Re: [AMC-list] issan Qazana Concept at Geneva: Return of the AMC Eagle?

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

AMC could have done a lot of things, but they weren't as focused on economy cars as you'd think. They spent a LOT of cash on the Pacer and the Matador Coupe, for instance. They knew the Pacer wouldn't get better gas mileage than their other big cars, not even if it had a rotary engine. The rotary was more compact and lighter than traditional piston engines, but from the manufacturers stand point it would have been cheaper to produce due to fewer moving parts. Rotaries burn just as much fuel to produce x amount of power as a piston engine. There's a possible savings in the lighter weight, but that's marginal. The Pacer was futuristic looking, and needed to be. Sold well until the fuel crunch hit. 

If AMC had been so economy focused, they'd have used some of that money to develop the 2.5L Jeep four a lot sooner than they did. Instead, they bought a too small engine from VW and wasted a lot of money there too. They built the Concord as a small personal luxury car not by choice, but because they had little other choice. They were in an economy niche because they had to be, not because they wanted to be. Historically, they did what they could to keep up with the big three. They never made any really large cars -- the Matador and Ambassador were still considered mid size when they came out -- they stayed in the mid size or smaller segment. AMC lost touch with their traditional buyers in the late 60s and never really recovered. Traditionally they got the economy minded folk -- not just in operating expenses, but in "bang for the buck" as well. Abernethy wanted to move out of Chevy and Ford territory and into the more competitive Buick/Olds/Pontiac territory because they were
 potentially higher profit margins, but he left too many traditional customers behind, and AMC never really recovered. Reinventing the Hornet into the Concord was the right move at the right time, and really saved their butts! 

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Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 20:54:35 -0700
From: "Thomas Garner" <Tgarner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

It seems to me that with AMC's focus on affordable cars, fuel economy, and very...uh...unique designs, they were just too far ahead of their time. It's a shame AMC doesn't exist now. Car's like Scion's and Honda Elements doing as well as they are with their (arguably) ugliness and good gas mileage, probably would of had very strong competition from AMC. Considering how poorly the big 3 are doing now, AMC could be of been the leader of the big 4.

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


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