Re: Gremlin 2-seater, 4-seater..

["amc74hornet" <amc74hornet@xxxx>]

--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> Base price for the little 70 Gremlin 2 seater was a whopping $1879 stripped
> according to several dealer order forms. But many dealerships advertised it
> as $1999 just to get it under that proverbial $2000 mark. I had two big
> twelve foot original banners I sold last year, both were rather tired and
> missing some pieces after 30+ years, they were plastic, still had the
> Gremlin 'man' face on them, very colorful, hippie looking things, these both
> hung in a dealership window when new, advertising the Gremlin for a whopping
> $1998.00; not $1999.00! A buck is a buck.
> 
> Jerry has a valid point the idea was to lure you into the dealership, then
> 'sell you from stock' whatever they had, or get you to option out and order
> a vehicle. That much is historical fact reflected in many literature and
> dealer salesmans training films! Worked well too. Some models sold better
> than others however, and the Gremlin, and more over the Hornet were both
> well received by media and customers and ended up being two of the best
> selling models AMC would ever produce.
> Eddie Stakes'
> Planet Houston aMX
> www.planethoustonamx.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jerry Casper" <gremlingts@xxxx>
> To: <BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 7:05 PM
> Subject: [BaadAssGremlins] Re: Gremlin 2-seater, 4-seater..
> 
> 
> > Obviously, with the low production numbers of the
> > 2-seat Gremlin base car, it wasn't necessarily
> > "first". It was produced to beat the VW's extremely
> > low price, so AMC could say legally that they had a
> > cheaper priced car to compete. Obviously, the 4-seater
> > is more expensive. It was more a marketing tool than a
> > serious attempt to sell 2-seaters.
> > What's funny is, I used to bowl with some people
> > years ago, and one lady , when she found out I had a
> > Gremlin ( my GT, the first one I bought in '95 ), she
> > mentioned SHE also had had a Gremlin, and loved it.
> > Bought it new, she did. Then she mentioned it only had
> > 2 seats and the hatch didn't open. Naturally, I said
> > "wha?....", but I did know by then that a 2-seater DID
> > exist...then she blew my mind, when she said it got
> > wrecked 4-5 years later, and she wanted another so
> > bad, she found ANOTHER 2-seater just like it! What are
> > the odds of not just owning one, but two of them??? (
> > well, I DO own 2 GTs, of course. :D ) It was too bad
> > I never got to see any pictures of it, she didnt'
> > think she ever took any ( unlike me, I love taking
> > photos, and have them of practically all my cars ).
> > She died of cancer about 7 years ago, sorry to see her
> > go.
> > But anyway, all the 2-seater was was a price-busting
> > tool by AMC to compete with VW. Much like any car
> > sales org, they hook ya with the price, then you find
> > out later it's all a ploy if you don't want a
> > stripper. Nothing new there, and nothing changed til
> > today, either. It all still works the same. :D Of
> > course, we'd all probably like to FIND a 2-seater
> > Gremlin today. Maybe if I ever get up to that junkyard
> > in VA with 10 gremlins that are untouched, so I
> > hear...
> >
> > Jerry
> >
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In the 70's I only remember AMC advertizing 2 cars on TV and that was the What's a Matador and the new 73 Hornet Hatchback comercials. I think more TV advertizing would have made for better sales. I agree that the Hornet's and Gremlins were the backbone of the company from 1970 till it's demise when Lee ( I now make salad dressing) Iacoca bought them.
"Doc"