Forget About The GTI, The 1970 AMC Gremlin Is The Original Hot Hatch

"Margin Of Error" (marginoferror)
02/17/2015 at 15:08 • Filed to: FORGOTTEN CLASSICS, FC, ESSAY

1970 is not only the year the Beatles separated, but it's also the year a new kind of automobile was created. Most people think the hot hatch was just another invention from ze Germans , but it was not. It's ironic that we think America came late to the hot hatch party, because just like The Internet and the Mac and Cheese, they invented it.

Welcome to Forgotten Classics.

As demonstrated in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the goal of this series of essays is be to bring cars that are getting no love back in the limelight. FC is also a thorough analysis of why such cars remained obscure and never got the praise they deserved.

The Gremlin is final production version of the AMX-GT concept presented at random auto shows during the 1968 season.

Even by today's standards, it is stunning. Long hood, short deck, huge wheels and wooden steering wheel, the AMX-GT is a masterpiece of design. The complete lack of overhangs make it look like something from the mid 2000.

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The production version was delivered to the AMC dealerships in 1969, as a 1970 model. It was basically an amputed AMC Hornet but retained the Honert's powerplants. The end result was a subcompact with a big engine, a recipe that was already successful with the Muscle Cars.

For the first two years of the production run, the Gremlin was powered by a a tandem of BMW-inspired inline sixes, a 3.3L and a 3.8L, but the big break came in 1972 when a 5.0L V8 became available.

The Gremlin was competing against the VW Beetle, the Chevy Vega and the Ford Pinto.

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Despite being a bit more thirsty than the competition, the Gremlin V8 was basically twice as fast as the others. Motor Trend achieved a 12 second 0-60 with the 3.8L while the Ford Pinto was in the 18 seconds range, that was huge. For the first two years, the Gremlin was even available with a un-synchronized manual gearbox !

Just as contemporary hot hatches, an extensive list of options allowed to owners to bespoke their Gremlins to Cadillac-esque levels of luxury.

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It's sad that the Gremlin is more subject to mockery than admiration. The Golf GTi is getting all the praised for being the first hot hatch, but it is a lie, a big fat lie.

The Gremlin paved the way to the democratization of a very important class of cars and should be remembered as a pioneer.

Just like Elvis Presley, AMC's bloated subcompact left the building in 1978 after almost a decade of mitigated success. It wasn't replaced.

DISCUSSION (32)

Cherry_man1 > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:10

Kinja'd!!!

I bet your GTI Can't do that.

Margin Of Error > Cherry_man1
02/17/2015 at 15:13

Yes, but in reverse LOL !

For Sweden > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:16

Ahem.

Kinja'd!!!

Margin Of Error > For Sweden
02/17/2015 at 15:17

This was a cold hatch my friend.

505Turbeaux > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:19

hatch - check

hot - god damned right

Kinja'd!!!

Margin Of Error > 505Turbeaux
02/17/2015 at 15:21

Yeah, LOL

But it doesn't really fit the description of a hot hatch, which is a econobox on steroids

lucky's pepper > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:21

Kinja'd!!!

Three pedals... and two shifters?

Margin Of Error > lucky's pepper
02/17/2015 at 15:23

Isn't it fantastic ?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:24

"masterpiece of design." Not generally words you hear associated with the AMC Gremlin.

Margin Of Error > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
02/17/2015 at 15:26

I was talking about the concept

For Sweden > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:28

It has RWD, so it is hot

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > For Sweden
02/17/2015 at 15:36

nope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_X_plat…

For Sweden > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
02/17/2015 at 15:38

The Chevette is not on that list.

lucky's pepper > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 15:39

Not quite the word I was looking for. I was thinking... redundant.

It seems like every single GM model from the 60's-early 70's has been powered by an LS by someone, so why hasn't anyone built a Gremlin powered by a modern Mopar V8?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > For Sweden
02/17/2015 at 15:39

oh I thought that was a Citation.

Margin Of Error > lucky's pepper
02/17/2015 at 15:43

Hellcat Gremlin

Tipo Stradale Fever > Cherry_man1
02/17/2015 at 15:55

Come at me, brah. RWD is for pussies brah!

Cherry_man1 > Tipo Stradale Fever
02/17/2015 at 15:58

Kinja'd!!!

SCCA Spec son.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > For Sweden
02/17/2015 at 16:44

Four of those crapcans went through my family. They may have been hatches, but they were not hot.

ranwhenparked > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 16:48

Well,the Gremlin wasn't technically a hatchback. The rear window was actually fixed in place on the base models - an opening window was an extra cost option. Supposedly, American Motors had considered doing a hatchback, but they just didn't have the money to pay for such an extensive reengineering of the Hornet shell.

Incidentally, despite the bigger engines, the 6-cylinder Gremlins didn't get much worse fuel economy than a Beetle - they averaged in the high teens/low twenties, and a Beetle pretty much maxed out at 25mpg.

Jedidiah > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 16:53

Kinda, sorta, maybe. The 304 is an alright motor, the 360 and and 401 are much better. The 232 (3.8) isn't a v8—that was the straight 6. The AMC Spirit is also built on the same platform, so gremlins and spirits were always popular for drag dracing.

I'm not sure whether I'd build a pacer or a gremlin—The AMC pacer has a double wishbone front suspension, which I prefer, but the pacer is nearly 400 pounds heavier than the Gremlin

On a side note, I've never really understood how a 100 hp golf was considered "hot" in the first place. Just more 70s and 80s malaise

JEM > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 18:17

Especially the rare ones with a 401 !!!

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Randall AMC dealership in Mesa, Arizona received AMC's endorsement to build 401 cu in (6.6 L) V8 powered Gremlins. The cars started out as 304 V8 models from the factory and after Randall's modifications would run 13.90's at 103-106 miles per hour (171 km/h) in the quarter mile, for $2,995 (US$15,911 in 2015dollars [12] ). Known as the Randall 401-XR (X for Gremlin X, R for Randall), a total of twenty cars were built for the street and one for the strip during 1972, 1973, and 1974. [55] Car Craft magazine tested one with some modifications and achieved 115.07 miles per hour (185 km/h) in 12.22 seconds while still remaining a "totally streetable, daily-driver". [56]

(from wikipedia)

Margin Of Error > JEM
02/17/2015 at 19:08

HOLY SHITZ

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 19:12

Kinja'd!!!

My favorite AMCs will forever be the Nurburgring conquering Spirit AMXes.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jedidiah
02/17/2015 at 19:16

Apparently it handled like no other.

Margin Of Error > PanchoVilleneuve ST
02/17/2015 at 19:16

The AMC Eagle is another American hot hatch !

Jedidiah > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
02/17/2015 at 19:44

But wrong wheel drive and semi-independant rear

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jedidiah
02/17/2015 at 22:21

Drive one and report back to me.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Margin Of Error
02/17/2015 at 22:54

The Gremlin didn't have a hatch though. The later ones had an opening window, but it still wasn't really a hatch.

Margin Of Error > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
02/18/2015 at 09:09

So on the early model, the rear was not opening at all ?

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Margin Of Error
02/18/2015 at 23:02

Thinking about it some more (and actually looking it up), I was wrong. All years had an optional hinged rear window, but since it was optional, some (not many) of them had no rear opening.

Margin Of Error > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
02/19/2015 at 10:16

That's fucked up