Re: [Amc-list] AMC production figures (was 72 Javelin)

["Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM" <Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lastly you have to understand some thing about AMC production
figures. As I just sent a bunch to Brian Yacino of AMCRC I've gone
over a lot of recently. AMC did a sloppy job of keeping production
figures. The later it gets the less they wanted to acknowledge any
figures at all. In the end AMC was not even willingly posting monthly
production figures, so as to not let any one know how low a lot of
there production was getting. If they had not been building
JEEPS,Renaults and latter Chryslers AMC probably would have been out
of business in 1982. The figures they keep were originated to how much
of what are we going to build this year based on last year. I will
give you an example , on my 1964 Rambler American convertible. I know
form the full 1964 production figures that  256 Americans got the 2
tune blue interior of my car. But I don't know if some where 440
Hardtops instead of convertibles, and I have power steering and A/C
with console bucket seats. It only lists how much of a percentage of
total American production for color, A/C and power steering. I don't
know if that color of blue interior was put in only my color blue
car, other colors of blue and white cars. I could have a one of one
convertible but form the figures you can't brake it down that way.
Enough, good luck , you may find a figures as some odd figures like
that were kept. 
Larry R. Daum
------------------------

I agree with some of your conclusions for the most part. At least for
the later years when they were nervous about letting stock holders know
just how close to shutting down they were. But I don't see the
correlation with 64 figures, when AMC was still a healthy company. 

While all the figures of exactly what was installed on a specific car is
nice to know for the hobbyist, it just doesn't matter to the
manufacturer. Manufacturers study sales figures to track trends and
decide what to build the following year, exactly what you are saying. To
them it really doesn't matter what body style American was only ordered
with a specific color interior -- that only two sold is significant
though. With only two sold it obviously wasn't a money maker -- probably
cost more to produce those two than one that sold more examples, so can
it for next year! 

The only flaw I see in this is that most cars are ordered by dealers
ahead of time -- what they think will sell in their area. You'd think
dealers would have a good idea, but many loaded cars up because they
made more money on option sales, and just kept a few no or low option
cars. I'm sure they would order a good many popular option cars based on
prior years sales though. At least I'd think they would. 

I think the reason AMC didn't keep specific details on each car is
simply because it wasn't necessary nor useful to the factory. They had
to have the information at one time, but stock holders didn't care about
individual cars, nor did marketing or engineering, so why keep it?
Compile a concise list of useful data and throw the rest out. It costs
money to file and store all that paperwork! That just makes sense, at
least to me. AMC was practical -- even in record keeping. And saved a
few thousand every year by not keeping unneeded records.

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