AMC Auto History

AMC or American Motors Corporation was in business for 34 years. In that time, the company created some of the most cherished and beloved vehicles on the road. From Hudsons and Hornets to Ramblers and Gremlins, many AMC vehicles are now antiques and cherished by their owners.

How the Company Was Created

American Motors Corporation began in 1954, with the merger of Hudson Motors and Nash-Kelvinator. The deal, worth $197 million, was the largest corporate merger of its kind. The goal was to blanket the entire vehicle market, providing the most needed and desired vehicles of that time.

1955 to 1960

While the Hudson body styles remained similar, the new Wasp and Hornets were launched in 1955. Soon after, the unique and sleek Rambler was born. The Hornet was built with a 352 V8 engine, boasting 220 horsepower. Because of a conflict that arose between AMC and Packard regarding parts sharing, AMC created their own V8 engine with 190 horsepower. The Hornet and Ambassador special models of 1956 received this engine.

1957 marked the last year for the Hudson and the Nash models, but the Rebel was introduced. This was the first American hot rod and featured a 255 horsepower V8 engine--it came in silver with all black and silver interior. Able to go the quarter in 17 seconds, only 1,000 of these silver Rebels were built and also featured gold trim, making them appear fast, powerful and luxurious.

1961 to 1965

The next generation of Rambler became the main AMC car, while the Rebel line had been deleted. AMC fans may remember 1961 as the year the Ambassador received a unique and memorable European front end.

In 1963, AMC received a prestigious award, having the entire Rambler line named Motor Trend Car of the Year. The Classic and Ambassador were redesigned to appear cleaner, with longer, sleeker lines. These featured the PacMan grill style. In 1965, the Marlin was created as an alternative to the Mustang and Barracuda.

1966 to 1970

In 1967, the Classic line was discontinued and AMC focused more on the all-new Rebel. The Rebel, Ambassador and Marlin all featured the signature "coke bottle" design that had become quite popular. In 1968, the beautiful, sporty and legendary Javelin was introduced on showroom floors. Entering the SCAA Trans-Am competitions, the Javelin finished every single race---something that no other factory team could boast at the time.

In 1969 the Rambler was again redesigned and Hurst began coordinating with AMC to create the SS/AMX and Hurst Scrambler. 1969 would be the last year that any new Ramblers were available in North America.

1971 to 1987

The 1970s brought rise to the Jeeps and Gremlins, as Jeeps were purchased from Kaiser. The Matador was launched as well, with the old Rebels as a base design. Police used the AMC Matadors, as is apparent from older movies featuring this car in high-speed chases and pursuits. 1974 would mark the last year for the Javelin, and the introduction of the first Jeep built by AMC, the Jeep Cherokee.

In 1978 the Hornet became the Concord, with changes made to the interior and the suspension of the vehicle. With the onset of the 1980s oil crisis, the sales of Jeep dramatically decreased. In 1987, the Chrysler Corporation purchased AMC.

1988 marked the launch of the Premier, a wider, four wheel drive vehicle. The AMC squad cars supplied police departments with the super-fast Matadors, able to go over 120 miles per hour and equipped with all the extras Chrysler could help stuff into them.