If you want this “Holy Grail” 1974 AMC Matador Brougham Coupe right now, you can just hit the buy-it-now button on the eBay listing, pay your $250,000, and fly to Lebanon, Missouri and drive this beauty home! Otherwise, you can take your chances bidding with the other cheapskates and hope that some retired investment banker doesn’t just grab it on a whim to use as a lawn ornament. What’s the dealio with this black beauty? Let’s take a peek, shall we?
First off, a black AMC Matador from this era is rare enough, but not a quarter of a million dollars worth of rare. Not even a quarter of a hundred thousand dollars rare. This one appears to be pretty close to new condition, so you can add a bit for that, but.. NADA is way off on this one. They list the top value for a 1974 AMC Matador 2-door Brougham with a 401 V8 and 4-speed (oh, didn’t I mention that part yet?!) as being worth a whopping $4,158, or $933 more than one without those two rare options. Hmm..
This car appears to be in gorgeous condition, though, whether you like the polarizing design or not. This is a love-it-or-hate-it design, there is no question about it. But, do the 401 V8 and 4-speed options – supposedly 1 of only 5 made in that configuration according to the seller – make this car worth 60 times the NADA value? I always question when a seller says that a particular vehicle is one of a certain number made with green seat belts and an AM-only radio! WOW! Or, their car has a rare combination of a carpeted trunk and a factory rear window defroster, so therefore it’s worth double the price of a car without that configuration. In this case, is the engine and transmission duo enough to make this Matador worth over twice what the median home price is in Lebanon, Missouri where this car is located?
Arrrggggg.. it’s an automatic! Ha, no, just kidding, of course it’s that rare 4-speed that we’ve been talking about. Even I don’t have that short of a memory. The pedals look bigger than the median home size in Lebanon, Missouri! Wow! This car has no rust and AC, thankfully. I mean, for my 250k I want to be cool and not from the breeze blowing through the rust holes. For $250,000 I’d also want the floor mats and carpet to be vacuumed, but I’m funny that way. The current bid price is $20,000 which is a mind-blowing price for a 1974 AMC Matador Brougham Coupe, and the reserve isn’t met so you know something is special about this car.
Here’s what at least half of the hoopla is about, AMC’s 401 V8. The most power from this engine in 1974 would have been around 235-315 hp or so, and with that 4-speed it probably made for a fun ride. Again, for my two-and-a-half-large I want to be able to eat off of my engine. Come on, how about spending $100 to have this engine detailed at least? Who would drive a $250,000 Matador on the street anyway? Or, really any car worth $250,000 unless you got Microsoft stock for your 1980 high school graduation present (not bitter). If this car is truly worth anything even remotely near that price, or even half that, or even a measly one quarter of that price, I would be nervous driving it among the hoards of texting and latte-sipping drivers around me. Have any of you heard of the legendary 1-of-5 1974 AMC Matador Brougham 401 4-speed car?
Wait, I had to check my calendar. No, it NOT April 1st.
The buyer of this Matador will get a surprise when he checks the vin code which is pictured on Ebay. The third digit is the transmission code. This Matador code says A for American Motors, 4 for the year 1974, and C for the transmission, which stands for automatic floor shift. If it was a factory 4 speed the vin code would be an M. I was a parts manager for AMC 1977-78. We converted a Matador coupe to a floor shift by parting out a rusted Rebel Machine, the floor pan is almost the same. There is no listing in the AMC parts book for any Matador coupe from 74-78 with a floor shift 4 speed. When in doubt check the vin code.
Thank you Bob. As a dedicated car buff, the very FIRST thing I questioned on this Matador (Besides the ludicrous price) was the four-speed manual. I knew AMC never even offered a manual trans. on this model, let alone with the 401 V8 option. Also, for a supposed “Brougham” model, those buckets look like they were plucked from a Base-model Gremlin! If Matadors of the `74`77 Vintage were known for anything, it was their plush, over-done interiors. I doubt this left the factory with those bus-bench buckets!
yep, i think the seller had mistakenly put an extra zero on the price.
If this is the same car, and I’m pretty sure it is, I looked at this very car well over a decade ago. It was listed for a l-o-o-n-g time in a Los Angeles Recycler want-ad; asking price $5,500 (astronomical at the time). The seller (Buick or Olds guy, not really an AMC fan) said that the original owner had the dealer convert the automatic to a 4 speed, as the manual wasn’t an option. Think he mentioned that the guy was a pilot.
IIRC, the Matador had about 70,000 miles on it, but looked like 25,000, garage-kept, well taken care of, but not cleaned up or detailed.
The Matador also sported a slightly rusting set of wire wheels (I don’t think they were Kelsey-Hayes) instead of factory rims.
“Those have to go”, I thought.
All the factory smog equipment was removed and missing on the 401, a consideration at the time because we still had California bi-annual smog checks on ’66 and newer. I figured it would be a real pain to find the smog pump and all related hardware.
I told the seller that his price was way too high, and passed on the deal. I knew it was a special car at the time, I’m still sorry I did.
Well it’s definitely not the most handsome of cars and anything after 1972 had just become boring except for 86-87 Buick Regal Grand National/ T-type,s and I did have a bunch of 5.0 Mustangs but $250,000 grand may be how much he owes his bookie or ???? Rolling papers required situations. The seats are out of a AMC Javelin as well not correct for this car. I am interested in one near me and it’s very clean with a 258 cubic inch for $750 bucks. So if you guys want it I’ll sell it to ya for a cool million.
Hi,
I checked my 1974 AMC brochure and as I thought, the seats are correct for this Matador. It was available with buckets, column or console auto shifter. The console in this 4-speed is the same used for the Matador console auto.
This car has engine modifications and a throw out bearing that had to be machine made. Goes through clutches fast. 4 in the floor has no documentation of coming off the lot with it.
Just wanted to say “Thanks” after getting up off the floor, where I was rolling around laughing….
I’m guessing /hoping that a house, with attached garage to park car in, is included in the price?
Another case of Barrett-Jackson Syndrome or Mecumitis. No meds, no therapy, no known cure.
Is this really the car you want the most powerful engine and a 4 speed in?
I have always seen these cars as cruisers and not speed demons.
What could bring the value up so high on this car?
Maybe a bag of 240,000 one dollar bills in the trunk?
This “cruiser” was actually one of the models of the cars used in Nascar by Bobby Allison in his racing days
that matador (Bobby Allisons) may be worth the $250K
Not really germane to the story, but this car’s styling was directly aimed at racetrack driving. It was super slippery, aerodynamically, for the 1970s. Mark Donohue drove these rather successfully at the time. I thought it was weird at the time, but it has grown on me over the years.
Stll not worth two-and-a-half grand, though. And, oh yeah – clean up that engine/engine bay!
According to the seller, it’s a “Holly Grail” car… just in time for Christmas.
But seriously, bidding is over $23K at the moment… someone is going to pay stupid money for this thing..
Oh the winner is gonna be awfully pissed off when he tries to re sell it and gets back like 4000 bucks lol!!!
Listing says Holly, so “lawn decoration” is apt…………..
So this isn’t a long lost prototype car or one with an unbelievable history? Well then… I can’t see any justification for the asking price on this one.
If you paid that much for this car, good luck getting your investment insured. I don’t think any of the most popular companies that come to mind would do it for that amount.
For this money should be pristine
For this money there should be 20 of them!
In prestine condition!
12 window pop up camper roof,maybe boating capable.with jet ski drive
Yaa 25k then
12 photos and a couple sentences to describe this almost 100,000 odo vehicle? No way I’m joining the fray. Does the air even work? Shoot for $250k, vacuum the interior and show us the frame and trunk for heavens sake. I’m out.
Maybe this car was owned by Jesus?
401/4 speed helped spread the good word…in a hurry!
Is Jesus a Ford, Chevy, or AMC guy?
No, I believe it was Monty Python…..!!
Holy Grail ……..hmmm that term is either very specific to the person …..OR it is actually a Holy Grail and I am no seeing that here. I get it. Rare. Pretty cool. Still about 500 cars I would buy before this hit my list. Again, that is me. Perhaps this is #1 on someone else’s list and for them I hope they get it!
Black color just knocked about $240K off the price for me. Nooooo thanks.
My guess is fake bids which will go right up to, but just short of the reserve, in the hopes of tricking some rube to jump in, trip the reserve, and “win” this thing at way, way over value. Sometimes it actually works.
It certainly is a fantastic car, and I am not an AMC fan, but it would certainly be a great car to have. Like everyone else the price is not even remotely close to what I would pay, maybe this was the sellers way of saying “I don’t want any low ball offers”.
For $250K, at least vacuum the mats.
Could It just be a typo?
$250K? Not if it was gold came with a removable wing, Herve Villechaize in the passenger’s seat, and a 20-year of Britt Ekland in the trunk.
I think a 20-year-old Britt Ekland in the trunk might be a parole violation for me.
I wondered what happened to her… Is Jimmy Hoffa in the trunk too?
Might pay the $250K if it’s either got 10kgs of “Whatever” in the panels or if that isn’t allowed how about $249500 in a briefcase!?
Remove the park benches and replace with blade bumpers, and the car would look much more svelte.
Of course, I’m talking about any other Matador coupe of the era because there is no way the seller is getting a quarter million for that car.
At least one to many zeros I would think.
There is only one Holy Grail, and it is, well, the Holy Grail. Anything else is just a car. . .
What`s a Matador?
This is one of 3 Matador models I’m aware of.
In 1960, Dodge made a full-size sister to the Polara.
Then there are the 2 AMC Matadors. Coupes like this one, and sedans like the cop cars on the movie Police Academy.
I think at one point $250,000 would have purchased all of AMC!
That’s funny!!!!
Like real LOL funny!
Thanks.
My 100 shares of AMC that I bought in 1974 for $600 became 38 shares of Chrysler in 1989 when they bought AMC-Jeep. It then became 23 shares of Daimler-Benz in 1998 when Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler. Daimler eventually sold off Chrysler to a hedge fund who then sold it to Fiat but the old AMC/ Chrysler stock remained Daimler and it is worth $1900 today and it has been paying a dividend for years. Not to shabby!
Well, your $600 1974 dollars are worth $3135.48 today. So hope your dividends have been good to you; and more than the $1200 in value you’ve lost on your core investment.
https://www.dollartimes.com/inflationhttps://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/inflation.php?amount=600&year=1974/inflation.php?amount=600&year=1974
Actually pretty shabby, IMO.
Around 1980’ish when there was talk of Chrysler’s bankruptcy I figured ‘what the heck’ and put my income tax refund into the market. I bought 100 shares of Chrysler @ $5 a share. In less than two years I sold it for $35 a share. On that basis alone I did darned well. If I had put the $3500 into a decent mutual fund at the time (instead of a down payment on a house) by today, averaging 10% growth/year and adjusted for inflation it would be worth close to $750K. Better than $1900, even with a few dividends over the years.
One more thing… before I bought Chrysler at $5 a share, it had been as low as the mid-$3 range. Had I bought at that price, my initial $500 investment could potentially made me a millionaire today. Even better, compared to $1900.
Yeah, we all smoked some blonde Lebanese back in the day. But $250 large!!! Get real.
Extremely rare. I would say worth at least 75 grand ?
I think it belonged to Elvis or the,The Beatles,
maybe it was William Shatner’s ride?,before TJ hooker.
Why is it priced $235,000 above even a “high”price for one of these?
It is really nice,and looks great, but I still can’t figure this out!…..,
Oh that’s right, it was the last car owned by John Wayne?….LOL
F–N ridiculous!!
William Shatner? Maybe William Shakespeare for 250k
“Holy Grail” and “Matador” in the same sentence does not compute unless the Matador was used to get to the Holy Grail. At least it’s rendered in the least conspicuous color and not a Barcelona, my vote for ugliest American car candidate.
I kind of like this one with an AMX package. They also want a lot less money for it.
WOW I didn’t even know they made an AMX package for these.
It was only for Mexico. This is a Mexican made car.
Do you have anymore info on this car?
I have all the info on this car. What would you like to know? I have many more pics.
OK so it’s A VAM car. I want to buy it
The car is in Mexico City right now.
If you give me your contact information I can send you everything I have, pictures and the owners contact information.
vam?
Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos S.A. (VAM) was a Mexican automaker from 1946 to 1989.
The original organization, a distributor and license manufacturer for Willys-Overland and AMC vehicles, became government controlled in 1963 with American Motors Corporation (AMC) holding a minority interest. The company imported and produced automobiles and light trucks under license from Willys, AMC, Eagle, Jeep, Chrysler, Renault and designed their own vehicles based on AMC platforms. The early-1980s collapse of the Mexican economy forced a sale of the Mexican government’s interest in VAM to Renault, which shut down the firm in the late 1980s
I would as well but I won’t pick it from under you. Next best is to know what they want and to see some pics.
Thanks for all the knowledge you have shared with us today in regards to South of the Border variations of the cars we are familiar with.
That’s pretty! I didn’t know about VAM either. I have seen a few right hand Matadors in Australia for sale in the last few years though. Here are pics of one that isn’t for sale.
http://www.hudson-amc.org.au/gallery/members-cars/jamal%20x%20coupe.htm
Maybe VAM means ‘a US car that has vamoosed to Mexico’.
WOW! I knew that Mark Donohue, AMC’s factory-sponsored race driver, had had input about the re-design of the rather pedestrian 1969-’73 Rebel/Matador coupes. On the track, they were a literal drag – utterly horrible Cd. Donohue was convinced a slipperier body along with the 390 or 401 would be a screamer on the track. Unfortunately, those damned bumper regulations “uglified” the design. However, on the track – with the headlamp bulbs replaced with ram-air tubes for the dual-snorkel air cleaner body (that’s WHY it was dual-snorkel, and dual- rather than quad-headlamp design!) and the bumpers removed that car was aerodynamically slicker than baby poop and drove like the wind.
Thanks for showing this car as it had been designed to be, without those God-awful bumpers. Much, MUCH easier on the eyes. :)
The hood doesn’t line up with the front fender… the driver’s window is crooked in the track… this looks like a save-able but far from perfect car. Nowhere near in the class of the black 4 speed one, which ought to be detailed and put into a museum.
I don’t remember saying the car was perfect.
For the asking price, it is a good deal especially because this car was never offered in the US.
This also had factory air which is very rare for a Mexican car, although it is missing the compressor.
All of the same bidders on this auction. I call scam, It’s a cool enough car for like 12k tops
The owner must be the same guy that had the $250K 1978 Chevy Caprice a few months back!
Or the other guys that supposedly sold an old Chevy pickup with “patina” and a tune up for $150k.
Lax guys, lax. This jive turkey has a right to attach any price to his car. Sometimes they do these things to play with the market, but by the end of the day? It’s worth only what a buyer is willing to pay.
This is why habitual drug users should lay off the crack pipe
Drop a zero and run
I hang out with a bunch of Missouri car guys and if I showed them this they would die laughing while saying only a Hollywood celebrity would be stupid enough to buy that for his asking price.
Hemi cars sell for $250,000 and more, why shouldn’t this Matador? It’s just as rare, just as fast, just as cool, just as stylish… maybe even more so than a hemi ‘cuda.
Hemi cars have a fan base this car never did.
Is that a Nova Behind the AMC
It looks like a Javelin.
How can you compare this to a Hemi? How many Top Fuel engines are based on this engine? um, none! I do appreciate your enthusiasm for AMC, though.
Um, no, it’s not remotely as fast.
You can now buy hemi cars for less than 250k.
Up over $25K now and almost all the bidders have lengthy history. Can’t see it but I guess at least a couple folks can.
BTW this car is fake. AMC never made a 401 four speed Matador. This car was for sale in 1999 and the seller then converted it. It’s all over the AMC facebook pages now.
I owned this car, or its twin a few years back. I was told the 4 speed was a dealer change using parts from a new javelin. I think it is still shown on the matador registery. The motor had been built and the friend I sold it to over revved it and had a strong bill to pay and he eventually sold it. The price was under 10k. I am certain this is the same car.
Officer Pete Malloy drove a baby poop tan one like this on Adam 12. That one might actually be worth some money.
Right PatA–after all Pete was a lifelong bachelor who decided to treat himself to something special. Unfortunately, AMC was providing the shows cars by then and he got stuck with a Matador Sport!
Check out the Coupe Coop on the net. Scroll down a ways and it will show the car I owned. If it isn’t the same car, it is a virtual twin. Wish I had it back.
Can’t find it on the site.
For that money, this should be a no. 1 car. Look at the dirty floor. It’s a driver with a rip in the seat. The engine should be clean enough to lay your sandwich on. But hey, guess wot; He got your attention, which is what he wanted.
Fake news! Fake news!
All kidding aside, this IS an AMC grail car. That big disp small block with the 4 speed is a tire melter for sure…but there is zero chance this is worth much more than the current bid. It’s sad that it will probably go north of 45k and still not sell.
so that’s a matador!
13 bidders. up to $35,100.
CP all day long.
CP?
“Nice Price or Crack Pipe” @ jalopnik.com
$250,000? The line in the attached picture comes from a great Australian movie, “The Castle”. I think that it says it all.
The 401 would be rare, with fewer than 1,000 made in its final year as a regular-production option. But the 4-speed was not a factory option. Scrolling down in this article (link, story at bottom of page) shows what’s surely the same car, DEALER-converted to a 4-speed. I wonder how it left the factory: 3-speed on the column, or automatic on the floor?
http://www.javelinamx.com/javhome/71machin/
OCPG actually has a callout for the Brougham that’s about 10% higher across the board over a regular Matador. That said a #1 comes in at $8500. This seems better than a typical Number 1 since it is original, so someone might pay a premium, but not a $241,500 premium. This is a $10K car and if 2 or 3 had to have it guys (I really hope they aren’t out there) were in the same room, maybe $20K. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. Hard to believe where it’s bid to. This is likely a no sale and re-list in a couple weeks.
Walrus that’s a 71 Matador not a 74. see the pic of it?
Huh? Ad says 74.
this guy’s got it all wrong – start with a reasonable number like $100K and work your way towards a quarter of a million dollars….
I wish people would stop watching auctions.
Just another case of you can “ask” anything you want, but until it sells, everything up to that point is BS.
250,00 is insane. 25,000-35,000 bit more reasonable. For that money I could buy a 2009 Prevost X3-45 bus.
The hell with the $250 Lamborghini. I want THIS instead… lol
I think that I just gave myself a ‘groan’ injury…
$35,100 and reserve still not met. Gotta be fake bids. At this point, only a true AMC fan would be bidding, and a true AMC fan would probably decode the VIN before bidding. That VIN would reveal that this car was built with a console-shifted automatic.
True AMC fans don’t have $35,000, that’s why they are AMC fans (and yes I’m an AMC fan).
At least one AMC fan does. Someone recently paid $74,250 for a ’65 Ambassador convertible at auction.
And to think my father paid $1,300 in 1966 for a year old ’65 Ambassador 4 dr sedan, 327 V8, auto, R&H with 12,000 miles on it.
I’m one who actually liked these Matadors. Could have had one, a 74 with the 304, back in the 80’s. This one looks great, but even if he did vacuum the carpets, I sure wouldn’t pay more than around 30 for it, even of the drive train is factory! And where is the horn button, in the glovE box??
I have to quit drinking Pepsi when I go to this website – ran across this and just spewed Pepsi all over my monitor.
I’m just going to assume his BIN is a typo with an extra 0
his finger slipped and he got the digit in the wrong place,, 25 grand would be about 10.000 bucks to much…. why did you even give this dork air time ?????
this guy has been off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz!
It’s been said many times, I’ll say it again; rare doesn’t always equate to valuable.
It is a pretty nice No. 3 car. But on the collectability scale it’s about a 5.
So sad, too bad, don’t be mad, your dad
This isn’t the same old codger that tried to sell that million dollar caprice awhile back is it?
I just found a rare one of one rock in my driveway. She’s a beauty for sure, nice polished edges from years or tire wear. Subtle hints of brown with some white thrown in to just set it all off. I will take 250k for it right now and throw in a COA so you will ne able to rest assured it is a genuine rock. Plus and this is the icing on the cake; no one will have one like it. Go ahead and start throwing your $$$ my way.
Crap I need to proofread better. Be not ne
Bids up to $35,000 now.
Suddenly I feel gored by this Matador…….
Ohhhhh, my groan!!! I just hit my own self with my torque wrench.
Now I feel better. Every time I see this type of damage to our hobby, I feel the rage to kick someone in the groan area.
This guy should hide it for 300 years and maybe an ‘Arky-ologist’ could sell it for his family for that price. Too bad itz not an ‘Old Leg Casini’ Mater-dor. Loved the refridgerator foo-paw plating on that American Motors Creation. A rare blob indeed.
Couldn’t agree with you more. I mean interesting car. Be like driving a misshapen soup can with a 4 speed . There just CANT be anyone stupid enough to pay 1/10 the ask , right? We have become unmoored from reality .
Think guy is obviously a dreamer!
Check out that speaker install in the door. Woof!
Scam.
Official Vancouver Canuck Fan Car !!
http://www.derekmahlaw.com/canuckmobile/
Mmm like the Bears one running around here.
I gave you a thumbs-up, even though I’m a Leafs fan! (Leafs beat Calgary last night.)
Winnipeg Jets are now the best team Canada. Indeed, as of today, Dec 3rd, the best team in the NHL. And their farm team in Winnipeg, the AHL Manitoba Moose, are in 1st place overall in the AHL !!!
Matador. Ugliest car ever sold.
FANTASTIC write up!!!
If I had $35K laying around to put towards an AMC it would be a 4 speed AMX hands down…but to each his own. GLWTS
This is a 1 of 5 car ay? Ironically, that’s also the exact ratio of people who actually like Matadors, 1 out of 5. Me being the “1” in that example, I am sure they only way this car is worth $250k is if it contains the actual Holy Grail in the trunk.
The price is that high so the seller can find out the market value without being forced to sell, not uncommon. Not cool but easily recognizable.
Maybe. He thinks it is an amx/ 3
What we have here is called a brilliant marketing scheme ,i make up a story bout a car and romantacise it say its worth 250,000 and some poor schmuck pays 25,000 and brags to his freinds how got a deal on a 250,000 car for one tenth the price.truth is he got a 12,500 car and paid double for it. Marketing,marketing………think mcfly think
Since it’s probably the only one like it, it is worth whatever it sells for and the NAD value should change to that amount. How can there even be an NADA value on this or any super rare car if there is no number of cars sold to generate an average price?
Absolutely, let’s call the Smithsonian and tell them this “piece” needs to be front and center at the museum too. By that logic, my daily driver is priceless too because of the unique rust pattern and the farts I leave in the seat
Nrg8, i didn’t say I agree with the asking price, I just said NADA value cannot be determined if no cars like this have been sold.
NADA is a terrible reference for cars over 10 years old as they utilize used car sales at dealerships as their primary structure. Cars are either overvalued for condition OR undervalued because the last time they were entered regularly was when they were in service, typically 10 years old. So pricing, in this case is from the early 80’s on a 10 year old car. Old Cars Price Guide is really the best. Some like Haggerty, but they’re a little light on data generally.
Thus, a guide, not the law of the land. Between ebay, BJ and Meecum. The sheeple are just falling in line
Guys remember this was the ultimate super car of the 70’s
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Mexico City…. i get it. $250K (pesos).
What’s not to love here. It’s a Holly Grail car, and Charles Byer pays shipping!
Now at $45K. Bids appear genuine. Seller has no ebay feedback as a seller but bidders all have bids in on different items from different sellers so shill bidding doesn’t appear to be a player in this. That’s double what I thought it would sell for. Still several days left.
This just does not make any sense, the asking price or the current 45 K bid. I used to laugh at these cars when they were new. As someone said early on, does the house come with it?
The more I look at that interior shot, the more I wonder what other neglected items come with the purchase. Whether it sells for $45k or $250k, I’m shaking my head on the lack of detail, the grime in the cabin, speakers on the door (door cards will add to your refresh cost) and I even spot a missing trim cap for the end of the door pull. Put us out of our misery and make this a no reserve auction if you want it GONE mister!
Pay tens or hundreds of thousands then run into a circle k for a minute, come out and see people laughing at your car….smart
The car is a fake. Anybody that buys this car for over 10k is throwing their money away. The vin shows it was a column automatic. It was probably changed over by a prior owner in the 80s. This car did the amc circuit in the 90s. The car last sold in the 6 to 7 range. I guess people can say anything. Buyer beware.amc never made this car!!! Very shallow description on eBay with zero paperwork. People are buying a story. But in this case I have to say lots of fake bids. No one is going to throw 45k on a car with vin issues let alone 250k
reading the ebay listing its the holly grail car!
who’s holly grail? holy grail is one thing, but what
makes this one of five is it was holly grail’s car!
i’ll pay two bars of gold plated latinum
@ 45K right now r u kidding me wouldn’t pay 4500 hundred for it just my opinion.
This car has been all over The AMC Forum and several AMC Facebook Sites, so you can read lots of other comments there too. This car is NOT a factory 4 speed, it was delivered from Kenosha as a floor shift automatic. The VIN in the Ebay listing is wrong, if it was truly built as 4 speed, them the third digit would be a “M”, it has a “C”. Now how it was change to 4 speed and why it doesn’t matter. The more misleading part of the ad is that it is 1 of 5, AGAIN no 4 speed Matador Coupes were ever built. It is a proper 401 4 barrel car, and it has a “Z” in the VIN to depict that. In 1974 312 Matador Coupe Broughams were built, 315 Matador X Coupes were built and 73 Matador Coupes (Base), were equipped with 401 engines. All were automatic on column (Buckets or bench seat) or automatic on floor (with console and buckets). Yes, I love these cars, as one here has said they are love me or hate me cars…..I own 3, all Matador X versions, 2 with factory 401 engines and floor shift automatic and bucket seats. It was mentioned that maybe if Prototype car…….well I own that which is a Trans Am Red Matador X, 401. Is it rare, yes, but as every one knows rare doesn’t mean worth huge money either. The Prototype is in the middle of restoration and I am hoping to have done in time for MCACN 2018 along with many other rare and 1 off AMC’s. As the story goes, no such thing as bad press and buyer beware…..this car is a fabrication by someone, NOT AMC.
I can some up everything you said in 3 words. It’s a fake. Lol
Props to you for caring for and restoring a car (in your case cars) that most people do not care about or have much interest in. In my opinion, this is what keeps the hobby interesting. One can only see so many tri-5 chevys, corvettes and mustangs before losing interest.
My friend’s dad used to have one of these cars it was not the one that had the 401 & 4 speed but was a 74 Matador though his was green the car ran good even with 304 & automatic in it but he had to align the front end all of the time that is the weakness of these cars otherwise they are great cars what I mean by aligning the front he had to take it to the shop and continuously have the frontend aligned when the car was driven on bumpy roads and ones that had potholes in them the frontend would be out of align all of the time under these conditions
The bidding is up to $45K.
I’m sorry, what am I missing?
im thinking this car is worth maybe 5,000 grand tops
5 million bucks? Wow!
Only reason it’s up to $45k is they know they won’t have to buy it.
its cool just not quarter million cool!
Wow I have a restored 1969 Camaro Z/28 that is perfect in every way ( engine, trans rear end etc.. ) and I couldn’t get that much money for it if I tried, By the please use the vacuum on the carpets LOL
AHHHHHHH, So that’s a Matador!!! With Corinthian leather also, I hope…
Lol. You know? No one ever figured out what the hell corinthian leather was anyway. even Mr. Roarke himself was baffled!
Its a Matador not Cordoba. Wrong car and commercial.
Ricardo Montalban mispronounced Cordoba. The emphasis is on the first, not the second syllable. (He was paid to do it). And still the question is “quien es mas macho? Fernando Lamas o Ricardo Montalban?”.
Does Ricardo Montobon come with it also. That would would raise the price to, oh, say, um, ah $4200 maybe. NOTE: And I really don’t care if I spelled it right or not!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq8n2RZJmms
Extremely rare. I would say worth at least 75 grand ?
Tommy Smothers should buy this car. AND drive it to Leno’s garage. Good for a laugh.
Seller forgot to mention the 100 lbs of crack in the trunk.
$45k and still below reserve? Seriously????
Looks like for sure when the bidding is over that all those commenting here will have to say: Ain’t My Car (AMC). LoL!
Seller needs to take the top bid and run. It’s already bid high enough. Lift the reserve!!!
Maybe it comes with Jimmy Hoffa’s remains in the trunk 😃
I think you cracked the code! Lol
Ricardo Montobon advertised Corinthian or Carpathian leather in the Chrysler Cordoba, not any AMC products that I know of.
Wow, it sure got everyone’s attention.
I would suggest anyone interested in buying this look seriously at the 1972 Randall 401-XR Gremlin
A quarter million dollar Rambler. Hmmm, does it have lay down front seats?
The Holy Grail of AMC is the AMX II in my opinion. I believe there are 3 or 4 of those. I have a rare 89 Corvette, 1 of 54, due to the color change early in the year… but it’s still an 89 Vette, and likely will never even be worth it’s ” new price” which was I think 37k This car is cool, the body style is just beginning to grow on me, but, it’s still just a Matador
The VIN listed in the eBay listing does not match the picture of the VIN tag posted. The third digit is NOT a “0”, it is a “C”. that means that the car came from the factory with a floor shift AUTOMATIC. The third digit would have had to be an “F” in order for it to have come from the factory with a 4spd.
Also, I think if I were selling it, and somebody ponied up 250k, I probably could be persuaded to pay for the shipping… ANYWHERE on earth
Vin decodes as a 3 speed on the column. To be a 4 speed on the floor it would be an M in the third digit spot of the VIN and it is an O (I think they put a zero… but it should be a letter)
This car is bull…..
…Loney…..
Crack kills
Just say no to drugs
It’s not a factory built car. This car was well-documented by a previous owner as being a Dealership conversion.
The third VIN digit is a “C” – for Console Automatic.
Sorry folks.
I stand corrected Thanks Jacque.
two and a half grand? That’s $2500! Where did this come from?
Seriously ya’ll. It is a nice Matador coupe. Nothing “holy grail” about it. If it was a “real” 401 4 speed 74 Matador would be a M & Z coded VIN car. It is NOT. For you brand x folks, rarity does not equate market value when it comes to AMC. Here is a 1 of 1 made 68 AMX that sold for whopping $6500
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/amc-dealerships/giveaway-raffle-amx-ben-carco.htm
The Ben Carco AMC Dealership AMX two seater, only one painted that color. My site is loaded with stuff like this. Or with only 74 total production 1970 AMX two seater in big bad green produced, maybe one of 12-20 with Shadow Mask, you could have had this beauty at Mecum Auction Houston for $18,000
https://www.mecum.com/lots/HA0416-242230/1970-amc-amx/
My own uber low miler Matador coupe Barcelona was used for World Premier of Blast From The Past movie with Alicia Silverstone, Brandon Frasier, Christopher Walken & Sissy Spacec. I sold this beauty for $4200
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/stuff/matador-coupe-movie.htm
that car went to New York, to the Steven Green Collection, you can search you tube for ‘steven green auction’ and see it. Oh. And see Dick Teague’s, one of one made 78 Matador coupe: ONLY Matador coupe made in triple white, LAST Matador coupe produced, and given to legendary auto designer Dick Teague by employees in 1978. 6600 documented miles, HUGE paper trail and photos of it going down line. Sold a couple of years ago for $34,000.
There WERE 1971 Matador Machines built, about 68 of them, 3 known to exist, and yes, were 401 4 speeds, but some 360s also
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/stuff/matador_machine.htm
There were not very many Matador coupes made with 401V8s, you can see how many in the PRODUCTION FIGURES on my site
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/74_amc_totals.htm
But it still does not make it holy grain anything even on a good day. There were many, many “AMC Regional Dealership Specials” and “Dealership conversions” I have a slew of them shoved into the AMC Badger Javelin file, but there is also Randall 401 XR Gremlins, Von Piranah AMXs, Droke Brothers, Ambassador Yellow Jackets, Hornet Yellow Jackets, Canadian ‘Green Hornets’ Rebel Mariners, Briarcliffe & Westerner wagons, Rebel Raiders, too much to list here but many of those documented on my site in here
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/stuff/amc_stuff.htm
Matador coupes are a extremely tough market, they are nice cars, but really hard to find anything for, virtually zero reproduction items too. I don’t believe this one would be a $25,000 car on a good day. Just my honest opinion, but have owned 392 AMCs since 1976, never owned a brand x anything and drive them DAILY in Houston, Texas, 11 currently
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/photo-gallery-stakes-amcs-1/amc-amx-collection-stakes.jpg
You can file the Matador coupe for sale there with $250K price tag with the 72 ‘herpes’ Javelin that has been for sale for years in Houston guy wanted $100,000K for it to which legendary actress Piper Laurie tells Sissy Spacek in Carrie movie “they all going to laugh at you’ get em momma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjUyqpP41wo
PS a 69 Super Stock AMX, only 52/53 made, considered pretty much real ‘holy grails’ of AMC one sold in 2016 for $75,000. Happy AMC Hunting! Eddie Stakes’ Planet Houston AMX http://www.planethoustonamx.com
FINALLY! Glad to see you show up on this thread Eddie. Also great to see some real world numbers.
Great info — thanks. Still at $50K this morning with 1+ day left.
Wow!! Bid is up to $46, 099 now!!
And _still_ not up to the reserve price…
In high school, I had a very good friend who owned one of these new, an exclusive Oleg Cassini edition, dontcha know. To say it was poorly built was an laughable. As was the car. I recall the center of the steering wheel kept falling into his lap.
Who would even pay $46.5 K. There isn’t a garage big enough to house the cars I would buy if I had $250,000.
In the late 70’s, a near identical car to this one (it had a red interior, if memory serves) motored around Redmond, Washington. It was often seen at the downtown Arco gas station. Maybe the owner worked there or had work done on it there ? But it was a 401, 4-speed, black car like this. Seems to me it had some fancy pinstriping on it too. I dated a girl whose dad was a big AMC fan, and he had a pair of V-8 Gremlins with 4-speeds and pinstriping that he special ordered from our local dealer in Bellevue, so I know this kind of unusual build was possible. Neat car for the person who wants something really different.
Well, at 11:oo pm, it is bid $50,099. Gotta get some sleep now, however surely enjoyed all the posts on this car. I’m putting my money in a house in Florida, and the address is 401, so I too have a 401. Sad humor, so off to sleep…
Exterior in that colour actually looks pretty good.
$2,500 not $250,000
Roger Moore drove one of these in a Bond flick.
The flying Matador coupe in The Man With The Golden Gun James Bond film is a AMC cult classic, was sponsored by AMC too. When there was AMC National meets in Kenosha, Wisconsin where the Matador coupes (and other AMCs made) always seemed to be the movie shown at the Sheridan Drive Inn. Nothing like going to a drive inn movie watching AMCs and parking lot filled with hundreds of AMC built vehicles from all over USA for the meet. Here is the clip of Scaramanga & Herve escaping in the flying Matador coupe from the movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B-QUGSCV6c
This Matador coupe belongs to a friend of mine in UK who was also a customer, who owned the car after the movie, until his death in early 2000s, I do not know where that Matador coupe is now. The Hornet, there were several I understand, but the Hornet jump scene was first done in Houston at the Astrodome here (which is still here) by J & M Productions HELLS DRIVERS. Here are some stills from th Astrodome event with captions from my site:
“1972 Astro Spiral Javelin: This fleet of unusual cars were part of the J. M. Productions Hells’ Drivers tour, which also included many Gremlins, Matadors and Hornets. This “Stunt” of driving a car roughly 42mph up a ramp, spinning in a 360 degree turn and landing on another ramp was first performed in the Houston Astrodome here in the early 1970s, 1972 to be exact. It was also unheard of because the feat was done on computers first, which is common nowadays. Driver Chick Galiano gears up in this photo in the cavernous Astrodome… http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/72-amc-javelin-hells-driver.jpg
1972 Astro Spiral Javelin IN AIR: with flashbulbs popping, hearts thumping, breath holding, beer spilling in the Astrodome, Chick performs a never before done stunt before a sellout crowd of over 66,000 people in 1972!! A almost near perfect landing and the crowd was on it’s feet; and word quickly spread about this amazing triumph in a six cylinder 72 Javelin. Several of these cars (I understand there was six used in the tour) still exist in Buffalo, http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/72-astro-spiral-javelin-astrodome.jpg
1972 Astro Spiral Javelin COLOR J & M Production Astro Spiral AMC Javelin over 30 feet upside down in the air! This death defying stunt was first done here in Houston at the Astrodome. It would later appear at thrill shows all over the country. There were 6 of these special six cyinder Javelins used, mostly stipped with no options and beefy front ends and if you ever saw them land after doing a 360 you would know why. The most famous of this particular jumps was utilized the the James Bond (AMCers call it a AMC Cult Classic!!) film “The Man With The Golden Gun” whereas a red 360V8 powered Hornet hatchback performs same stunt over a canal in Thailand. http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/amc-astro-spiral-javelin-color.JPG
$50K, Wow! My ’72 GS convertible is probably worth half that…this must be a truly awesome car!
Top bid at $55,211 — car did not sell. Chalk it up to a fishing expedition for the owner to let the marketplace tell him what the car is worth. Ever since I saw the K5 Blazer sell at Barrett-Jackson for $200K I always have to admit that it only takes a couple of crazies to bid something out of the stratosphere and make reasonable and knowledgeable valuations on the car irrelevant.
More on the Bond Matador: The Hornet jump over canal, they did this in ONE TAKE later reported
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzCIbhLUUA0
As primitive as this computer graphics looks, remember this is American
Motors in 1971. And the actual planning of the Astro Spiral Javelin jump
which would lead to the Hornet Bond jump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak2g5GGE6-k
Here is some uber rare footage of the Javelins jumping at events across USA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiZ_2ahJ9dE
A BS ride….AMC never produced these w/4-speeds:
http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1974_AMC/1974_Matador_Brochure/1974%20Matador-06.html
Over 190 comments… is that a record? Next, someone will post a 1 of 1 Yugo for $500,000 1 of 1, because it runs.
This Matador listing has smelled bad from the beginning, and if somebody actually did bid $55k for that car, wow, is about all I can say, and a bigger WOW for the seller not grabbing it.
Eddie Stakes rules.
The Bidding is over? ….rats…and I was just about to hit the “buy it now” button.
Relisted at the bargain basement, blow out price of… $225K lol
Well at least now he’s being reasonable
Reserve is gone Currently at 50 k… now it’s getting a bit interesting
Would guess that the initial listing was a fishing expedition to see what demand was out there. Can’t begrudge a seller for trying to get the max that someone will pay. Can’t see the value in it but obviously someone can.
Same shill bidder as last auction. This is a dramatic scam. Cars worth 30K tops. Nobodys losing sleep over missing the opportunity to own this once in a lifetime dreamers concoction. Online auctions are great for real transactions and looney tunes for the challenged. There is a true mental condition inwhich, when one posesses something, they over value it. I actually don’t think that’s the case here. I’d sooner assume the owner is a narcissistic overvaluer who thinks there are people out there so stupid they will pull the trigger at 50K for this made up hodge podge. They may be right, but I hope not.
Agree that the current high bidder looks a little shakey but the other bidder at $49,999 has bid on vehicles from 18 different sellers in the past month so I think that bidder seems genuine. Not at all saying that this vehicle’s worth that money — but suggesting that at least 1 real person thinks it is.
Plenty of stupid people around with stupid money…watch for this car in an estate sale or “barnfind” in a decade or two…
I am a true die hard AMC muscle car purest . I do have the funds to step up to the plate if the vin matches the car.and in my opion at that kind of money i am going to do my homework. All it is a slapped togter Amc. . That some ones hoping to retire on. Sorry if i hurt feelings
Some people out there in the car world must think we arent that bright. We didnt become wealthy by beleiving everthing that is posted on used car fack car sites Sorry about a little dose oof honesty
Wow this is the one my dad David Collier sold for $8500 cause the car was going through clutches every tow oil changes. Fortified engine and was bored out. Also in the center console was a button for NOS that a previous owner had installed. Clutch is really bad about slipping. The throw out bearing had to be replaced with one that was machined and never worked right. Good luck with the $250000.
I wrote this when I was 16 http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3346872/1974-amc-matador/
That’s me in it. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3346872/1974-amc-matador/
That’s the listing I put up years ago.
My dad sold this car for $8500 because the engine had been modified. Also the throw out bearing was replaced with one we had machined that never worked and ran through clutches every two oil changes. Not cheap. Good luck on $250000 with no proof or documentation that it came off the lot with a 4 speed besides speculation from previous owners. Sorry!
@Logan Collier–Someone is going to wake up with the realization they got BURNED on this. There seems to be so many lies after your sold it that the mire is hard to sift through.
Thanks for bringing light to a very confusing auction.
The eBay listing was not sold I do not believe. It’s still in the same hands. Either somebody got burned or somebody’s trying to get someone to buy it quickly without thinking. All the AMC experts know this car doesn’t go for any more than 12 Grand at the very very most.
So, it stands to reason the guy that has it is the one on the hook for a car that is bastardized. OUCH…
This is gonna leave a mark….
FWIW, AMC would build any engine/transmission combo in any of their models if the buyer was willing to pay the price since at least the early 1960s. My dad’s younger brother special-ordered a 1964 American with a 327 and Twin-Stick manual in October of 1963 or thereabouts (it was around my eighth birthday) and it was delivered to his local dealer around Thanksgiving Day. I remember all too well, as it was just after President Kennedy was assassinated. He kept it in mint condition until the fall of 1967 when the Javelin was introduced, and he bought one with a 290 and a 4spd transmission. I still think the American was faster.
You’d never find some of the factory-original powertrains in the sales brochures, but if you and your dealer were on good terms – wink, wink, nudge, nudge – you could get anything right up to a factory-fresh track-ready car for the right price…complete with performance camshafts, forged cranks and connecting rods, the whole nine yards. Five Matadors were made with the 401 and 4spd? Surprised it wasn’t more, but I believe it.
Are you sure it was an American and not a Classic? The reason AMC didn’t build the Marlin on the American platform as it was originally conceived was there wasn’t enough room to put their 1st generation V8(250,287,327)in the American. It wasn’t until they came out with their 2nd generation V8 that a V8 was available in an American. And if it was an American with a 327 I can believe it was faster than a 290 V8 in a Javelin. More than one person underestimated the 327 in the 65 Ambassador I was driving.
I don’t know what was done to get that engine in there, but yes it did fit – probably barely. Uncle Brud was proud as punch of that car, and took pics like crazy of it. If I can get my cousin Sue or Danny to send me a few, I’ll post them. I DO know it was an American, it was the new body style and deffo not a Classic or Amby. Dad owned a 1963 Classic wagon, I know the difference in appearance. Brud’s little hotrod was the forerunner of the SC/Rambler, kinda.
In the early 1980s I got my hands on a 1965 Amby 990 convertible with the 327 and Borg-Warner automatic. That car hauled serious ass. Loved it! (VIN H306205.) Love to get my hands on it again, but it’s probably gone back to earth by now. I lived in central Mass. when I owned it, even with Rambler’s zinc rustproofing dip those cars did eventually start to rust away. I sold it because replacement trunnion bushings – or trunnions, period – were impossible to find. Sounded like a jackhammer, every time I hit a pothole.
Wow. This BF post had some long legs. April 30 2018 and still getting comments. Did it sell? How much?
I read majority of the comments on here looking for an answer to the same questions, then scoured the Internet and nothing.
I had a 1974 Brougham that came standard with a 304. The motor seized, bought a 74 AMX 401 that had damage($400 at the time for the whole car), everything matched right up for the Matador, Engine and transmission, the only issue was the drive shaft. also removed the bucket seats and put in there, they were sleeker than the Matador. Other than that! perfect engine tranny match with very little modification.