Detail I

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

That was a -Z/28- yesterday ("X" marked the spot my AMC finger mis-fell upon) and that was a "zoot-hoot" as well to see Toyota's new Tundra breakdown.

I suspect that "link suspension" occurred 'cuz the truck was introduced yesterday and their "coming for 2007" page was being updated as I wrote.  (Toyota media, while catching up fast, still has some "gesenai" left to iron out...)

The other jump yesterday that might not have illuminated anyone was the fact that, like Ford, AMC had once lighted the way with Lincoln --- and then it was gone.  1957 Nash Ambassador was the first US production car (per on-sale date) with quad sealed beams: the next year, both that big body and the Nash name were gone.  Innovation out of desperation is not innovation from strength. 

AFA any "unfair" advantage regarding the Spirrari liftback, getting AMC people to "wonder what they're missing" is my tack, but it's not my job.  Color photos of that "mongrel" (despite some '70s-style "it doesn't fit" hand-built details) would knock your socks off, but you'll have to keep them on until the time is right.  Same thing for the "last" Ambassadors, from the 122" show car (yellow; very pale -triple- yellow: from paint to full vinyl roof to full leather seats to yellow carpet --- obviously cut from the same cloth as the white '78 Barcelona) that never was shown, to the 118" and 112.7" and 108" proposals: not all survive in living color, none survive in three dimensions, but they're still part of AMC history.    

If the "Asymmetrical" and Turbo AMXs were Chevrolets, Fords, or Mopars, there'd probably be reproduction versions out now; if the 5-door Pacer were named "Nomad," there'd probably be a kit for models big and small.  When the AMC hobby gets bigger, there'll be a market for knowing more.

I slipped a clay (if you know your way around a styling studio, you get that pun also) not shown in works by AMC experts, into Wednesday's post (I'd alluded to its "untold" story long ago), so keep wondering if or when time or Allure* (cooperative clubs, not-for-profit museum, an "everyone reads it" magazine [on paper or online], and one big place to reference all AMC needs) will join to make it possible (and worthwhile) to "give details."  If you want to see more, make AMC into more: build a better field of dreams and all the AMC fans will come to play ball.  

*Premier joke

AFA Doug's note, customization ("personalization" to the OEMs) -is- the next big thing and TV is making it as desirable as TV has made everyone desire those stainless-steel-and-granite kitchens-of-extreme (TV doesn't care if over half of America's meals are not prepared therein...), and he is on the money in watching demographics.  Many of the auction cars are overpriced because they (and their bidders) are on TV, just as TV stars are overpaid (are Ray Romano, Dave Letterman, Tiger Woods, etc. -truly- worth what their paychecks read?) and many "regular folks" are enjoying old cars in their own ways and means (assuming the Ways and Means folks they send to Washington don't spend all the money in the regular folks' paychecks first --- is America ever going to seek -accountability- from its politicians???) and those regular folks willing to scrape rust and turn wrenches and spray paint are smiling the broadest when they cruise down Main Streets (they're laughing aloud if they bought their old cars new...) and that's why we enjoy vintage-looking radials, halogen inserts, and unit body repair kits today.  (We still need twin-line whitewalls.)

And, thanks to new technology, we --- if TV "stars" like Willie Nelson are "we" --- can enjoy 700-hp hot rods from AMC family trees (a Willys body and AMG motor?) running on remains of our French or Freedom fries. 

http://tinyurl.com/c346u

Who needs a HEMI?  Got Big Mac with that?

I'm always worried about something; I'm always looking ahead (through a rearview mirror) and I see Mercedes' Night View Assist seeing more than Cadillac's Night Vision at the moment.  I'm always frustrated that every aspect of life could be better --- if humans worked harder, smarter (or, even if my name isn't Earl, had some better Karma) so I'm always looking for a silver lining on that sunny side of the street.  I'm concerned for the future of America ---not 'cuz I'll be here in 50 years (I don't want to live past 100!), but because the -past- of America was so remarkable and it'd be too bad to see that past pass.  I clearly see why Avalon and Azera are better cars than Roadmaster and Ambassador were in their glory days, and why old guards have always marched away to be replaced by new.

I know that Gens X, Y, and Z will keep on loving all vintages of cars, too: what I fear is not that their car love will be less "Motown" and more "J Cool" but what $100/barrel oil, <1% savings or >50% dropout rates (plus misguided multiculturalism and "misogynistic religion-ism") could do to America and to the world.  Plagues and Dark Ages have happened before.

But while the good times still roll, roll out a better AMC hobby, soon.  Do your part to make both "insiders" and "outsiders" develop a greater interest in the whole range of vehicles from AMC.  As Mike wrote, read, write, and speak more.  Open your eyes and your minds to anything that relates to Nash-AMC.  Tell your "Boss" about his car's designer's -AMC- work; tell your "Camaro" (made-up word for "companion") that a working name for his car was the final trademark registered by -Packard- for a design by the first VP of -AMC- Styling; tell "Avanti" "Traction Avant" owners that their cars' history can relate to Kenosha: make yourselves, (and, in turn, AMC as a collectible make), seem much smoother, sleeker, shinier, and smarter tomorrow.  The best dogs will win.  If they show.

Most of all, tell yourselves and all your AMC friends that time is of the essence.  Just as GM and Ford certainly can go under if they can't find a better way quite soon, the AMC hobby will not be the same as it was in the first 20 years after AMC died if you don't help it improve.

Read today's headline ("Is Chrysler's Comeback Fizzling?") and think: Could we have been seeing some skillful ex-AMC forecasting?  Tee hee.

Read another ("Survey: Fuel Economy Rates Last With US Drivers") and think again: Will we be so stupid once, twice, three times, and out?

Did you answer yesterday's question about a former AMC employee who was re-hired by a Detroit CEO to help another car company recover?  Did you name the other famous name from AMC history he had worked with as well?  

Or did you tire of reading about 5 miles before you got to that point?

If you did, you -definitely- won't want to read the answer because I won't condense it into a neat little hatchback econo-box.  Instead, I will post three dated documents.  Read, learn, enjoy.  Then I'll get a last word on the last one of 'em.  He who laughs last, laughs longest?