Re: repros

["amc74hornet" <AMC74HORNET@xxxx>]

--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> Doc wrote:
> Sorry to make you all cry, but in 1977 my local AMC dealer got a Hornet AMX
> he couldn't sell. He removed all the fender flairs, front air dam and rear
> louver and sold the car as a Hornet 7-8 months later. He tried to sell me
> the parts for about a year cause he knew I was the only one going to buy
> them. I bided my time and played him, the SOB tried to screw me on a Matador
> Coupe I wanted to buy 2 years previous so I felt he was fair game. I paid
> 50$ for everything!!!. As far as a problem with the front airdam like Eddie
> stated, I had none. I installed it just like the factory or should I say
> like the outside vender did. I understand that the same vender that did the
> Mustang 11 Cobra also did the 77 AMX. Sorry I don't care for the Concord or
> Spirit AMX fender flares, they just don't flow with the body lines like the
> 77 Hornet AMX ones do.
> "Doc"
> 
> One more thing here about what he said. Many cars from AMC you could not
> give away; the 70 AMX is a prime example. The 70 Javelin also comes to mind.
> Both great cars. However. There were about 1100 70 AMXs still on dealership
> lots in North America in summer of 70, only one month before the new 71
> models would begin production in Aug 1 70. The dealerships were given a lot
> of incentives to move them. The Javelin production was only 1/2 of 69
> totals, even though I personally think it was a better looking model. The
> best selling car for AMC was the new Hornet. And the late intro of the
> Gremlin did good, but it would not really take off until 71. AMC didn;t want
> the slow selling 70 models to affect 71 sales, of which it obviously did if
> you are into production numbers I guess. The dealership my dad worked at in
> Corpus Christi painted two Big Bad colored AMXs as no one wanted those, some
> called them 'cop attractors' of which you drive a orange colored anything,
> Mopar, Ford, AMC thru some of the back roads of Texas in 1970 and you would
> get your hippie ass kicked, frisked, locked up, drug runner, you name it. It
> was a different era folks 33-34 years ago.
> But the two AMXs were pianted Matador Red (was BBO) and the other was
> painted Commodore Blue (was BBB) whereas they were able to move them. AMC
> also had suffered a strike in 1970, costing them a whopping 36,000
> production vehicles. You may not think that is much but this was America's
> smallest automaker trying to make ends meet; and they had just bought Jeep
> for $40 million (believe it or not, they spent the same $40 mil developing
> the Pacer, which was supposed to carry them thru the 70s) so times were
> tough. This production stoppage costs AMC a stunning $23 million in 1970
> dollars.
> 
> We can all Monday morning quarterback, and put our two cents in, but you
> have to wonder what if? sometimes! What if AMC had went ahead and produced
> this eary Gremlin AMX prototype?
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/AMX_GT.JPG
> 
> AMC was great at getting a car from early stages into production, here is
> the new Gremlin at the NY Autoshow:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/70gremlinnyautoshow.j
> pg
> 
> But history shows that the Gremlin was, if not the best selling series in
> AMC's history. But 73 200,000 had been sold:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/72_gremlins_tranports
> .jpg
> 
> And the exposure and winning ways of AMCs racecars fueled this:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/73_Hornet_dealership_
> PR.JPG
> 
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/booth_hornet.jpg
> 
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/maskin_kanners_side.j
> pg
> 
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/maskin_kanners_launch
> ing.jpg
> 
> Which led to more sales, especially for Grem/Horn series. Again however,
> there were models AMC could not give away sadly, although we like them, and
> some of us love them, the public didn't back then, and there were areas of
> the country that you could not GIVE a AMC away like Stroh's beer! So that
> does not surprise me at all about Doc's story above, chances are many other
> folks have similiar stories from back then! Happy Holidays,
> Eddie Stakes
> www.planethoustonamx.com
> The photos above are from my "literature" file under "parts" on my site.

The AMC dealer I worked for for 6 weeks in 1971 had a yellow 70 AMX still in the show room. I never cared for the 70 AMX's grill, but the Javelin was nice. My Brother had a 70 Javelin. One other thing about the 77 Hornet AMX was it was arond 7,000$, V8/automatic without a radio or A/C. A bit over priced in my book which is why when I saw it I told the owner he would never sell it at that price. It turned out I see this car at a construction site I was working on and a guy I knew bought it. He told me the dealer installed A/C and a sterio and sold him the car for 5,500$. 
"Doc"