"Answer" -- From John Mahoney...

[farna@xxxxxxx]

> This "Answer" (sent one minute after "Question" was) doesn't appear in the
> online list archives, so I'll re-send it.
> 
> Apologies to anyone seeing it twice.
> 
> Speaking of seeing, did anyone see a wire service photo from Mexico in
> today's newspaper?  Car-on-the-street looked like an AMC Hornet.  Probably
> called something else there, but still out-and-about before the storm.
> Mexico can be AMC's Cuba --- where the old cars just keep going on and on
> and on. 
> 
> >>
> Found this clip at a website for old car
> advertisements. Pretty neat! Don't know if anyone has
> posted a link to this site before.
> 
> Link at -  <http://www.tvparty.com/vaultcomm.html>
> 
> 68 Rebel clip is down a couple mouse scoots on the
> right side.
> <<
> 
> I interviewed the creative team (two guys and one gal) responsible for
> that "Student Driver" ad some years ago; an exciting --- albeit stressful
> --- assignment that surprised both their client and their Madison Avenue
> peers.  The results (turning American Motors' image around and turning ad
> world eyes to their work) was something they'd never expected.   
> 
> I'm not sure they still had the AMC account when the '70 Javelin (which
> tvparty.com must be the sole party to call an "ugly duckling muscle car")
> spot was created --- or if they'd gone on to "bigger [budgets] and better
> [brands]" by then. 
> 
> And, since tvparty.com opines that AMC's "entire product line in the
> Seventies was a total embarrassment," they'd
> better pass on that sweet "Granny Smith Apple Green" Matador sedan in
> Monterey.  Twenty years from now, they might be of a different opinion.
> though...
> 
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	Mahoney, John  
> Sent:	Friday, July 15, 2005 6:53 PM
> To:	'mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
> Subject:	An answer
> 
> One promoted Airflyte:
> 
> http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/image_250.html
> 
> http://www.buickbombsight.org/53nash.jpg
> 
> sometimes promoting both types of air
> 
> http://www.adclassix.com/images54nash1.jpg
> 
> first, by recalling two-wheel Ramblers
> 
> http://www.splendidpeasant.com/8870.JPG
> 
> http://adattic.com/index.html?target=p_215.html&lang=en-us
> 
> (and precursors to a Rambler American)
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Bicycle-Manual-1891-Gormully-Jeffery-Mfg-Co_W0
> QQitemZ7169938808QQcategoryZ7295QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebay
> photohosting
> 
> http://www.bicyclemuseum.com/Html/bike6.html
> 
> http://www.fattiretrading.com/gjtandem.html
> 
> (whose ephemera-choo is nothing to sneeze at)
> 
> http://www.jeffreythomas.com/cgi-bin/jthomas/9278.html
> 
> and trying to forget two-wheel Airflytes
> 
> http://www.nostalgic.net/index.asp?S=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enostalgic%2Enet%2F
> arc%2Fbicycles%2F1939+Huffman+Airflyte+Twin%2DFlex+8%2Ejpg&Desc=
> 
> http://www.nostalgic.net/index.asp?L=227
> 
> but reviving Airflyte Ramblers with four;
> 
> http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/A4365.jpg
> 
> one, like other long-seated firms, promoted Airfoam:
> 
> http://significantcars.com/1948_hudson_commadore.htm
> 
> (The eighth photo shows what else it claimed, too)
> 
> http://www.melodiesandmemories.com/illus5.jpg
> 
> http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/pdfs/group1_1928_1939.pdf
> 
> ("Calling Page 54" if you remember cop cars;
> 
> or "Where is AMC's big bible?" if you care.) 
> 
> http://www.rareads.com/scans/8012.jpg
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3671446471&category=378
> 33
> 
> If reading & clicking has you farmutshet, before Nash nosh and AM nap,  
> 
> http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B16175.jpg
> 
> I'll post Eddie Stakes' links to Hurst first
> 
> >>
> My favorite shot of Linda Vaughn, might want to share this with the 
> amc-list:
> 
> http://www3.50megs.com/misshurst/linda_vaughn-034.jpg
> 
> All you want to see of Miss Hurst, never understood why there were no
> promo photos of her with new Hurst SC/Rambler:
> 
> http://misshurst.www3.50megs.com/hl01.htm
> <<
> 
> ('cuz Airfoam would've met Airflyte?)
> 
> and then I'll let you rest in peace.
> 
> Today, Airflyte might laud Lexus
> 
> http://www.airflytecatalog.com/
> 
> and slip rings onto LAV wheels  
> 
> http://www.airflyteelectronics.com/^AirFlyte/pdf/vehicle.pdf
> 
> http://www.airflyteelectronics.com/^Airflyte/Home/
> 
> but G & J and Rambler and Hudson and American Motors are just history,
> and few AMC Owners & Drivers find that history to be very interesting.
> 
> That's too bad.  They just might be missing a big part of the AMC fun.
> 
> Once, you may recall, AMC was a "World Standard of ... Car Excellence"
> 
> http://wps.com/AMC/Navarro-parts-bought/images/rambler-junk2.jpg 
> 
> and once, it was trying to raise its top-end performance, as well
> 
> >>
> Just FYI, the R&D head has the following casting numbers in the
> top of the head:
> 
> RD 6 34 86
> 
> and
> 
> 6-11 or might be 6-71
> <<
> 
> >>
> obviously, if it says 6-71 it must be a reworked detroit diesel
> head...
> <<
> 
> but, by design or by other means, its future was blown.
> 
> http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=3733&prmenbr
> =361
> 
> http://www.holley.com/types.asp?type=128
> 
> (Duck --- you might be struck with flying iron-y!)
> 
> While you're reading or writing about garage sales...
> 
> Anyone in or near Motown who collects car paper should head for 801 West
> Baltimore Street on 7/30, 7/31 or 8/1/05.  The Detroit Public Library's
> National Automotive History Collection will have 50,000 pieces of ephemera
> available.  Anything and everything, from repair manuals to paint chips to
> <ahhh> press kits, from the largest public archive [GM's is larger] in the
> world.  Admission is $10 each day.  Additional info is at 313 628-2851.
> Buy, buy, buy!
> 
> A final note before I really do go; after Teague's "J" car was posted here
> and its Italian inspiration, Japanese precursor and a GM [far south]
> one-off with which it shared more than just 1970 birth dates were freely
> linked,
> 
> http://www.fast-autos.net/holden/gtrx10.html   
> http://www.fast-autos.net/holden/gtrx9.html
> 
> (if you're intrigued, do diligence and pay Pavlov...)
> 
> why an "X" car company passed "H" on the way to "J" was not mentioned.  I
> waited and wondered if anyone would, but, in true AMC style, nothing
> happened and the topic died.  For those who are interested, I'll touch
> that base before sliding to home.  (It's as hot and humid here as in FL
> [or in MS!], so that's quite easy.  Exit A/C and melt away.
> Hotter here than in Atlanta, Dallas and LA.  Global warming?  Doesn't
> exist?  Fuel up a NavigatExpediTitan-ic SUV!)
> 
> Back to smaller wheels.  When struck by comments that its [1966] Le Mans
> victory was achieved in a "British-built" car, one AMC competitor took its
> program home.  It decided to design, build and test cars "in-house" (in
> Dearborn), even though, in England, the Mk I GT40 was already underway.
> 
> Ford's "J-car" had a completely new body and chassis design (and a
> then-new military aircraft material, honeycomb aluminum), weighing only
> 180 pounds.  It was light and fast, it was also unsafe: test driver Ken
> Miles died in it.
> 
> An American-chassis GT40, with stock block Kar Kraft 427 Ford wiped eight
> Ferraris (by 32 miles), all the factory-king Porsches and Hall's Chevy
> Chaparral off the track, and the wind-tunnel lessons learned by building
> that J-car gave Ford another win in '67.  In NASCAR or NHRA, on the
> streets and in the showrooms, Ford was racing to success.
> 
> Following all the success of Mustang, that much success was too much for
> General Motors, Mopar and AMC to handle.  Petty played for one team;
> Penske, for another.  Pony car wars were about to happen.  Musclecar mania
> -exploded-.  Camaro, Firebird, Javelin, AMX, Challenger, 'Cuda.  The Ford
> J-car that wasn't raced influenced so many cars to follow, including even
> some that were --- and weren't --- produced by AMC.
> 
> In style, "J" spoke Italian, but in Spirit, it was American.
> 
> Don the fedora, short-sleeves, skinny tie and black glasses;
>     
> http://www.cardesignonline.com/images/ford-gt-jcar-1967-a.jpg
> 
> You're designing cars of tomorrow.  It's 2005 in the 1960s.  
> 
> http://www.cardesignonline.com/images/ford-mark2-1967.jpg
> 
> If you think Dodge's "H" car in "Go ManGo" is "Top Banana" today, remember
> when "J" meant American from A to Z.  If you read Kevin Shaw in 5/05 MM
> ("not a Charger" and "missing the mark" and "an adulteration of Magnum
> station wagon" that "failed to capture ... the spirit of Charger"), you'll
> want to think back to J-car days.
> 
> And if you prefer the Spirit of '79 or the AMX of '69, you have just one
> week to vote in the 8/05 CC contest.  If #17 (Randall of Racine) or #21
> (Peter of Baldwin) are your speed, speak by 7/22 or hold your silent AMC
> piece/peace.
> 
> In 8/05 SR's "Complete Guide to Muscle Cars 1962-1971, AMC is noted as
> having had 2% of the muscle car market (with or w/o counting Corvette);
> AMC received one- (of multi-) page coverage, with 11 AMC models listed and
> 2 AMXs shown.  41,609 units total.  A "little car" company, indeed.
> 
> Time to toss this and let it disappear.
> 
> Just like AMC, only smaller.  Whee!!


--John Mahoney