
I had an ‘81 Kamback…. 258 automatic with the shift on the fly 4wd. 28 mpg high way in 2wd, 22 in 4 wd! I absolutely loved that car! Mom had an ‘81 sedan and both would go anywhere in the snow!!!!
I had one of these! 258/auto, 1982. Lots of fun in the winter! Then I sold it to a fella from Saskatchewan. Later I saw it had been restored, and for sale in Saskatoon. I messaged the guy that it used to be mine. He's like, "Nope, couldn't be, blah blah blah." I'm like "See those little blue fog lights? They're from WalMart, I put them on. And the driver's seat you gripe about that's from a Ford Ranger? Wrong again. 80's Charger." Lol!!
I remember seeing the commercials for this car as a 6 year old. I think this car had a dial on the dash to switch to 4wd instead of having to engage it on the wheel hubs. Am I right?
@@dannydaw59 it varied a bit from year-to-year. Mine had a sliding switch on the bottom of the dash, which used vacuum to operate a sliding fork that would engage or disengage on a split right front axle shaft, and also engage the transfer case. No locking hubs.
I’m from Saskatoon and I’ve seen a brown one cruising around the North-industrial part of town many times years ago. Maybe that was it
@@roddydykes7053 it sure could be, mine was indeed brown! I sold it in the early 2000s, I think. The guy who restored it painted it emerald green. It looked good, but all the interior sheetmetal was still metallic brown.
@@dannydaw59 I had a '79 J10 with the quadratrac. It had a vacuum knob that locked the transfer case to go from full time awd to 4wd.
I still remember the TV commercial....THE EAGLE HAS LANDED, ON ALL FOURS!!! love it 👍😎💯
The choir lady at my church had a wagon version of one of these back in the early/mid 90’s… when I was a kid I thought it looked goofy, but as an adult I love it. I really wish AMC had managed to stick around.
Amen to that...
There's a few videos on YT as to their demise. They had a lot working against them. It's a wonder the made it as long as they did.
My brother bought an sx4 , new with the red paint job and the rear window louver. Four wheel drive was awesome when everything else we had was rear wheel drive. Still it didn't have abs and I learned a lesson in my young life that four wheel drive cars don't stop any better than anything else. One time we went out for a drive after a snow storm, the roads were still crap but we were hauling ass around town. We come over the top of a hill in town and maybe the change in the inertia sent the car a little loose. My brother Glenn hits the brakes and we spun a 360 right down the middle of the road. I don't think mom and dad ever heard about it. Glenn drove the wheels off of his sx4 , in wisconsin everything dies from rust.
True that... Sadly, more states should just sand. Shit everyone worries about the environment, yet most states are putting out salt that destroys our cars, the roads and sure the hell cannot be good for random bodies of water and anything living there...
I drive an Impreza, always fitted with winter tires when I lived in NY State. When the roads get icy, these 4x4s can spin like tops as the all-season tires on most of them do not grip like winter tires. Even then, you have to drive slowly until the roads are salted.
I really liked the station wagon version
Hell yeah
I use to eat shit in the back seat. Loved that car.
It's hard to choose for me, I love the different styles of each body
I've got one. An 84.
@@nathanhale7444 nice
AMC really hit a home run with this car!!!!
My friend had one in high school. It was one of the most popular cars in school.
That’s sad.
@@peteness9550 I think it was because no one had really seen one before. Like my Great-grandma had one. But we also had like a 350z in school when they were new in the early 2000s.
@@peteness9550why?
I hated these cars growing up in Maine in the late 80s early 90s. But now, the comment " I'd rather be seen in one of these than a current crossover" is so true. Fun video! Thanks
Gimmie the Eagle wagon with the I-6 and a manual transmission. I want it.
I had the hatch back. Basically a CJ with a car body. Wish I still had it.
me too but I would prefer the 304
@@lessharratt8719 No wrong. The Eagle was a unibody car that started life as an AMC Hornet just a small compact. Jeep CJ was a body on frame vehicle and had NOTHING other than the engine and transmission shared.
Had a 1981 SX/4 a few years ago 2.5/4 speed. Sold it to a guy in CHcago. Now own a 1984 AMC Eagle Wagon, love it.
I bought my first SX/4 Sport, a 1981, new in late 1980, and immediately mounted a solid Oak push bumper as I sometimes used it as a service vehicle for SCCA events. Also had roses etched in the side windows and a bunch of other modifications. That was #1, then had another 1981, a 1982, a 1983, and another 1983. All were "Sport" models with spoilers, rear louvers and 258 6cyl with manual transmissions. That last 1983 was bought in 1999 and was black with the red accent lines, oversized wheels and tires and was incredible. But at the same time I bought a very, very rare 1985 Eagle Sport Wagon, the same black with red accents, 258ci 5-speed manual. Unfortunately I had some health issues and had to sell my last 3 at about the same time to pay doctor bills. I've regretted it ever since, and living in Northwest WisconSIN, or Northeastern MinneSNOWta, they were the perfect vehicles.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Dunno if your looking for a modern replacement, but the Subaru Outback wilderness is a very similar vehicle.
@@Average_BradOr the Subaru Crosstrek, which was often compared to the Eagle in early reviews.
Everyone that I know who had one, loved it. They got to work in bad snow, when nobody else did.
We've owned several. Replaced my wife's grand wagoneer with a high mileage 82 limited wagon. Liked it so much, I found a clean 80 sport wagon with a dead engine. Rebuilt it and drove everywhere through everything. Later my order son got an sx/4 and later one also for me. Few more sx/4's. They all eventually met their demise by runaway rust issues
The rust gave it "character" !
My friends and I all thought the AMC Eagles were cool AF. I think part of AMC's strategy was to cash in on the 4WD craze going on. Alot of people were trading in their muscle cars for Jeeps, Blazers, Broncos and even 4WD vans. And you were starting to see a lot of custom 4WD builds as well. People were putting Corvettes, Camaros, and even Gremlins on 4WD frames and they looked insanely cool!
I remember growing up in the 80's thinking these were a goofy idea. Now, I want 2!
sx/4 was such a cool little car. And the wagons were way ahead of their time like many of the AMC vehicles were. Great video, thanks for posting
I remember living in Denver in the 80’s…. These things were sought after.
I remember going on a high school field trip to the AMC plant in Kenosha, Wisc. and watched these being assembled. Most had the 2.5 Pontiac “Iron Duke” 4cyl going into them. It was very interesting.
I would definitely love to have one of them today.
A great concept saddled with a meh powerplant...pity it was too early for reliable, and reasonably-priced fuel injection.
With the right engine, it would have screamed.
Me too really, ground clearance alone is probably the biggest thing going through snow.
My friend has an SX4 and a Wagon that belonged to my grandpa. AMC Eagles were so far ahead of their time and honestly damn good cars. AMC in general is underrated
ever drove aztek
This is the style every manufacturer is missing. Simple but capable. "Sporty" enough that you could think of introducing it to highway speeds, for a short bit. Enough ground clearance to take you to the cabin, to the lake, to the beach, anywhere you need your SUV to take you to. Also light enough to keep you going through the snow. The modern SUV can't actually do any of that stuff. Too heavy, too much brick, not enough strength in the driveline. The SX/4 with modernized Iron Duke and modern grade axles would be the perfect car.
Mine is a mean machine on the highway. And it's pretty stock. 2.72 axles and a T4 4 speed. I used to drive it for a living and it was awesome because I could go 90 all day and never get a ticket for going more than 20 over.
@@KC9UDXwhat kind of gas mileage did you get?
@@johnlemme1603 I don't really recall. I used a company credit card to buy gas. But it couldn't have been bad.
one car company that gets close, I have a 2d hatchback from 86 from the Eagle's main 4x4 competitor. We had a Grand Wagoneer but we jumped to the better MPG tiny 4x4s. Still have a couple; pickup and 1/2 of a wagon for spares.. Of course they're rusty.
Such a cool and quirky car. Too bad AMC didn't survive because it would have been awesome to see what other avant garde creations they'd release these days.
However, AMC did have competition that actually beat it to the AWD rugged car market that it ostensibly created: Subaru, who did their first American 4x4 in 1975.
I still want an Eagle 4X4 wagon! Sadly, I haven't seen one in decades!
I rode in one through mud, swamp, palmettos, and some small pine trees until an oak tree stopped us. Still got back, smoking and boiling. They're tuff as nails.
In 1983 i had a AMC Eagle SX/4 i loved it had it for 8 years and passed on to a friend and he had 9 years it worked perfect.!!!
I was about 10 years old when these came out in the 1980’s! Absolutely loved them then and now!
A timeless bad-ass design 🤙🏽
Way ahead of there time, super underrated, probably the toughest crossover that'll ever be made.
I remember when these came out. I seriously considered buying one. I was a Ford fan back then and just couldn't get past the AMC brand. Haha!! A lot older now and still I would consider buying one,,to me,,,they still are just cool.
I used to see these growing up. My buddy pat had a gremlin along time ago. Everyone thought it was so ugly but I loved it. the AMC at 1:03 is absolutely gorgeous. I loved this era of cars.
when i was a kid, my parents had an AMC matador and had to back to the dealership for a repaint due to a quality control issue. they gave them the wagon version of this vehicle and being a kid, i could barely get inside of it due to it's high ground clearance. ah yes..those were the days!
My grandma had an '81 Wagon, light tan, automatic transmission. Not the prettiest car, but that thing went anywhere and everywhere, even making sure we got out of town to the nearest grocery store during a major blizzard. The only setback, if any, was the transmission. Constant problems.
The Eagles were seriously underrated and way ahead of their time. AMC knocked it out of the park when they made them.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the AMC Outback, Legacy and Crosstrek. Still looks awesome over 40 years later. AMC was generations ahead of their time with these.
My brother had one of these back in the day. Way ahead of its time.
I always liked these cars. One of the guys at work bought a new one and we all went out to lunch together in it. While it was parked on the side of the road in front of the resturant, a lady in an RV sideswiped it with its rear while she was turning, due to the RVs overhang. He was not happy but eventually it got fixed.
love these cars, especially when mine is featured in your video right around 8:30 lol
I always liked their four-wheel drive line of vehicles. Especially the SX4. 👍😎
My Kammback was a money pit! In 1988 paid $1,500 for it and right away sunk in another $1,500 in 4x4 repairs. I have no clue where the engine oil went - sparks plugs were clean, exhaust didn't smoke, coolant was good, and it didn't leak onto the ground - but I had to give it a quart or more at every gas stop! Also, it refused to turn over if the engine was warm, so drive it and park it someplace you plan to stay for an hour or so. But cold starts were never a problem. Six months was all I could afford to keep it.
Likely needed new gaskets and was burning oil just not enough to make a smoke cloud, likely why it didn't want to warm start too.
The SX/4 was hands down one of the coolest cars ever made.
I got my sister's 1982?? as a hand me down around 1989. It was maroon, no spoiler, chrome trim, Pioneer super tuner, tiny amp, sweet 6x9's, and a tired 6 cylinder. The footage in your video of the person aggressively changing lanes reminded of how much my friends did not like it when I took it around a corner too fast. I liked the lifted look. It lasted about 1.5 years before the transmission went out. Dad sold it to some AMC enthusiast.
Thanks for covering that one. I grew up with these and to be honest i really didn't like them. That said, now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, I really like them.
My parents had one of these when I was a kid. I loved it and so did my mother. It was so underpowered, it could barely make it up the long mountain climbs in the high altitude of Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. I still miss that slow dinosaur. 🦕
I wanted an eagle when I first started driving. They were out of my price range at the time and now you just don't find em for sale often in decent shape
They were quick to become rustbuckets, especially the front fenders.
There are still an amazing amount available.
I see at least a half a dozen a week for sale on the forums.
Many are still in great shape.
Even some decent Kammebacks still available.
@@vorpalblades that one thing I never thought of, looking on a forum. Thanks for the tip
I LOVED the Eagle. Thank you, Chrysler, for buying them, ruining, and then closing them. Really awesome of you.
LOL they did do them dirty you are right
Yep, and that's exactly what happened. Did the same dirty to Jeep.
The drag coefficiency of a toaster - love it! Reminds me of today's SUVs.
I looked out the window at my Element when I heard that
While living in Arctic Canada during 1981 factory ordered a copper coloured '82 Eagle wagon with the straight six, leather, but no powered options. Unbelievable ride and absolute snow master! Caveat: wheels, at least one, does need to be in contact with the ground. In deep snow it would almost' hop' as the viscous coupling in the transfer case tightened/ locked and surged and relaxed. Pretty sure it had limited slip rear to. Around Inuvik in those times never needed ice roads to travel rivers or lakes.... Carried a shovel tho. Back to needing at least one wheel.... 😎
Thanks for the super content.
My first car was an 84 Eagle wagon in brown, my second car was an 81 Eagle Kammback in silver, both had the straight six and both were amazing cars for a high school kid obsessed with snowboarding and BMX. I could keep up off road with my buddies, get to all the remote party spots and bring the stereo, pack my bikes and snowboards in the back and never worry about the weather. In both, the back seat would fold down completely flat, and even in the short little Kammback I had enough room to lay down and camp for the night. With the seats down in the rear of the wagon there was enough room for two to sleep comfortably, although I didn't often need room for two, I mean, I was driving an AMC Eagle after all. In the early 2000's when coffee can exhausts on Honda Civics with Altezza tailights and Fast and The Furious graphics were all the rage, The Eagles were slow enough to keep me out of major trouble. Although once I got the Kammback running on all 6 it would scoot along pretty well and would do nice smoky burnouts and donuts aided by having almost no weight over the rear end. I have very few regrets in life, but a major one is selling those two cars, they were reliable, practical, surprisingly fun to drive, would start a conversation everywhere they went, and in my opinion were very cool looking. To this day my High School friends send me listings and articles every once in while and on the rare occasions I catch up with people the Eagles inevitably come up in conversation. If anyone has a nice Kammback or SX-4 for sale, I have and Audi S5 I might be willing to sell or trade.
Thanks for sharing that story! Love hearing about people who owned these in period!
I loved these cars. It was what the Outback was modeled after.
... except Subaru was making cars for the US market then
The AMC Eagle wagon has HERO STAUS in my life. After being forced to continue our journey on foot when our bus was shoved off the road in an avalanche. A ski resort employee picked us up and blasted through 2-3 foot snow drifts, delivering us to safety for a long sit in at the lodge. Thank you who ever you were, for making a smart vehicle choice!
You forgot to mention the Subarus of that era. I had a 1979 Subaru wagon that I put mud/snow tires on, and took up 4x4 trails where Jeeps usually only dared. I also owned a ʻ86 Jeep Wrangler, and a 1977 Pacer, both with the 258-6, what a great torquey engine. I wish I could have combined a Pacer and a Wrangler into a moon mobile.
One time I had a 79 Cutlass with a 400 small block. It was unlike all the cars described in this comment thread. The end
I was a big AMC fan. I drove them right up through their acquisition and eventual closing as Chrysler's Eagle division. It's a shame they aren't still around.
I wish I could find one of these to restore. Sadly, I’m in Michigan and that means they’ve all returned to the earth from whence they came.
Rust in Peace
I live in San Diego the rust isn’t an issue, and we don’t see them anywhere here either. My guess is, they just weren’t very high sellers in general?
Just bought one this year in michigan.
My family had a couple of these Eagles throughout the late 80s. I even took one to the prom. They were the 4-door wagon versions that were certainly NOT raised, with the bigger wheels and tires shown in the video. They did have the inline 6 though.
Now I drive a Volvo V60 Cross Country, which is pretty much the same thing but 40 years of innovation added. I never noticed the connection until I saw your video.
AMC needs a comeback
I had an '80 Eagle wagon, beautiful two-tone blue, literally drug the skid plate across rocks. Crossed the US twice in it, went up to Canada. Plenty of power, zipped down desert highways at 100 mph. Handling with that Quadritrac was amazing. Great fun.
i wouldnt mind having one
had one of these ( Station wagon variant ) as a family car when i was a kid growing up. it was flat out AMAZING!! drove it from Illinois to Maine during the winters & summers from 84-88. We drove it through upstate NY in January! had enough off road capability that we used it to heard cattle on our family farm in Illinois. super tough & reliable. great vehicle for camping! ours had a roof rack & an old towne canoe!
My buddy from High school back in the mid 90's had one of these. We went all over the East Coast and A LOT of off-roading with his Eagle. That car was so much fun.
Love these! Hard to believe how far ahead they were on the design and thought. A totally relevant vehicle today. Would love to see Stellantis bring this back
We had an Eagle wagon that was a great car for our young family living at the end of an unplowed dirt road in New England. The 258 AMC six was a bulletproof engine. The car served us well for years.
Glad to hear you had a great experience with yours! The 6er was definitely the one to get over the 4 cylinder
I had a 1980 AMC Eagle wagon. Wish I still had it!
Dad had a silver wagon in manual transmission. That car was awesome. I was young, but as I got older I appreciated the versatility and capability of that Eagle.
I had a red 1984 SX/4, 4-speed. It was a junkyard rescue that looked too good to end its life in a crusher. The tires all held air, it started with a charged battery and some fresh gas, and it drove itself out of there... barely! It sat neglected in my driveway for some years until I gave it to my friend, Mark, a fan of the AMC Eagle. He dropped in a 4.0L fuel-injected straight 6 Jeep engine and a 5-speed transmission, and got everything working. Mark got some satisfaction and a lot of frustration working on it, but he was taken too soon to do much driving in it... He was mostly a collector of projects though, so I think he got most of what he wanted by getting it going and making it all work.
This car was before it's time!!
I remember when I was a kid, my father went to a AMC dealership to look at cars. Well of course they talked my father into a test drive of the Eagle! He loved it. But ended up buying a new Concord instead. Still a AMC but not AWD like the Eagle. This car is still one of my favorite cars ever. The straight 6 cylinder in these were indestructible!!
My parents gave me an 1983 Eagle SX/4 as a hand me down first car. It was black on black with a rear spoiler with red trim and had Marchal fog lights, the 258CI six cylinder, and an automatic transmission. It wasn’t ‘cool’ like the Camaro, Mustang, Supra, or 280ZX I dreamed of, but it was quirky and unique enough to still be a damn cool first car. It was a snow monster and in Chicago winters it was an absolute blast to drive. I went on my first date in that car, and was very grateful to have that car as a teenager - it might as well have been a set of wings. It was pretty agricultural in its execution, but there’s no doubt that AMC was decades ahead of the industry in adopting all wheel drive for passenger cars.
Yes, they have reached collectors status!
I had an '82 Kammback manual trans and an '85 Wagon.
Also 2 1974 Hornet X, Great lil under appreciated cars for the time...
i bought an amc eagle for my first car and holy crap i love my car. i had never even heard of amc until a few months before i found mine. as soon as i saw my first eagle i had to have one. she is such a classy lady. i cant help but get excited when people talk to me about it
I had a beloved '81 Eagle SX4 mid-1995 -- 2000, then a year parked but started/run occasionally. Light blue with midnight blue accents. 'Iron Duke 4' Had a thumping half-a-V8 sound: because the exhaust system was routed to cross the car, then work it's way back over: Exhaust holes patched with leaky steel sheet and hose clamps. Great fun car. My 'Cool' car. Was fun just driving in a snowy parking lot. Or winding country roads. 'Great too for visiting my family cabin: a mile into woods on an old pioneer/logging road; had to ford a 29" deep beaver stream each way. ---Keep engine running after awhile to dry; alternator below engine. Had a cool moonroof. 4speed manual. Originally from Arlington VA according to a sticker. I drove it in NH, mostly. Had over 200K miles. Bought from a young mechanic friend, who I then hired to fix it occasionally. Sporty, but heavy: Iron Duke, etc took a while to spin up all that iron to get from stop across an intersection. Once rolling was most comfortable cruising 35-55-60... 75mph practical highway max. Happy too on frost heaved roads, gravel and Class 6. Interesting the various companies AMC sourced parts from: Pontiac 4cyl, Ford axles, Girling brakes...
Loved this vehicle as a small child and as an adult, it is a must-own future purchase for me.
Thankfully these still aren't super pricey either!
Damn it. Everytime I see these I want one. Thanks, Rare Cars.
I grew up in SE Alaska in the 80’s. Pretty much everyone drove one of these, a Subaru, or a pickup with a snowplow on the front. Good times. Thanks for making this doc and highlighting one of the coolest cars ever made. I don’t think I ever saw a Kammback up there. Lots of SX4s and wagons tho.
I was born in '86 and the mailperson delivered our rural route in a dirt brown AMC Eagle. It *absolutely* captivated me and I would always try to sneak a peek of that beaut
SX4 is awesome. Note that at the time quad cab trucks were rare/not that available and really long. It’s funny that back then winter roads were worse and 4WD’s were rare but people drove better. AMC nailed it but the market didn’t catch on. People were cautious recovering from lousy 1970’s. Incredibly the Eagle line was built so well that it was not prone to rust. Dad bought a new 1976 Subaru 4WD Wagon and did a great job of off-roading, traveling, volunteering during hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards. Poor little car got sand blasted underneath from the dunes of Cape Cod. There wasn’t much left to it by the time we got done with it. Served us well. Eagle wagon came a little late and a little too expensive for us at our time of conquering the world.
100% I feel like people back then were also more competent drivers in general - you should see the drivers here in NJ when there is even a sprinkle of snow lol
The SX-4 was a very cool car. I had an Eagle Wagon and other than a few quirks it was an amazing mahine. It absolutely loved to play in the snow.
The AMC SX/4 was a beast! I so wish they still made them.
I had a 2 door sedan and a wagon. Nothing like them on snowy roads. I sold the wagon to a friend. I watched him as he drove through a field with snow up to the headlights to pick up his downed deer. My grandparents had a 4 door and got t boned in an intersection by a sherrifs car that was flying right along. It pushed them into a field. The responders said," good thing you were in this TANK". They were injured but okay. If I wanted to deal with old school car issues I would get one. ie starters, water pumps, alternators, stalling , exhaust system, etc.
The AMC Eagle SX4 is my absolute dream car!
I'm a kid of the 90's, I Remember when it was Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Jeep, and Eagle! 😮 I still see the Eagle Badge on some USPS Vehicle's in my small Northern Lower Michigan! 😮
We got an SX/4 in the fall of 1981, right after wife and I were married. We were in Casper Wyoming that winter and almost every morning there was a light pad of fresh snow on all of Caspers roads. Weight distribution felt nearly perfect. These things with a manual transmission on the floor (I forget how many gears) were great heaps of fun. I figure I had this huge grin like 80% of the time I was driving.
Thanks for sharing that - I love hearing period stories about these cars. How long did it last with all the snow?
I remember when these were new, a friend's older sister got one for her 16th birthday. It was the SX4. About half of all the guys in school wanted one after seeing her roll up in that thing. Strange for the time but cool none the less. Sort of want to find one myself now. Thanks for the video , stats , presentation.
Growing up my best friend had a Concord.(we used to make Holy Grail jokes all the time),
and I loved it. That car took more abuse from a group of 16yr olds.
My friend plugged up one washer nozzle and pointed the other one to the right. Anyone walking got sprayed. So mature.
A friend of mine had one! He said he used to "catch air" driving offroad, or as he put it, "The Eagle has landed". We used to take it out into the country to go shooting. Good times.
My second car in the late 80’s was a 2 door Sx-4 straight six 4 speed stick . Great car! Really ahead of its time, the first crossover. My brother had the rarer Kamback which looked like a 4x4 gremlin! Would love to get another someday.
Never clicked a vid so fast lol. Out of all my AMCs my SX/4 will always have a special place in my heart.
When I was in my teens and living with my mom and sis in a tiny little apartment our upstairs neighbor drove an AMC Eagle 4x4. This car was a real brute. It could take any kind of terrain (she often took it off-road when camping) and despite my being 6'5" tall I could fit in the back seat and still have plenty of leg room. I loved that car. The main issue she had with it was rust. I think a lot of people forget that the 80's was when US iron started to slip in quality. Most manufacturers weren't using the best metal for their automobiles and a lot of it was due to steel plants fudging inspections.
Had the wagon. Loved it. Swapped in the 4 speed from a Gremlin. In college (1989) some kid came through a red light at warp 8 and totaled the car around me. Still miss it.
I remember the SX4 being advertised as the "Eaglet", as apart from the bigger Eagle. Being an old AMC enthusiast (I owned several) I liked the AMC Spirit, especially it's AMX variant. SX4 was basically the 4X4 Spirit AMX.
My dad had a SX4 he bought new, and I recall it did well in Wisconsin winters. And apparently he liked it enough that some years later his place became "The Eagle Preserve", him having bought several variations of the car.
Loved these as a kid in the 80's, and never lost the appreciation for its weirdness.