I have always wondered how many cars came in just one body style, I need to make a list. The Pinto never came in a four-door or a convertible, but they had a wagon as did the Vega. The Chevette came with either two or four doors. But, this 1973 AMC Gremlin X only came with two side doors and never in a wagon. This one can be found here on eBay in Charlotte, Tennessee with a buy it now price of $10,500 and no takers so far. Let’s check it out.
This car is cool, one body style or not. It seems like many of the unusual vehicles that turn my crank are AMC products. But, being cool and/or unusual doesn’t mean that this car is ready for Pebble Beach, it actually has quite a few dings and chips and is worn a bit in spots and there’s a rust hole and all of that. But, an orange Gremlin X?! Yes, please. As a pricing reference, Hagerty is at $9,250 for a #2 excellent condition car which this one certainly isn’t, in my opinion. Hopefully, the seller is open for negotiation or they’ll be keeping this one for a while. They give a value of $6,050 for a #3 good condition car, so probably somewhere in-between those numbers seems like a reasonable value?
The seller says that the paint is original but they talk about the grille having been repaired in spots and repainted, but overall, it’s supposedly wearing its original paint. The graphics, though, are not original, they’re from Phoenix Graphics and have been recently applied. I would have rather seen it all original but that’s just me. They mention that the wheels have been freshened a bit with new paint. I’m not sure if I’ve heard that before. A fun feature of this Gremlin is that it has a three-speed manual with a floor shifter. (next slide…)…
I’m a little worried about the floors seeing how dark the carpet is on the bottom and in the crevasses, but maybe that’s just dirt? They list the mileage as 41,500 and it’s hard to tell, but the body has an incredible amount of dings on it for having just 41,500 miles. Maybe it hasn’t gone around the horn yet? The backseat area looks good other than the carpet. The rear cargo area also looks good, again, other than the worn and dirty carpet. I wonder how this interior would have presented itself with new carpet? Probably pretty well. There are no underside photos but I’d want to see those before jumping on that buy it now button.
Most of us were probably expecting to see a 304 V8 in there, but this is AMC’s 258 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 110 hp in stock form. The seller says that a 2-barrel intake and carb have been added. It runs and drives very nice, they say, and if a person were looking for a mostly-original Gremlin X, it’s hard to beat an eye-catching orange one. Any thoughts on this Gremlin X?
Neat lil cars, yet this one is a bit pricey
BMW in the mid 80’s for example, the 3, 5, 6, and 7 series all had one body style. I would swap a 304 and a 4 speed into this. I have always liked Gremlins and most AMC products…
3&5 had wagons
For that price I expect a V8 under the hood from the factory.
Ten Thousand Five Hundred Hurt Me Dollars, I Have A Few Words For That, NFW And Ba Humbug.
WOW … Another Scotty G special with a straight-6 and a 3-speed stick! Love the car, Hate the price.
Ls and 5 speed and larger brakes all around but sadly it would still be only a gremlin …
Ls’s are for pretenders
It is simply the newest version of the best engine ever created , the chevy v8
With fuel injection and plenty of easy add ons and wayy more power, torque and fuel economy than before , i guess i am a pretender
There’s a a lot to be said for “originality”, but persoally, I would’ve fixed the rust spot and other obvious dents/scratches/etc. while trying to keep as much original paint as possible. THEN, I would have installed the new graphics, which only appear to be the ones on each side. I would also invest in a new carpet kit. Seeing as how this car has the rare swing out side windows, and the front bumper rub strip, and the 3 spd manual, I like it a lot…but I’d love it even more w/ the 304!! GLWTS!!
Pinto and Vega each had three body styles: hatchback, wagon and a 2-door with trunk, called a coupe by Chevrolet and a sedan by Ford.
The Vega actually also had a sedan delivery version for the first couple of years
I agree rust hole should have been fixed at this asking price.
Its quite cute.
But if I buy an X, its going to be a V8 with the Levi seat option
I want it. Not at th if s price, but I want it. Half the buy it now is all it is worth to me.
The gremlin also had 3 other body styles, I believe it was called the hornet, that’s basically all this is with a chopped off rear end, not saying that’s a bad thing, cause compared to the other domestic offerings, they were pretty decent vehicles, plus you had a few nice choices for power train configurations. Nice car, but quite pricey for condition.
The Gremlin and Hornet were very closely related, but they were separate models. Different (very different) wheelbase all-together.
The Hornet came out first, and then came the Gremlin, which Yes, was heavily based on the Hornet.
And FYI, the Hornet actually had 4 different bodystyles. 2 door sedan, 2 door hatchback, 4 door sedan, and 4 door wagon.
The order of launch to get really specific was;
Fall 1969 (’70 model year); Hornet two- and four-door sedans.
April 1, 1970 (!); Gremlin
Fall 1970 (’71 model year); Sportabout wagon
The Hornet hatchback didn’t come along until a couple years later, so it probably wasn’t part of the original program and the Gremlin probably was.
I owned one of these turds. A Gremlin with its short wheelbase, RWD and Ohio snow constantly reminded you that you were about to meet God. Props to the 258 inline six, though. It could not be killed.
Ten grand? Are you crazy???
This is another one of those oddball cars that my equally oddball brain has always liked.
When I was in high school, way back in the stone ages when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, there was a purple 1971 Gremlin X with a 3 speed I lusted after. Lusting after a Gremlin? Yeah, I know, I wasn’t right in the head. The other kids in school were patching together rusted out hulks of the usual 60’s Mustangs, Camaros, Chevelles, etc., but I wanted the Gremlin.
It had a bench seat, and I had visions of going to the drive in with my breathtakingly beautiful, stunningly intelligent, way out of my league girlfriend at the time (did I say she was achingly gorgeous and genius smart?), and snuggling up next to her on that bench seat. It was only a couple of years old at the time, and the $1,500 price was a fortune (to me at least). Instead I bought a ’71 Pinto for much less, quickly came to my senses (though the Pinto was a better driving car than most people give them credit for), and bought a ’69 Mustang. But I never forgot the Gremlin.
This is the kind of car you’ll rarely see at Cars & Coffee. There are always endless lines of immaculately restored Z28’s, Mustangs of all persuasions, endless Chargers and Challengers, Chevelle SS’s, all of which are legendary and beautiful, but a Gremlin is quirky and unique. Especially with this combination of the ‘big block’ 258 6 and a 3 speed stick, you’d probably never see another one like it at any local show. It’s no speed demon and you won’t win any street races, but it’d be a helluva lot of fun to just tool around town in. I bet this car would get more attention at your local shows than almost anything else.
The mileage and originality might make it worth the price. With 158 people watching, it might go for it. But for my money and taste, I think the body has enough wounds that it needs a cosmetic restoration. Which would also mean new carpets (at a minimum) plus fixing whatever rust is lurking under them. Another $10k+ of work would mean >$20k-ish into it at the asking price, which is out of the range of what I’d consider sane.
Thank you Scotty! I’m going to keep an eye on this one. If the price becomes more realistic, I might be tempted. But originality be damned, I’d have to find and fit a factory bench seat into the car.
Hornet was a separate model.Not a Gremlin sub model.
I bought a green 74 Gremlin X in 1981 for $450. It was also the 258/3 speed standard. I soon replaced the clutch then drove the car from Everett Washington down through California across Arizona and New Mexico to Killeen Texas. Drove around there for a year and half then drove it up through Oklahoma across Colorado over the mountains to Provo Utah while pulling a u-haul trailer. I drove it another year in Utah before finally trading for a 77 Hornet wagon. While in Texas I put power steering from a Hornet on it. It was an easy bolt on swap that made the car much easier to drive. The only problem I had was the door hinges and latching peg. The metal around the peg cracked and broke requiring it to be welded. New bushings in the hinges solved that problem. It was a great little car.
God bless America
BIN at 10,500 is twice its value. This is not a #3 car by any stretch. Rust holes both rear quarters, surface rust (and more?) on rear, lotsa dings and dents, maybe a new windshield, grill screwed up and a total carpet job. Your into 3-5000 right there, and then it’s no longer original. Though it really isn’t original right now anyway. I like this car, as is, at $5000. I’d offer 4 as a starting point. Add shipping.
There must be about 500 other cars that would be a better buy at that price.
In his county alone.
My next door neighbor growing up was an AMC (Rambler) dealer in Los Angeles. The only car AMC built that looked halfway nice to me was the Javelin and AMX. Sorry, but I thought the Gremlin was too ugly and cheap the day they first rolled off the line. My neighbor offered to let me borrow a new one to take my girlfriend to the prom. I passed & drove my 62 Impala.
people are nuts. I think i’d take a nice used Lexus over this pile of AMC junk.
The person interested in a “nice used Lexus” wouldn’t be interested in an AMC Gremlin. And the person interested in an AMC Gremlin is not interested in a used Lexus. Total Apple to Orange comparison. Sure, they’re both cars, but two entirely different markets.
“And the person interested in an AMC Gremlin is not interested in a used Lexus.”
Might be, after he sobers up.
Inprrsonally would rather have a vintage AMC inline six, single cam, nothing computerized, simple, reliable and proven over a Lexus. Nothing against Lexus, but I have had repair bills for one after making the mistake of buying a neglected example.
For the record, I haven’t been drinking yet. It is only 10:30 & the Packer game doesn’t start for an hour & a half, so I am sober.
I still stand by this car isn’t worth the price, maybe half would be fair, but I would still rather have this than a Lexus.
Other popular cars to have come in only one body style (aside from numerous sports cars and exotics):
Chevy Monte Carlo
Ford Probe
Chevy Beretta (though very closely related to the Corsica).
Chrysler Cordoba
Dodge Mirada
And several recent 4 door sedans from Japanese or Korean automakers.
The Monte Carlo and the Probe had further generations.
He meant a car that never changed its style at all.
He said a car that had only one style , not different generations.
Montes , Cordobas are always two doors ….
Where did you get that? Where did Scotty say “a car that never changed its style at all”?
What he said was “I have always wondered how many cars came in just one body style?”
So my list, along with others is correct. Let’s pay better attention next time there Miguel, before you “correct” someone else.
Are you trying to say you don’t know what he means?
The gremlin never has a refresh or change to the body before it was discontinued.
Ask him what he meant by his statement and I bet that was it.
Obviously there are a lot of cars that were only made in one body style.
I’m saying that I think you misinterpreted what Scotty meant.
Only he can say for sure, but when he said “how many cars came in just one body style?”
And he DIDN’T say anything about one generation or a car that never changed style.
Seems my interpretation is based off of what he wrote. Your interpretation is based on some assumption.
My interpretation is as follows. Back in the day cars were classified in sizes, small, mid size, and full size. Most cars in these classes had different models, 2 door, 4 door, wagon, etc. The Gremlin was in the AMC small class but was only offered in one model, two door. The body got a little more streamlined through the years but always remained only being offered as a two door car. And I also agree with the rest there were a lot of cars through the years made like this. Too many to mention.
The Mirada’s style was called ‘bumper to bumper sh**box’.
I owned one for many years. Literally defective from the front bumper to the back bumper, INCLUDING the bumpers. It was the kind of car that nearly killed Chrysler corporation. Worst. Car. Ever.
Now back to the Gremlin X… in high school for a while I worked detailing used cars and drove one with the 6 and 3 speed on the floor, it had an easy time smoking the tire(s). For those entertained by such things.
The graphics are from 74, 73 were straight with out the kick up
LOL! IMO, the 2nd ugliest car ever built. The Pacer was first.
That’s the whole point with cars like the Gremlin and Pacer. They’re not exactly classic things of beauty, but they’re quirky and different! Everyone has Mustangs, MoPars, expensive German stuff, etc., but how many Gremlins and Pacers to you see? Cars like this are the ‘road less traveled’. I’d gladly take one of each (at the right price, which this one isn’t).
In 1973 I ordered a Gremlin X with a towing package that included a heavy duty suspension, cooling system and the 304 V8 with a 3 speed manual transmission. Blue with white stripes and black interior. I evidently put slow rise intake manifold, HOLLY 650 4 bbl. carb., Hooker headers straight exhaust system with 42″ Cherry Bomb glass packs, L60 rears & L70’s up front. Fun all of the time.
I didn’t know you could get a Gremlin with a 304 V8 and a manual from the factory. The Holy Grail of Gremlins!
And any of the other v8 engines will bolt right into them 290 -401.
A stock 304 will give a sbc 350 a run for it’s money to.( amc might have gotten beat down by the Chevy and Ford people but consider this, the performance factories did not supply the parts for AMC LIKE THEY DID THE OTHERS. And the could still compete .
(. Amc also got a bad rap of using others parts, so do all the other still today.( Ford Chevy and Dodge all use Borg Warner transfer cases.)
I’m pretty sure they don’t all own Borg Warner.
How about Dana rear ends?
They really were any worse than the other car companies.
Why did Chrysler buy them if the were so bad?????
42 comments. I bet no Lexus would get anything close to that.
Whatever you think of this Gremlin, it’s interesting. Yes, AMC cars of that time weren’t exactly the best built things on the road. Which just makes this car that much more unique, because most of them have long since rusted away or been beaten into the ground. It sure is more fun to look at than most of the committee-designed boring appliances made today. Of course any modern car would be more reliable, faster, more comfortable, etc., but I think cars like this are more fun to drive. It has personality (overpriced, but lots of character).
It’s only worth 3 or 4 gs at most!
I know most people have long since left this thread, but just a FYI. There was a Gremlin X that just sold at Mecum Auctions in Florida for over 32k dollars.
Much nicer than this one, but still a six cylinder. Maybe 10k isn’t THAT far out of question.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0120-411582/1974-amc-gremlin-x/
James Schwartz, thank you for posting the Mecum Gremlin X sale. With my abnormal fondness for Gremlins and other AMC oddballs, I found it interesting, and a little depressing.
$32k for a Gremlin, even a basically ‘new’ one with 1800 miles, just shows that the stock market is WAY overvalued. I’ve seen it happen many times over the years after the stock market has had a long good run. People see the numbers in their portfolio statements and feel ‘rich’. Especially at auctions like Barrett-Jackson and Mecum that seem to distort reality. Car prices always seem to peak at the end of a bull market run, just before the bubble pops.
Another way of looking at it, $32k is about the average price of a new car these days. Instead of buying a Camry, maybe daily driving a ‘new’ Gremlin would be a lot more fun.
It also shows that there are a lot of people out there with FAR more money than they know what to do with. Silicon Valley tech bros and VCs, and New York area hedge fund managers. These people can make tens to hundreds of millions of dollars a year. When you have that much money sloshing around, throwing $32k at a Gremlin as a little ‘filler’ for a car collection is less than pocket change.
I wish I was one of them. Oh well, the end result of a lot of poor choices in my life…
I had 71 Gremlin-x 6 cylinder from 1972 to 1980. Bought it for $2000 and sold it for $900 8 years later with nothing but regular maintenance over 8 years. I laughed all the way to the bank! What I likes about the car was that is was actually a chopped wheelbase mid-size Hornet. That means a front end, engine compartment, engine, brakes, transmission, rear all designed for a bigger heavier car. So that gave the Gremlin above average reliability especially compared to its 2 main competitors, the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega. Its biggest fault was weight distribution with a big heavy durable cast iron 6 up front and a chopped off rear giving it a 60-40 weight distribution.