Pacers

[AMC74HORNET@xxxx]

My oldest son has no interest in old cars or AMC's period. And to tell
you the truth I can't remember the last time I saw a Pacer anything
around here. I'd hate to have to find them one of parts that them cars
had. I bet Lu could tell us about that. You hardly hear them mentioned
on any of the AMC lists. My son would be better off with a Sportabout
wagon. 
"Doc"

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• From: "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx>
• Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:29:21 -0500

One more thing on ladies in the hobby. I probably have not been involved in
the hobby as long as some. But my father worked for various AMC dealerships
for 18 years going back into the 60s, so was very familiar with the lots,
and the people who worked there.
If a women came into a dealership, she was often (not always) considered
easy prey. There was a word for this, and I can't remember what my dad used
to call them. He was NOT a salesmen, it was just the word that was used when
a woman was alone. I always thought this double standard was strange too, as
women were not only openly advertised to (AMC was a women friendly car
company, believe me, I have tons of neat in house literature to support
their courting the ladies into management, sales, retail, factories, stock,
and of course selling them cars) but when it was a group of guys in leasure
suits, chomping a cigar, pants maybe one size too small, standing around and
a lady drove up, the puns would fly among themselves. How do I know? Hell, I
was there after school every day for years and heard it all. Of course they
were perfect gentelmen once they were face to face, oh well, I wonder how
much of that has changed at dealerships since the 1940s. So off my
website..........circa 1947-48..........
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/nashdrumbeat.jpg
All the major Nash dealers were crowded into a room, given drums, and told
to beat them on cue according to the widow of the owner of the dealership I
would later buy out in the 90s, P. K. Williams on Congress street in Austin,
Texas. She indicated that she never knew why they rounded up the dealers
like this once a year, but spouses were invited, they just could not attend
the meetings, not that they would want to be in there with all those drums
and Cuban cigars. Not sure if that is a pitcher of ice water on the middle
of the table or a pitcher of Stoli. P. K. Williams was one of the highest
volume Nash dealers in Texas. He would morph into Rambler then AMC before
closing. He is pictured directly below the "H" in the "Sell Nash" banner on
the back wall. Ironically, AMC President William V. Luneberg would later say
in 1971: "We want to be recognized as a company that marches to the beat of
it's own drums;" when he was describing AMCs 'philosophy of difference.

To the 50s:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/51_ramb_conv.jpg
Lois Lane from the Superman series in the early 1950s. Showroom facing
Commerce Street. P. K. Williams dealership,
Austin, TX, circa September 1949. Striking not only in the showroom scene
but also on Commerce street downtown Austin behind and outside the huge
glass panes with lots of old cars, the Travis Hotel, pubs and such showing
life in Austin over 1/2 a century ago!

To the 60s:
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/ramblercarlotPR.jpg
This is how they appeared in the mid 1960s. Note the "Rambler Select Used
Cars" sign in the background, flags blowing in the wind, streetlamp is a old
style type. The salesman leaning on the vehicle talking to the pretty red
headed lady sitting in the Rambler Classic two door wants to make a sale! In
the background left to right is a red 67 Rebel, a year unknown light blue
Marlin, just over the rear glass of the red Classic the lady is sitting in
is a gold Rambler, possibly a rogue or American, and immediately behind that
is a light yellow early 60s Rambler, about 8 cars in the photo at this
Rambler Dealership! The photo is 7X10, not 8X10. What is unusual is it is
COLOR, so all the neat cars, shadows, salesmans hat, roof across the street,
everything jumps out at you. For you AMC and Rambler fans who were familiar
with AMC car lots, this photo takes you back into another time. I grew up at
AMC & Rambler dealerships as my father, Homer T. Stakes Sr. worked for AMC
in Corpus Christi, for many years.


Onto the 70s, note the lady with scratchy, probably metal bottomed purse,
sitting on brand new paint.....
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/70gremlinnyautoshow.jpg
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.

And onto AMC's last decade, the 1980s........
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/amcjeep_dealership.jpg
Walker Brothers AMC & Jeep dealership in Los Angeles, CA. This dealership
spanned BOTH sides of the highway, and while this photo shows the Jeep side
with brand spanking new CJs, across the street is clearly visible a whole
slew of Spirits, Concords, Pacers, Kammbacks, Wagoneers and more Jeep and
also some brand x models like Maverick, Volare!

So AMC realized the buying power and influence of women. But it is still
kind of funny, as for years I was president, vice president, treasurer,
editor and whatnot of the local AMC chapter. To see a woman come to the
monthly meetings was like seeing Sasquatch and it was extremely rare. Not
because we didn't have women members, and 90% of the guys had spouses, it
was just sort of like a dudes club, or guys not out. Maybe none of us guys
would want to go play bridge or do quilts, or soccer and various other
things some of the spouses would do. Never figured it out. Just always
wanted to try to get more women involved somehow.

And when we did the 2001 AMC national meet here in Houston, we had a lot OF
women volunteers, from judging, to running sheets, to helping people park,
to hell, without them, the meet would not have been as smooth as it went and
people STILL talk about how smooth everything went for a National event, so
their silent help was sincerely appreciated.

But I'm not really sure what, or how, to get more women involved in the old
car hobby. This ain't a AMC thing, it is a women thing I guess. Go to many
mixed make swap meets and car shows and the guys outnumber the women easily
and always have. Throw in China the former WWF wrestler in a thong, or
Playboy Playmates (geez, these women don't look nothing like the photos,
thank god for airbrushing photos) or other stuff at many meets like Houston
AutoRama, and the guys numbers swell. In ther past few years however some of
these meets have been bringing in the hunks for the ladies like popupar soap
stars and this has been a great success too. Not that us guys want to see a
tanned, shirless fellow signing autographs and ladies swooning. Well,
swooning is ok, you can look at the meun all you want but you damned better
come home for the cookin.

So I guess these organizations recognize what I just said and are willing to
try all sorts of stuff to bring in the female contingent into what has
traditionally been a male only gig, I say it is welcome and overdue, as you
ain't seen anything until you see the Astrodome ISCA show with thousands of
beautiful Texas women walking around. Now if we could just get them to come
to some meetings, even though their favorite soap star won't be there, only
a few of us guys with beer guts, wearing AMC's RULE! shirts we shuold have
stopped wearing in the 80s!

Overall, it I guess is just a reflection of society, and different tastes
and different strokes for different folks. Paige went with me to about a
dozen monthly meetings in 11 years but has been to all the nationals and
regionals, and helped out more than legally allowed by law. There is one
photo on my website showing how much of a AMC Trooper she is even. The photo
shown here was at the 2001 AMC Nats in Houston, that is one ton of AMC parts
I am unloading. Ok, loaded it Wed, unloaded it Thurs, reloaded it Thurs eve,
unloaded it Fri AM, reloaded it Fri PM, unloaded it Sat AM, reloaded it Sat
PM, unloaded it Sun AM and took the trailer back.

Paige was about 19 days from giving birth to Noah, who was born August 24th,
2001. And the temp when this photo was taken was 95, it would later climb to
100, with 80%+ humidity, making it 'feel like' (you people in the south know
about this heat index) like 107-112 degrees. The temp later in the afternoon
on the ground was 140 degrees for those judges willing to lay on it and look
under cars to judge, we had mats but it was brutal, not this weak crap dry
heat in AZ, this is HEAT, and if your exposed skin touches the ground, might
as well bring out the pico de gallo, tortillas, guacamole, as you have
instant fajitas.

She called me on the two ways we had and told me to quickly come out as she
felt faint, but we got her into the hotel room and AC quickly, but that was
the only emergency and I still don't know how she did it, as if you have
ever worked a national, it is like 96 hours straight of hard work.

So hats off to the ladies, your first drink is on me, thanks for all of you
(happy BD Lu) who make the hobby more enjoyable for everyone, even if
sometimes, no, most of the time, you never get the recognition you may
receive. It is appreciated. And hopefully your ranks (and youngsters) will
continue to grow as time goes on.

Doc, you get bonus points for the 1 of 3 there too. I'm not going to try to
change the way you brought up your kids, but that oldest one with a catering
business needs a Pacer Wagon. Easy to find, paint his catering business info
on the side, the car is  INSTANT BILLBOARD and I guarantee you people who
see it will remember it, and it will be like my little Pacer wagon I have
wrote about, can't tell yuo how many people called or emailed me saying they
saw it in traffic!
Eddie Stakes
www.planethoustonamx.com
*Note volume of email is
extremely heavy, expect
5-12 day responses

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