[AMC-List] Dim, flicker, and off

["Mahoney, John" <jmahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>he had good luck with the Lucas power steering additive

Ken, if a proper British ale or a Pony Cream British sherry or an Islay Single Malt Scotch whiskey is good for a Prince; it's good for a Pacer.

And 25 years from now, when AMC collectors drive Chery-built Chryslers day-to-day, a warm Chinese pinyin will probably be good for an AMC also.

(Yes, we know Lucas "Stop Leak" is made in the USA; we also need know tomorrow's, today's, and yesterday's car info to get in on all the jokes.)

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2006/05/05/afx2723163.html

http://www.peterrenn.clara.net/archive4.html

You know "American Motors is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation (c. 2003)" [Microsoft Xbox Part No. X10-90863 sez], so you may also have good luck with Trockenbeerenauslesen (not a beer but a fine wine; maybe the world's most costly) in Kennedymobiles, as a TBA becomes more complex with age.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17938366@N00/140221878/

(Which all AMC car collectors can strive to do also.)

(Become more complex, that is, not more crash-prone...)

To say one more word about German automobiles, I was disappointed by my Audi Avant trip Wednesday evening.  Its 18" wheel spokes looked a little chunky, its face looked a little chopped up, its character lines looked a little lacking in character, its interior looked a little like it had been badly borrowed from [bad] BMW, and overall, it looked a little too much like a bigger, more expensive VW Passat.  It wasn't today's version of a 1960s Town & Country or a 1970s Ambassador or even a 1990s Roadmaster woody.  It wasn't an '06 A6 steelie.  

On one road, its ride rode a little less like a Renault than like a Rabbit.

Irregardless, its roof rails looked truly terrific.

Likely couldn't -do- anything, but looked gorgeous.

(You thought old -Hudson- built a "Hollywood" car?)

I'll just have to wait for a ride in the new Ford Fusion-with-Pacer wagon.

http://tinyurl.com/sxdna

Which side looks best to you?

One more point.  I typed "country club" when I could have more quickly typed "dinner" or simply "club" for a simple reason: AMC history.  If "Country Club" means merely Nash to you: 
  
http://tinyurl.com/sxdna   

(let's hope Nash Country Club doors aren't as closed as that GTO photo club door was yesterday...), then you have lots of new/old discoveries to enjoy making.

Whether you drive straight to the Country Club or drive Cross Country, AMC history has very much more than just muscle-era cars that you should know about.

So whether you want to drive new Red Lines,

http://www.saturn.com/saturn/vehicles/futurevehicles/sky_hi/index.jsp

you want to drive old-style E70 red lines,

http://www.americanpartsdepot.com/images/DCP00569.JPG

you want to drive Rossi heads to redlines,

http://ferraris-online.com/cars/FE-F40-88423/images/P022Web.jpg

or you want to run red lines in green lanes on yellow brick roads,

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B16741.jpg 

you need to schedule more dinners at Country Clubs.

You don't need to pay for a membership.  And no greens fees.

Not even a set of clubs.  All you need is -free- Hudson history.

You will find that on page 15 of the 1969 Family Album.  Fore-door!

(Although it would feel classy to slip the doorman a "thank you" note.)

Fwwwwp!  Hey, did you see how that ball flew right over everyone's head?

>>
The "AMC Family Album" isn't as rare as you'd think Michael. It was rather popular, popular enough that AMC updated it in 1975 (has 76 models too!) and printed it as "The American Motors Family Album" (I have a copy of it). The intro mentions the "Rambler Family Album" and a "Nash Family Album" (just as the 69 does), but not another AMC one. It does mention that it's printed periodically though. I don't know of one between 69 and 75, and none after. I've only seen a copy of the "Nash Family Album".
<<

Frank, I'm unaware of any "1975 (has 76 models)" publication, but do know that the '76 album (includes '77 models) was a last leaf of its kind on the American Motors Family tree.  The "Family Album" concept, nine editions of which appeared, had begun with Nash's preparation (in 1951) for its golden anniversary: '52, '54, and '56 printings followed.  Three "Rambler" albums ('61, '62, '63) and two as "AMC" ('69 and '76) completed the run.  In this "Antiques Road Show" era of "How much is it worth?" (rather than "Is it meaningful?"), the '69 editon may prove more "valuable" than the others --- not because of its content or its scarcity, but because of its graphic design.  It's, like, totally groovy!  Read it in the light of your vintage lava lamp.

>>
their estimate of copies per run, i.e. 1500 of the Nash one, 1500 of the
Rambler one, etc.  I have seen the 75 version, it's possibly the rarest one, because by then nobody cared anymore.
<<

Mike, guesstimates by booksellers are just that: 1500 would probably be a base number (minimum run) and the actual numbers would be higher.  By what degree, without Public Relations purchase order records, even the memory of a John Conde should be suspect.  The number of "presentation" copies would be extremely limited, because such editions were oft times specially bound, sequentially numbered, and almost never sold at retail. 

>>
In other words, more of a promo than a product.  I have no way of knowing if this is accurate.  By all means, if you know any more about this subject, please elucidate further. I AM curious.
<<

The paperbound albums (especially the '63 and 76 editions) were both a "product" and "promo" --- for retail sale to AM employees, AM new-car buyers, Nash-Hudson-Rambler-AM old-car collectors, libraries, and to your favorite Aunt Betty or old Uncle Wilber who simply enjoyed remembering the way America was.

Andy Rooney should someday ask, "D'ja ever wonder what mighta happened if AMC had sponsored Lawrence Welk after Dodge and Geritol dumped him?"   

He might see more Ambassadors and fewer Avalons on the roads of today.

AMC did far better at keeping repeat buyers than making new conquests.

But, eventually, it had too few of either.  Sounds like this AMC list.

And then there were none.  Old AMC isn't even 20 years gone yet.  Sad. 


Yesterday I asked: What was the 1974 AMC connection to a 2006 Wisconsin vehicle that is built -for- AMC?

Today, the answer: Pierce Manufacturing, America's premier producer of fire apparatus, was founded by brothers (Humphrey and Dudley) Pierce in Wisconsin in 1913, so it was not a "silver ghost" of the motorcar that George Pierce started in New York in 1901 (even if its newest chassis is named "Arrow XT" and it proudly poses a Buffalo-built Pierce for year 1979 on its website),     

http://www.piercemfg.com/company/history.cfm

but it is a division of another Wisconsin motor vehicle manufacturer, 

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2006/05/01/daily17.html

and when OTC (Oshkosh Truck Company)

http://www.oshkoshtruckcorporation.com/

sells to AMC (Army Materiel Command) 

http://www.amc.army.mil/

OTC benefits from the legal legacy  

http://www.wisbar.org/res/txap/p2005/03i343(P).pdf

of yet another Wisconsin vehicle maker --- old AMC.

If your brain hasn't burst, what will OTC and TMC soon have in common? 

Ummmm,

Ummm,

Umm,

Um.

Big, expensive hybrids:
 
http://tinyurl.com/q4o3h

http://www.lexus.com/

(At "What's New" click "Discover the all-new LS..." and "LS Hybrid")

As usual, more than you wanted to know.

Maybe more than you wanted to pay for.

If not more than you wanted to read.

That's just the way old AMC goes.

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