We were an AMC family in the early/mid 70's. Dad bought a beautiful deep blue'71 Ambassador Wagon. Then in '73 bought an Ambassador Brougham 4dr sedan in Grasshopper Green Metalic, yes! Grandpa on Mom's side had a '73 Matador 4dr, in AMC TransAm red! ... it had this wonderful aroma of Half-and-Half pipe tobacco, I can smell it now. Grandpa on Dad's side had a similar era AMC Wagon in faux Woody styling in cream color... but he also had a Boat-Tail Buick Riviera in a beautiful Bamboo Cream. As a teen, those were the days... Long hair hippies in Bugs, others driving muscle cars, old folks in big four door boats, Cops in 440 Mopars, chicks in Chevy Vegas and Ford Pintos... I had a paper route and raced BMX.
I absolutely agree...I bought a new '85 Jeep Cherokee Chief 4WD 2.5 Litre 5-speed stick at the time, and even though the new Jeeps were taking off as a hot new SUV, AMC was still fairly broke, and I was amazed at the build quality of the vehicle and how reliable it was. We drove it over 200K miles. It was one of our favorites.
AMC built my jeep I drive daily now! Love it with over one million miles on it. I had a AMX, it would haul!!! The 258 is a tongue monster in my jeep, runs forever if serviced right
I appreciate the video. Dick Teague was my uncle, and of course his car designer son Rick was my cousin. There aren’t many videos that show anything American Motors in any positive light, so thanks to you for doing that. Uncle Dick took me and my brother on a tour of the AMC design studio in Detroit, early in the 70’s. He gave us a blob of clay that had been scraped off the side of the Matador model. I will always remember looking at numerous dashboard and instrument panel options on shelves on the walls as well as samples ot different headlight options stacked on other shelves. Uncle Dick has always been somewhat controversial with his Pacer and Matadoor designs, but he did those and other designs with 0 budget. His Jeep Cherokee and his last project he worked on, the Plymouth Neon, were some designs that were less controversial.
I reckon your uncle did a generally great job. The American, Hornet, Gremlin, Jeep. Cherokee were excellent. And of course the Javelin and AMX models from the late 1960’s were some of the best looking American cars period.
Your uncle was a genius and a hero of mine when I grew up in the sixties and early seventies. You may take comfort in knowing that he was in large part for the survival of AMC into the seventies. Amazing man, and I certainly haven't forgotten him!
They did a prototype of a high end sports car that was stunning. Ferrari level. The Pacer was a big seller for a year or two then died. It never had the economy engine it was supposed to get.
Years ago when I was a car show lot attendant one of these showed up to a pretty big local monthly show. It was Mint. He got there a little late and was parked near the front of the show along with a 1965 Shelby Cobra. By the end of the show the Gentleman with the Cobra Told his Friends he was never parking by it again since it seemed like no one was interested in his car. "They are all over the looking at that goofball thing ,whole crowds of them..!" The Guy with the Shelby was a super cool guy and really was just playing it off. But I bet he made sure not to park next to it the next month..
I had a Matador in college. My friends called it the "frog" for obvious reasons. It was super comfortable and had a really smooth ride. The car was unique in styling. The seats would recline all the way back so the interior was like a bed. Not a bad option for a college kid.
My late sister had a Matador. I used to drive it sometimes. It was a nice riding car. The seats were set close to the floor. If you were blindfolded, you would not know the difference between this car and the Ford Grand Torino of the same year, while riding in it. She had the top-of-the-line engine in hers. For the time, the car was fast. They were not sport cars by any means though. The springs were SUPER soft and the car leaned heavily in the corners. They were nice long-distance cruisers.
You READ MY MIND, Adam! Just yesterday when I watched your Chrysler Cordoba video, I commented that it reminded me of the AMC Matador coupe, and voilà! Here it is! Your channel is gold, sir, pure gold!
These and other AMC cars of the time were appealing to me precisely because of the wonderfully off beat styling. Many cars look as though they could go off road but these look as though they could go off planet!
That six cylinder Cassini model you describe with manual brakes and steering would be right up my alley. Always had a love of the underdogs, and like to pay attention to the bottom and the top of the specifications page. Thank you for these video profiles, great work.
Not sure, but I think they were thinking of a aviation themed Matador…. It even had wings, a tail, and a jet engine! (Remember in the Bond movie, Man with the golden gun?)
Definitely prefer the interior to the exterior on these. AMC always had some unique interior styles. Would've been interesting to see what the interior stylists could've done with even more budget
My friend in college (this was 1986) always bought $500 cars, drove them for a bit, then sold them for $1000. One of his acquisitions was an AMC Matador Oleg Cassini edition, which I didn't think actually existed until I saw it (remember - this was pre Internet). This car was so bizarre it was actually almost desirable in a strange way. We called it "Oleg", the only time I've seen a car worth naming, and it was an ugly, slow, but semi reliable beast that saw some hard use around UF from the 3 of use that used it. He ended up selling for $1000 eventually, proving his point - you don't lose money buying $500 cars.
Adam- see if you can get an interview with Vince Geraci, I'm sure he would be happy to talk about these. The Cassini interior reminds me of Florence Knoll sofas. The Sportabout was the only compact wagon on the market, and was very handsome and contemporary at the time.
Adam, I had to chuckle at the irony that it was AMC's top echelon model... the Ambassador... that never got a designer package, but the Hornet and Gremlin did. 😁
I rode in a Matador like that a couple of times, when I was a kid in the mid to late '70s, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a designer version. I knew they were at least funky, if not ugly, at that time, but now they, somewhat surprisingly, don't look so bad to me. I see AMC joined Ford in using that GM Saginaw 'canned ham' power steering pump. That steering wheel shown in the 'pre-outro' @ 8:14 is one of the greatest AMC designs I've seen. And I forgot about the old AMC Buyer Protection Plan - they were mighty proud of that, and touted it in just about every advertisement.
I never rode in a Matador 2 door, but i really like the styling! Gerald C. Meyers came up with the concept of the buyers protection plan for AMC, in the early 1970's. He later in 1977, became the youngest CEO of American Motors. I worked at his house for many years, until 1995.
It certainly looks better in 2022 than it did in 1974. While AMCs interiors could be somewhat over the top, at least they were trying to distinguish themselves from the then Big 3. From a young person’s standpoint, we wanted sporty cars to look muscular, but the narrow chassis with tires deeply inset looked anything but. In fact, it reminds me of Adam’s 1959(?) Canadian Pontiac Parisienne with the wide track body on a narrow Chevy chassis. I will say this, though. My parents bought a new, fully loaded 1965 Ambassador 990H which had a very handsome body and an interior that had a ton of attractive features including bucket seats and center console.
Not sure it looks better in 2022 than when I first saw it as a kid, AMC might as well have swung for the fences. Earlier and later AMC stuff was tidy and restrained, but not with this cocaine barge, lol.
@@mescko It was quite unique. Ours was a cream-white colored body with a red painted top and red vinyl interior. Sported an AMC 327 ci 4 bbl V-8 that was quite smooth and peppy. I took my driver’s road test in it in January 1970 on 4” of new-fallen snow in Mason, MI. The state trooper that administered the test was impressed with my skill… but was quite content to drive around the block just one time! 😂
Thank You for this review. I the car we had for Driver's Ed was a 1974 2 door Matador, but alas, it wasn't an Oleg Cassini model...I do remember our driver ed car had the 304. It was somewhat of a sea slug on power, although when empty, it was OK. It did have great brakes! I liked them then and now. They were different and felt solid. Nearly 50 years later, I still like it... 🙂
Great and informative video. Glad you did not have a music soundtrack as some other sites do which can detract from the narration. AMC's Javelin was also a terrific future looking design. A friend of mine had one for many years.
My friend and room mate had a "regular" Matador in 1989, with the 360 V-8. What a cool car! Quirky, yet cool styling-that was the hallmark of Dick Teague!
My band teacher in grade school had a black Oleg Cassini Matator. Perhaps 10-12 years later, one of my college classmates had one while he was in grad school. Like many AMC cars of the 1970's such as the Levi interior cars and the Pacer, the Matador coupes attracted interest when first introduced but were soon forgotten. AMC's Milwaukee assembly plant was located about 2 miles from my family home and we drove by it often.
I really like the lines of those matadors especially when you take the front and rear bumpers off because they have a really nice finish panel behind the Big 5 mph bumpers.
I remember looking at a Matador in the back shop of a dealership in late 73. I was shocked that it only really sat four people. The styling love it or hate it contains echoes of the AMX/3. Especially the rear quarters and tail lites. The body just screams to be customized.
The FAA used to buy these things for their employees. Pilots always knew when the feds were around as a result. "Get your license and medical handy, there's a Matador in the parking lot....." Great video!
Pretty cool. I was unaware of these trim packages. The Oleg Cassini editions aged pretty well. AMC, particularly the Eagle was like a Subie Forester of its time. Iacocca buying the Jeep brand while at the helm at Chrysler was a brilliant business move.
I remember in the late 70's and early 80's there seemed to be a boom in AMC sells, at least in my small town where we had a good dealer. I would like to see Adam do more on AMC's. Especially the things leading up to their demise. I bet he could do a good job of it with his skill and knowledge.
In my hometown, it seemed like almost everyone had an AMC Eagle for a few years there. We didn't even have an AMC dealer in town, but wherever the nearest one was, they must have been selling the crap out of that car. (A few years later, when Subaru started hyping the Outback as "the world's first sport utility wagon," I remembered all those Eagles and thought, _Wait, what?_ :)
Kind of a segue reply comment. Dealerships certainly changed in that time period. The town where I grew up, although 45 minutes to midtown Manhattan was still a small village of about 12,000. In our small village were TWO dealerships - BMW and Chrysler-Plymouth. By the late 70s they were gone. Today, probably minimum population needed for a dealership is at least 200k for area designated area...
@@wilsixone Depends on the marque, I expect. For instance, you're a lot more likely to find a Chevrolet or Ford dealer in a podunk town than, say, Jaguar.
Thoroughly enjoyable video Adam. My first car was a '75 Hornet D/L😁 This car screamed seventies louder than a leisure suit. It had tan velour interior with individually reclining front seats, gold vinyl top/matching color keyed hubcaps, with main body color being forest green. Very comfortable car
IMO the Gucci Hornets & Pierre Cardin Javelins may have been 'loud', but I think they're interesting at the very least and would even call them somewhat tastefully done. There, I said it, haha! Flamboyant isn't necessarily always distasteful. But that all depends on your....tastes.
When I was in college back in 1970's a professor of mine has an orange Gremlin with the Levis interior and manual transmission. I still think that it was a good looking car. I do not why the Gremlin was given shade. I give AMC a lot of credit for trying to market interesting vehicles and stay in business. I also liked the Javelin. I bought a scale model of the 1968 Javelin in blue from my local AMC dealer. 54 years later I still have it.
I remember seeing the 1974 Matador Oleg Cassini for the first time at my local AMC dealer, and was impressed with the unusual interior. Up to this point, AMC had no vehicles that interested me, so this was an eye-opener. I too had a love-hate opinion of the exterior styling. Overall it was quite attractive, but from some angles it just looked awkward.
Rambler and AMC always had car designs that were “different “ which really was attractive to me. Does anyone remember the AMC Spirit? I had a matador. Loved it!!
I maybe the only person who finds the styling of this charming...if somewhat amusing. I'd be happy with one of these... after I removed those railroad ties on the front and back. These cars look great naked. I always liked the sturdy construction of these; I drove a loaded Concord Sedan, and that car felt solid.
Great video, the interior on the Oleg Cassini Matador looked cool, and I really liked the Gucci Rambler sport about interior. To me, the Matador will always be Oric Goldfinger's flying car!
It was strange to me that AMC chose Cassini to do a designer edition as late as 1974. Like you said, he had been one of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's favorite designers, her favorite US designer in fact (Givenchy was her absolute favorite when her husband was in office), but that had been back when she was First Lady in the early 1960s. By the mid-seventies, Cassini was no longer really a big name. If AMC planners really thought his name would attract a younger market in 1974, I am surprised. Maybe that's why it didn't sell so well. If they had really wanted to use a name that would draw buyers in 1974, they would have chosen a name like Halston, but maybe a name that big would have been hard to get.
AMC was becoming less of a big name each year, so it seems fitting. The 4 door Matador seemed like a solid, practical car though and the downsizing wave of the late 1970s would have been a good opportunity for AMC to pitch a tweaked version of it as "a full-sized car at a mid-sized price". I understand why they also pitched novelty cars, and the Eagle was one that paid-out for them, but they should have kept their bread and butter cars in the lineup for a lot longer.
Cassini was a very big name in fashion in the 70's and 80's. The reason rich fashionistas (like Jackie O) move on from designers, is that when they gain mass popularity their designs lose the exclusive cache. In the 1970's, Cassini's designs went into department stores around the world and the exclusivity was lost. The same thing eventually happened to Halston. The same thing happens to every designer who breaks out of 'haute couture.'
I was not a fan of the Matador when new. I love the look of them now. Maybe if I'd seen an Oleg Cassini back then I wouldn't have crow on my plate now.
Nice video including a 1970s TV commercial of a Matador driving on California's HWY 1 between Carmel and Big Sur. Certainly the most photographed stretch of road in car commercials. I enjoyed driving it in the 1980s when I was stationed with the Army at Presidio of Monterey.
When the Matador coupe first came out I thought it was odd looking, When I went with my dad to the Local Rambler dealership we saw an Oleg Cassini Matador & I thought that the interior was very classy & luxurious!!!!
Yes! My father was sub contracting with a dealer selling them. I was young at the time. My Father was always driving a matador brougham. My brother test drive the javelin one day, I was the passager around 16 years old. Thanks for sharing this video. AMC cars most of them was not pretty the gremlin and the spacer was ugly. The spacer was the first car I drove on the road my mother wanted to trained me driving. Brown Leather seats and green outside standard people called them aquarium. Most of them were leaking oil from the top gasket and problem with doors hinges not strong enough. The spirit AMX 6 cylinders, my brothers friends put an 8 cylinders in it. It was a nice car and the concord was comfy. I remember sitting in the back of the new matador going from New Brunswick to PEI island
I was never a fan of that generation Matador, but for some reason, it is, 50 years after the fact, looking OK today. And yes, the Oleg Cassini interior look OK without going too far out. AMC always did have good seats. In sincerity, it's too bad all the designers didn't save them from the scrap heap. I have fond memories of this scrappy, little underdog.
I had 69 Javalin back in the day.. It just had the 304 but it was extremely reliable. I remember stopping at every AMC dealership I could find and checking things out. I was totally in awe with AMC cars at the time.Several years later I gave it to my brother who was a carpenter .He needed some transportation badly. Little did I know he used it as a truck. He knocked the back window out an removed the trunk lid so he could hall lumber in it..It was a nice car. I put dual exhaust on it and some air shocks and a genuine Kracko 8 track. He pretty much ruined it using as lumber hauler but he went to be a successful contractor so I must have done the thing.
My dad owned one when I was a kid. It was white with a white vinyl top. The copper buttons in the seats got wicked hot in the summer. We enjoyed that car a lot. Unfortunately it rusted like crazy and by 1980 there were large holes in the body.
One of my least favorite design aspects of that 2 Dr Matador were the wheels being ridiculously far inboard or narrow tracked I guess you could say. I think that one thing alone made me really hate it 😂... I remember them racing in NASCAR they looked totally different with the fatter tires and wider track.
Wow, that was my reaction, too. There was one in my neighborhood that I passed every day on my paper route, all those years ago. The 2-door Matador (way different than the 4-door) looked ungainly with those wheels set so far in. There was something kinda cool about the styling, but with the wheels like that, it just seemed off. I had never stopped to consider how much better it would have looked with wide tires and a wider track. I think it would have completely changed the look, for the better.
That era Matador looks to me like an overgrown mutated Pinto. I think the AMC design studio was hitting the sauce pretty early in the day back in the 70s. 😄
Авто/Мото
We were an AMC family in the early/mid 70's.
Dad bought a beautiful deep blue'71 Ambassador Wagon.
Then in '73 bought an Ambassador Brougham 4dr sedan in Grasshopper Green Metalic, yes!
Grandpa on Mom's side had a '73 Matador 4dr, in AMC TransAm red! ... it had this wonderful aroma of Half-and-Half pipe tobacco, I can smell it now.
Grandpa on Dad's side had a similar era AMC Wagon in faux Woody styling in cream color... but he also had a Boat-Tail Buick Riviera in a beautiful Bamboo Cream.
As a teen, those were the days...
Long hair hippies in Bugs, others driving muscle cars, old folks in big four door boats, Cops in 440 Mopars, chicks in Chevy Vegas and Ford Pintos...
I had a paper route and raced BMX.
Sure beats our only choices of dark gray and black today.
AMC operated on a shoestring budget. It's amazing that they accomplished what they did.
I absolutely agree...I bought a new '85 Jeep Cherokee Chief 4WD 2.5 Litre 5-speed stick at the time, and even though the new Jeeps were taking off as a hot new SUV, AMC was still fairly broke, and I was amazed at the build quality of the vehicle and how reliable it was. We drove it over 200K miles. It was one of our favorites.
One of the most outrageous cars ever made, but I love it
The interior has a beautiful combination of American luxury, European contemporary, American muscle car, and European sports car.
AMC built my jeep I drive daily now! Love it with over one million miles on it. I had a AMX, it would haul!!!
The 258 is a tongue monster in my jeep, runs forever if serviced right
I worked at an AMC dealer back in the early 80's in the parts department. This video brought back some memories.
I appreciate the video. Dick Teague was my uncle, and of course his car designer son Rick was my cousin. There aren’t many videos that show anything American Motors in any positive light, so thanks to you for doing that. Uncle Dick took me and my brother on a tour of the AMC design studio in Detroit, early in the 70’s. He gave us a blob of clay that had been scraped off the side of the Matador model. I will always remember looking at numerous dashboard and instrument panel options on shelves on the walls as well as samples ot different headlight options stacked on other shelves. Uncle Dick has always been somewhat controversial with his Pacer and Matadoor designs, but he did those and other designs with 0 budget. His Jeep Cherokee and his last project he worked on, the Plymouth Neon, were some designs that were less controversial.
That's cool history, thanks for that.
I reckon your uncle did a generally great job. The American, Hornet, Gremlin, Jeep. Cherokee were excellent. And of course the Javelin and AMX models from the late 1960’s were some of the best looking American cars period.
His AMX/3 was glorious. Hoping to see one at Goodwood soon. It will absolutely knock them out!
Your uncle was a genius and a hero of mine when I grew up in the sixties and early seventies. You may take comfort in knowing that he was in large part for the survival of AMC into the seventies. Amazing man, and I certainly haven't forgotten him!
They did a prototype of a high end sports car that was stunning. Ferrari level. The Pacer was a big seller for a year or two then died. It never had the economy engine it was supposed to get.
The Levi's interior was genius
Years ago when I was a car show lot attendant one of these showed up to a pretty big local monthly show. It was Mint. He got there a little late and was parked near the front of the show along with a 1965 Shelby Cobra. By the end of the show the Gentleman with the Cobra Told his Friends he was never parking by it again since it seemed like no one was interested in his car. "They are all over the looking at that goofball thing ,whole crowds of them..!" The Guy with the Shelby was a super cool guy and really was just playing it off. But I bet he made sure not to park next to it the next month..
Fantastic car, so underrated
So different back then that makes it unique!
I had a Matador in college. My friends called it the "frog" for obvious reasons. It was super comfortable and had a really smooth ride. The car was unique in styling. The seats would recline all the way back so the interior was like a bed. Not a bad option for a college kid.
That goes clear back to the Nash days.
@@mescko Word, the "Sportsman".
When I was young the line was "no daughter of mine is going on a date with a boy that pulls up in a Rambler"
My late sister had a Matador. I used to drive it sometimes. It was a nice riding car. The seats were set close to the floor. If you were blindfolded, you would not know the difference between this car and the Ford Grand Torino of the same year, while riding in it. She had the top-of-the-line engine in hers. For the time, the car was fast. They were not sport cars by any means though. The springs were SUPER soft and the car leaned heavily in the corners. They were nice long-distance cruisers.
You READ MY MIND, Adam! Just yesterday when I watched your Chrysler Cordoba video, I commented that it reminded me of the AMC Matador coupe, and voilà! Here it is! Your channel is gold, sir, pure gold!
Can't say I really liked these weirdly-styled Matadors but gotta give AMC credit for doing things differently.
and uniformly ughly
I love the Matador Coupe ❤
Living in Toledo OH, home of the Jeep our family always had an AMC even though my father worked for GM! 52yrs later, still a hardcore fan!
Love these AMC models as a kid they were the best!! Thanks for featuring them for us Adam!!
These and other AMC cars of the time were appealing to me precisely because of the wonderfully off beat styling. Many cars look as though they could go off road but these look as though they could go off planet!
That color combo is DOPE on the interior and the black with copper trim
That six cylinder Cassini model you describe with manual brakes and steering would be right up my alley. Always had a love of the underdogs, and like to pay attention to the bottom and the top of the specifications page. Thank you for these video profiles, great work.
The two six cylinder engines used by AMC , were very durable! Jeep used them for many years.
The 4.0 6 cylinder Jeep engine is an AMC. Many say the best engine Jeep has ever had. I believe they made a strong 4 cylinder too.
I love this car because it has the rear quarters that were on the amx3 concept car.
Not sure, but I think they were thinking of a aviation themed Matador….
It even had wings, a tail, and a jet engine!
(Remember in the Bond movie, Man with the golden gun?)
Definitely prefer the interior to the exterior on these. AMC always had some unique interior styles. Would've been interesting to see what the interior stylists could've done with even more budget
My friend in college (this was 1986) always bought $500 cars, drove them for a bit, then sold them for $1000. One of his acquisitions was an AMC Matador Oleg Cassini edition, which I didn't think actually existed until I saw it (remember - this was pre Internet). This car was so bizarre it was actually almost desirable in a strange way. We called it "Oleg", the only time I've seen a car worth naming, and it was an ugly, slow, but semi reliable beast that saw some hard use around UF from the 3 of use that used it. He ended up selling for $1000 eventually, proving his point - you don't lose money buying $500 cars.
$500 cars today are $10,000. Sad really.
I love $500 cars and trucks. Sad cash for clunkers killed that
DAMN DEMOCRATS EPA AND ENVIRONAZIS
@@jerrykinnin7941 They ruin everything. But the Republicans are just bending over and shitting blood for lube. I don’t like any politicians.
@@jerrykinnin7941 most of them were junky explorers from the 90s
This car was featured on a episode of Adam 12 it was Officer Pete Malloys new personal car I think it was yellow
It was tan
Just got to love the Matador. Appreciate all these great videos, please keep up the great content.
Adam- see if you can get an interview with Vince Geraci, I'm sure he would be happy to talk about these. The Cassini interior reminds me of Florence Knoll sofas.
The Sportabout was the only compact wagon on the market, and was very handsome and contemporary at the time.
Adam, I had to chuckle at the irony that it was AMC's top echelon model... the Ambassador... that never got a designer package, but the Hornet and Gremlin did. 😁
I rode in a Matador like that a couple of times, when I was a kid in the mid to late '70s, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a designer version. I knew they were at least funky, if not ugly, at that time, but now they, somewhat surprisingly, don't look so bad to me.
I see AMC joined Ford in using that GM Saginaw 'canned ham' power steering pump. That steering wheel shown in the 'pre-outro' @ 8:14 is one of the greatest AMC designs I've seen.
And I forgot about the old AMC Buyer Protection Plan - they were mighty proud of that, and touted it in just about every advertisement.
I never rode in a Matador 2 door, but i really like the styling! Gerald C. Meyers came up with the concept of the buyers protection plan for AMC, in the early 1970's. He later in 1977, became the youngest CEO of American Motors. I worked at his house for many years, until 1995.
It certainly looks better in 2022 than it did in 1974. While AMCs interiors could be somewhat over the top, at least they were trying to distinguish themselves from the then Big 3. From a young person’s standpoint, we wanted sporty cars to look muscular, but the narrow chassis with tires deeply inset looked anything but. In fact, it reminds me of Adam’s 1959(?) Canadian Pontiac Parisienne with the wide track body on a narrow Chevy chassis. I will say this, though. My parents bought a new, fully loaded 1965 Ambassador 990H which had a very handsome body and an interior that had a ton of attractive features including bucket seats and center console.
Well... Jerry was, a race car driver.
Not sure it looks better in 2022 than when I first saw it as a kid, AMC might as well have swung for the fences. Earlier and later AMC stuff was tidy and restrained, but not with this cocaine barge, lol.
A 990H would be a real find nowadays. Would like one myself.
@@mescko It was quite unique. Ours was a cream-white colored body with a red painted top and red vinyl interior. Sported an AMC 327 ci 4 bbl V-8 that was quite smooth and peppy. I took my driver’s road test in it in January 1970 on 4” of new-fallen snow in Mason, MI. The state trooper that administered the test was impressed with my skill… but was quite content to drive around the block just one time! 😂
@@Rfk1966 My step dad was an AMC exec in the 70's and you ain't wrong about the 'cocaine decisions' that were made in that era.
Thank You for this review. I the car we had for Driver's Ed was a 1974 2 door Matador, but alas, it wasn't an Oleg Cassini model...I do remember our driver ed car had the 304. It was somewhat of a sea slug on power, although when empty, it was OK. It did have great brakes! I liked them then and now. They were different and felt solid. Nearly 50 years later, I still like it... 🙂
I have always been a AMC fan going back to 1969.
Great and informative video. Glad you did not have a music soundtrack as some other sites do which can detract from the narration. AMC's Javelin was also a terrific future looking design. A friend of mine had one for many years.
AMC Matador, the car only it’s mother would love.
My friend and room mate had a "regular" Matador in 1989, with the 360 V-8. What a cool car! Quirky, yet cool styling-that was the hallmark of Dick Teague!
My band teacher in grade school had a black Oleg Cassini Matator. Perhaps 10-12 years later, one of my college classmates had one while he was in grad school. Like many AMC cars of the 1970's such as the Levi interior cars and the Pacer, the Matador coupes attracted interest when first introduced but were soon forgotten. AMC's Milwaukee assembly plant was located about 2 miles from my family home and we drove by it often.
I really like the lines of those matadors especially when you take the front and rear bumpers off because they have a really nice finish panel behind the Big 5 mph bumpers.
I remember looking at a Matador in the back shop of a dealership in late 73. I was shocked that it only really sat four people. The styling love it or hate it contains echoes of the AMX/3. Especially the rear quarters and tail lites. The body just screams to be customized.
Not a lot of people make the styling connection with the AMX Concept III.
I thoroughly agree.
The Matador was a classy car at this time. Good looking at any trim level.
The FAA used to buy these things for their employees. Pilots always knew when the feds were around as a result.
"Get your license and medical handy, there's a Matador in the parking lot....."
Great video!
Adam, if you're going to do a subseries on car interiors and packages, I'd love to see you cover the Dodge and Plymouth Mod Tops of 1969 and 1970. 😃
I love the Cassini Matador and the Pierre Cardin Javelin!
Pretty cool. I was unaware of these trim packages. The Oleg Cassini editions aged pretty well. AMC, particularly the Eagle was like a Subie Forester of its time. Iacocca buying the Jeep brand while at the helm at Chrysler was a brilliant business move.
I might be in the minority here, but I love the Matador's, especially the base trim and X versions.
I cant even count on my fingers and toes how many styling cues were borrowed from amc and other manufactures and still.looks unique
I remember in the late 70's and early 80's there seemed to be a boom in AMC sells, at least in my small town where we had a good dealer. I would like to see Adam do more on AMC's. Especially the things leading up to their demise. I bet he could do a good job of it with his skill and knowledge.
In my hometown, it seemed like almost everyone had an AMC Eagle for a few years there. We didn't even have an AMC dealer in town, but wherever the nearest one was, they must have been selling the crap out of that car.
(A few years later, when Subaru started hyping the Outback as "the world's first sport utility wagon," I remembered all those Eagles and thought, _Wait, what?_ :)
Kind of a segue reply comment. Dealerships certainly changed in that time period. The town where I grew up, although 45 minutes to midtown Manhattan was still a small village of about 12,000. In our small village were TWO dealerships - BMW and Chrysler-Plymouth. By the late 70s they were gone. Today, probably minimum population needed for a dealership is at least 200k for area designated area...
@@wilsixone Depends on the marque, I expect. For instance, you're a lot more likely to find a Chevrolet or Ford dealer in a podunk town than, say, Jaguar.
I really like that Oleg Cassini matador in copper. That looks really sharp and really sophisticated.
The Oleg Cassini upholstered seats were absolutely plush for rider comfort & Barcellona models continued the legacy.
Please do the Javelin AMX
That black one looks sweet
Thoroughly enjoyable video Adam. My first car was a '75 Hornet D/L😁 This car screamed seventies louder than a leisure suit. It had tan velour interior with individually reclining front seats, gold vinyl top/matching color keyed hubcaps, with main body color being forest green. Very comfortable car
IMO the Gucci Hornets & Pierre Cardin Javelins may have been 'loud', but I think they're interesting at the very least and would even call them somewhat tastefully done. There, I said it, haha! Flamboyant isn't necessarily always distasteful. But that all depends on your....tastes.
OMG! I LOVE that Levis edition interior. I'd love to have a car with factory denim upholstery.
When I was in college back in 1970's a professor of mine has an orange Gremlin with the Levis interior and manual transmission. I still think that it was a good looking car. I do not why the Gremlin was given shade. I give AMC a lot of credit for trying to market interesting vehicles and stay in business. I also liked the Javelin. I bought a scale model of the 1968 Javelin in blue from my local AMC dealer. 54 years later I still have it.
Ahhhh AMC...... Wish I had my AMX's and Gremlin back..... Thanks, Adam, for posting this "out of the box" car.....
For the millionth time, thanks Adam...
They should have put out an 007 edition, capitalizing on the featuring of it in The Man With The Golden Gun
I remember seeing the 1974 Matador Oleg Cassini for the first time at my local AMC dealer, and was impressed with the unusual interior. Up to this point, AMC had no vehicles that interested me, so this was an eye-opener. I too had a love-hate opinion of the exterior styling. Overall it was quite attractive, but from some angles it just looked awkward.
Never knew the matador was so nice
The Ambassador line had the Oleg Cassini interior for the Brougham model at least in 1972. I owned one.
Rambler and AMC always had car designs that were “different “ which really was attractive to me. Does anyone remember the AMC Spirit? I had a matador. Loved it!!
This is a great feature video of an uncommon car. I've never seen one in person but would love to == I'd wager the interior is very sumptuous.
I maybe the only person who finds the styling of this charming...if somewhat amusing. I'd be happy with one of these... after I removed those railroad ties on the front and back. These cars look great naked. I always liked the sturdy construction of these; I drove a loaded Concord Sedan, and that car felt solid.
I just spotted the Mifflinburg, PA AMC dealer this past weekend. Signage is still up as if it closed down 10 years ago. True time capsule.
I love those interiors! That Barcelona interior-YUK!!
I think it came with lint in all the wrinkles.
The old commercial, Hey What's A Matador ? Thumbs Up !
Love those old Matador coupes!
From the Oleg Cassini to that Barcelona edition is like going from a fine salon to a brothel.
Wow! Out of curiosity I was going to suggest this car for review.
My neighbor had a Matador. Cool car. Now I have a 84 Thunderbird with 11,000 miles on it
Great video, the interior on the Oleg Cassini Matador looked cool, and I really liked the Gucci Rambler sport about interior. To me, the Matador will always be Oric Goldfinger's flying car!
You mean Scaramanga?
@@Kizzle001 Man with The Golden Gun. Britt Ecklund, Herve Velachev.
It was strange to me that AMC chose Cassini to do a designer edition as late as 1974. Like you said, he had been one of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's favorite designers, her favorite US designer in fact (Givenchy was her absolute favorite when her husband was in office), but that had been back when she was First Lady in the early 1960s. By the mid-seventies, Cassini was no longer really a big name. If AMC planners really thought his name would attract a younger market in 1974, I am surprised. Maybe that's why it didn't sell so well. If they had really wanted to use a name that would draw buyers in 1974, they would have chosen a name like Halston, but maybe a name that big would have been hard to get.
Hard to pay for perhaps
AMC was becoming less of a big name each year, so it seems fitting. The 4 door Matador seemed like a solid, practical car though and the downsizing wave of the late 1970s would have been a good opportunity for AMC to pitch a tweaked version of it as "a full-sized car at a mid-sized price". I understand why they also pitched novelty cars, and the Eagle was one that paid-out for them, but they should have kept their bread and butter cars in the lineup for a lot longer.
Cassini was a very big name in fashion in the 70's and 80's. The reason rich fashionistas (like Jackie O) move on from designers, is that when they gain mass popularity their designs lose the exclusive cache.
In the 1970's, Cassini's designs went into department stores around the world and the exclusivity was lost. The same thing eventually happened to Halston. The same thing happens to every designer who breaks out of 'haute couture.'
I was not a fan of the Matador when new. I love the look of them now. Maybe if I'd seen an Oleg Cassini back then I wouldn't have crow on my plate now.
Nice video including a 1970s TV commercial of a Matador driving on California's HWY 1 between Carmel and Big Sur. Certainly the most photographed stretch of road in car commercials. I enjoyed driving it in the 1980s when I was stationed with the Army at Presidio of Monterey.
For a while it was all Smokey Mtn. Nat. Park for commercials. Been there done that.
When the Matador coupe first came out I thought it was odd looking, When I went with my dad to the Local Rambler dealership we saw an Oleg Cassini Matador & I thought that the interior was very classy & luxurious!!!!
AMC certainly did have a thing for special trims, I mean, this is the same company that gave the world the Playmate of the Year AMX. :)
Oh...yes! the lady who shot her husband a few years later!
Chicks loved that car in the 70's. It was a babe getter.
Yes! My father was sub contracting with a dealer selling them. I was young at the time. My Father was always driving a matador brougham. My brother test drive the javelin one day, I was the passager around 16 years old. Thanks for sharing this video. AMC cars most of them was not pretty the gremlin and the spacer was ugly. The spacer was the first car I drove on the road my mother wanted to trained me driving. Brown Leather seats and green outside standard people called them aquarium. Most of them were leaking oil from the top gasket and problem with doors hinges not strong enough. The spirit AMX 6 cylinders, my brothers friends put an 8 cylinders in it. It was a nice car and the concord was comfy. I remember sitting in the back of the new matador going from New Brunswick to PEI island
obscure and forgotten, thanks
I was never a fan of that generation Matador, but for some reason, it is, 50 years after the fact, looking OK today. And yes, the Oleg Cassini interior look OK without going too far out. AMC always did have good seats. In sincerity, it's too bad all the designers didn't save them from the scrap heap. I have fond memories of this scrappy, little underdog.
I had never heard of that option until now.
I would like to have one in black with the 401 V8. or even the big 6 cylinder would be okay
I've always loved the Levi's edition Gremlin too
You're spoiling us. You're going to have to take more vacation time or we might go into withdrawal.
I've always liked the Hornet Sportabout
Actually a very nice looking edition.
Gorgeous interior for the Oleg Cassini !!!!
Your channel is incredible. I love it. Thank you. ✌️❤️🇨🇦
The Jeep/Levi's collaboration was always a favorite of mine. Any chance you can expand on that? And why it went away?
It was'nt real Levis. They don't meet DOT flamability standards.
Very cool.
That interior at 6:50 looks like they stole grandma's comforter for styling. Thanks I needed a good laugh today!
Dude it was 50 years ago. All the interiors looked like whorehouses.
...right out of her casket!
That's pretty cool.
The Cadillac of Matadors.
That Levi interior is the best out of them all.
I had 69 Javalin back in the day.. It just had the 304 but it was extremely
reliable. I remember stopping at every AMC dealership I could find and checking things out. I was totally in awe with AMC cars at the time.Several years later I gave it to my brother who was a carpenter .He needed some transportation badly. Little did I know he used it as a truck. He knocked the back window out an removed the trunk lid so he could hall lumber in it..It was a nice car. I put dual exhaust on it and some air shocks and a genuine Kracko 8 track. He pretty much ruined it using as lumber hauler but he went to be a successful contractor so I must have done the thing.
@@Rick-S-6063 ok thanks Rick. Now I know. it was a long time ago.
My dad owned one when I was a kid. It was white with a white vinyl top. The copper buttons in the seats got wicked hot in the summer. We enjoyed that car a lot. Unfortunately it rusted like crazy and by 1980 there were large holes in the body.
One of my least favorite design aspects of that 2 Dr Matador were the wheels being ridiculously far inboard or narrow tracked I guess you could say. I think that one thing alone made me really hate it 😂... I remember them racing in NASCAR they looked totally different with the fatter tires and wider track.
Wow, that was my reaction, too. There was one in my neighborhood that I passed every day on my paper route, all those years ago. The 2-door Matador (way different than the 4-door) looked ungainly with those wheels set so far in. There was something kinda cool about the styling, but with the wheels like that, it just seemed off. I had never stopped to consider how much better it would have looked with wide tires and a wider track. I think it would have completely changed the look, for the better.
In hindsight, these were sleek looking cars
Cool😀
It does age well. Was considered weird in the day. Not so much now.
That era Matador looks to me like an overgrown mutated Pinto. I think the AMC design studio was hitting the sauce pretty early in the day back in the 70s. 😄
Smoking some ditch weed!
It was just another ugly, low quality "Rambler."
I thought the styling looked familiar.
I don't think it is all that bad. I would have done the headlights different though...
You've got to understand that AMC didn't have a lot of money.
@@Flies2FLL Exactly, that's the lens I always look at them through, they did the best with what they had and I respect them for that.