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

["Ross Guistino" <rossg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for remembering, Eddie.

Happy Birthday to Vivo and Greta.


Ross Guistino
Rohnert Park, CA
'73 Gremlin 304 aka Vivo
'75 Gremlin X aka Greta


On Sun, April 1, 2007 8:26 am, Eddie Stakes wrote:
> 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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>


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