[Amc-list] Happy Birthday Gremlin....

["Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

April 1st, 1970. Hard to believe it has been 37, almost 40 years. You could 
get your new Gremlin for $1998.00 from your friendly American Motors 
dealership. This is a photo I sell copies of showing the introduction of the 
Gremlin at the New York Auto Show:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/70gremlinnyautoshow.JPG

Hey lady, get your damned heavy purse filled with lipstick, rouge (not 
Rogue!) and packs of matches you stole from the Hilton OFFA THE GREMLIN's 
new Lustre Guard paint!!!
Where is Homeland Security in the Big Apple when you need it!!

This also off my site in the description:
"April 1970. AMC was in financial trouble in 1970, suffering a 2nd 1/4 loss 
of $10 million or 41 cents per share. This, along with the strike affected 
first 1/4, where they incurred a loss of $15.6 million, resulted in a net 
loss in the first 1/2 of the fiscal year of a whopping $25 million. (And 
people ask why the 70 AMX didn't sell, the 70 Javelin saw only 1/2 of the 
production of 69 and the Rebel, including the Machine, was a flop.) The 
losses stated above had no benefit of tax credit. The strike mentioned 
above, closed the plants for five weeks in the fall, and cost AMC a whopping 
$23 million loss and 36,000 vehicles plus interruption of momentum in the 
market at a really critical time. AMC also had just bought Jeep for $40 
million, so you can see how this all affected AMC. In other words, WE ALMOST 
LOST AMC IN 1970. Enter the Gremlin to save the day! That, along with 
Hornet, would be AMC's Bread and Butter cars for years, selling really well. 
The Gremlin was A MAJOR ATTRACTION at this huge show. Gremlin sales EXCEEDED 
SUPPLY and production had to be increased 30% due to consumer demand! Again, 
photo is grainy, but looks really great framed, and is 5 1/2 inches high and 
10 inches across."

The littlest car comes to the rescue, Go Gremlin! A few weeks later it would 
be Go Gremlin wrecking havoc at NHRA events all across the country with 
scenes like this:

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/70_funny_gremlin.jpg

and

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/71_shahan_gremlin.jpg

and more:

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/team_highball.jpg

and even more:

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/72_bob_king_gremlin.jpg

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/wally_booth_color.jpg

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/booth_launching.jpg

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/72_wally_booth.jpg

One of these Gremlins was the 200,000th AMC Gremlin sold. Several base 
models are shown of the 12 shown, but two in the very front are X packages, 
and have rally stripes on them. Note the BIG Gremlin gas cap on one of them 
towards the rear and the car highest on the ramp. Look closely in the upper 
left and there is a Hornet on a transport, and to the left of that a 
Ambassador or Matador station wagon. The photo is of American Motors 
marshalling yard in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Gremlin was first introduced to 
the buying public by AMC on April Fools Day (a car company with a sense of 
humor, that was refreshing!) in 1970,and thru April of 1973, US production 
of the hot selling Gremlin totaled 62,659; exceeding in only 7 months the 
ENTIRE 1972 model year of 61,717 units! This was the second year you could 
buy a Gremlin with a 304V8 also.

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/72_gremlins_tranports.JPG

http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/74_VAM_Gremlin.JPG

So happy birthday to the Gremlin!
Eddie Stakes'
Planet Houston AMX
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com
Email is currently OVERLOAD
8-19 day reply times, just call! 

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