Finally, some sanity over pricing, maybe. Pat L provides us this tip on a 1976 AMC Gremlin, available here on craigslist via an upcoming auction. The list is $5000, but that might just be the opening bid or reserve—the ad is vague. So do you find a way to get to Overland Park, Kansas by then to see how much this car goes for?
The AMC Gremlin debuted in 1970 and ran the American roads until 1978. The car came in just one body style, the hatchback. It was succeeded by the AMC Spirit, available from 1979-83. Perhaps the coolest and most bizarre version of the single-generation Gremlin was the Levi’s Edition, which came out in the early days of the model (1972 according to one of the Hemmings family of magazines). This had material on the seats and door panels that mimicked the look of Levi’s denim, including the brass rivets and Levi’s tag. Pretty cool, and a far cry from the drab fawn gracing the interior of this 1976 model.
This car is listed as restored, which is about like the Mustang I went and looked at one time that had “just been detailed.” Oh, really? Your detailer missed an entire tree’s worth of leaves that were everywhere, inside and out. With this AMC product, the front and rear bumper chrome is in need of attention, the driver’s seat has a cheap cloth cover over what must be wear, and there’s the wonkiest winding job on the string steering wheel cover you’ll see in a while. That probably, though by no means certainly, indicates a crack in the steering wheel. In addition, the body seems to be missing some accent striping (assuming it’s an A model).
Still, there are features that endear the car to a potential new owner. The dog dish hubcaps are cool, as is the fact that it has a manual transmission. Overall, the size looks right for a car you can actually use, and the rear end styling has always taken the notion of “hatch” up a notch. However, if you’re trying to establish value, there’s no photo of the engine, underneath, or the door jambs, so we can’t know about repaints or rust. The hatchback is also not pictured open, nor do we see underneath the car. Heck, it’s not even said what engine lives here, or how many miles it has on it, whether it runs and drives reliably, or what’s been done to it, or other mechanical systems. Interesting to note that the auction site indicates other cars are up for bid from this same family’s collection, mostly Studebakers.
Drivers seat is actually a completely different unit from a newer car and not just a seat cover. I’m not a fan of these cars unless they’re set up for wheel stand competition 🤷♂️
Gramps had one that was green and he loved it! It got rear ended by a 67 Catalina while parked and became a foot or two shorter.Seemed to look better.
The Gremi needs a Hemi
Not much more info on the auction web page.
https://www.auctionskc.com/auctions/detail/bw87961#tab_auction_photos
That’s not a ’76 Gremlin. That is a ’74 gremlin. In ’76 the nose and the tail lights got a restyling to something that looked a bit more streamlined.
The streamlined restyling you’re thinking of started on the 1977s.
This car’s also got the round front parking and signal lights that were only found on the 1976 model, so I’m betting it’s a ’76.
Yes, I looked it up. I stand corrected. It was the 77 that had the softened headlights and smoothed out features.
Also, I owned a 1971 Gremlin X that I bought used at Davies Auto (no longer exists) in San Diego in 1975. I drove the wheels off of it. It was green but the previous owner had painted two wide white stripes down the hood that looked really cool. It was kind of like painting tiger stripes on a donkey, but I really wish I could get that donkey back again. I think that the ’70-’73 Gremlins were better looking than the ’74 thru ’76.
This likely didnt have any stripe, or a best just a pinstripe. This is a base Gremlin; the dog dish caps ,manual transmission and the two spoke steering wheel usually means manual steering ..
Kinda like the base model. Love the hub caps and stick shift. On the other hand , woukd REALLY like AC which I seriously doubt this ever had.
Gremlins are pretty miserable to drive in base form. Power steering, front disc brakes, bucket seats (already done here, the standard bench is awful) and as you say air conditioning transform the car into something a lot more pleasant.
So just buy a X with AC and switch over to the hub caps 🤣
With a 304
This turned out to be the best attempt at making a small compact car to offset the Japanese onslaught, better engine than the Vaga and as for the Pinto you always felt you were on your to a Bar-B-Q. Dodge did the best by not even trying, they imported the Mitsubishi and naming it a Colt and had by far the best small car sold by a US car company.