It’s hard to tell what freaky fun and frivolity is hiding inside this classic dark green colored 1972 AMC Hornet Sportabout. It’s sort of like those people (and, you know who you are) who wear bright and colorful socks that you get a glimpse of every time they sit down. This designer wagon is listed here on eBay in a city that I should have moved to after high school: San Diego, California. The current bid price is $12,500, let’s check this thing out.
In looking at the photos of this gem and thinking about the last two crazy years and how prices have gone through the roof for everything, I’m kind of surprised that this Hornet Sportabout is “only” $12,500 so far. We looked at a 1988 Buick Electra Estate a few days ago and the Hornet Sportabout is another vehicle where using the word wagon is redundant because the Sportabout is a wagon, that’s all they came as, body style-wise.
The AMC Hornet was made from 1969 for the 1970 model year until 1977 and the four-door Sportabout came out in 1971. The seller says that this car isn’t perfect, there are a few dings and they say that it could use a paint job but the underside looks rock solid. But, there’s a surprise under the hood that sets this one apart from a very few remaining other Gucci Edition Hornet Sportabouts. There are some Gucci badges on the exterior but the real fun starts inside.
Speaking of surprise, yow!! AMC partnered with a few famous designers to bring high-fashion to the masses, or to as many folks that would check the box for a Pierre Cardin Javelin or an Oleg Cassini Matador. All in, AMC made just under 5,000 Gucci Sportabouts in 1972 and 1973 for an extra $141.75 over the cost of the Sportabout, the only car they were offered on. The seller says that the front seats have some splitting and need to be repaired. The back seat looks great and the original Gucci headliner fabric was saved when the adhesive failed and a standard headliner was installed. Yeah, you’re gonna wanna put that original fabric back up there again. One odd thing is that there isn’t one photo showing the dash at all, hopefully it looks ok, and I’m not sure what that material is that’s bunched up on the driver’s side floor, a protective seat cover maybe?
Another surprise is hiding under the hood, it’s AMC’s 304 cubic-inch V8 which has been rebuilt and runs like a champ. I expected to see a 258 inline-six which would have been nice but a 304 is fantastic! There was also a 360 V8 option but a 304 would work well for me and this has been bored 0.30 over, has a mild cam, a four-barrel carb, and dual exhaust so it’s putting out more than its original 150 horsepower. Fly in and drive this one home? Yes, please.
So……”Sportabout Wagon” is redundant ?
Then why isn’t ” ’63 Corvette Split Window Coupe”?
Not all 63 Corvettes were coupes.
If it had a split back window, it was a coupe.
Sort of like tuna fish sandwich!
The 360 engine option was only available one year and only on the SC 360 2-door in 71. However I think a 71 Hornet Sportabout Gucci SC 360 would make for a conversion starter at car shows or cars and coffee events. Make mine a 5-speed please.
My college roommate had a hand me down Sportabout in orange and white. Always got us where we needed to go and the perfect size for a college student. It’s also one of designs that ever grows old. If Sean Connery was a car he would be the AMC Sportabout. LOL!
The `72 AMC brochure shows the 2 barrel 360 as optional for Hornet.
Second to last page in below link.
https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/amc/amcf72/amcf72.html
Maybe listed in the brochure but like many options listed some never make it to production. I did a search but I never found the Sportabout with a 360 from factory. The SC360 sedan was a one year only in 71.
Thanks very much, David! That’s where I got that info. I figured if a person can’t trust printed literature from a manufacturer then we can’t trust any source.
The plot thickens. I consulted with a good friend who is a automotive trivia guy. He seems to remember a AMC collector who had a factory 360 Sportabout it was like a 1 of 1 or the AMC equivalent of a COPO car special ordered for a AMC employee. If so then I am wrong. Maybe one of our AMC guys will chime in.
I will be at the Kenosha Homecoming this June with my buddy’s `77 Pacer and his two `81 Sundancers.
I will ask around.
I agree a lot of brochure options never make it to production.
I was the fleet manager at Fanning Cadillac-Buick in Chicago for 10 years.
Constantly had to remind the salesman to not promise certain options on ordered cars until they were confirmed via DCS.
I remember an early `86 FWD LeSabre on the Chicago Auto Show floor that had a 3.0 engine. It had already been discontinued in that model by the time of the show. It was a surprise to even our Buick zone manager.
Nice seldom seen car, but about 7k high in price seeing it needs 7k minimum in paint and upholstery work.
Interesting, So.Cal car and no a/c? Lose the turn-down chrome-tips. Front plate is newer Calif. plate, rear one is older, probably original. Otherwise nice car.
Make it a 2 door and i could possibly consider it !
The size is right
The interior is carnaval esque and very cheesy !
Was it designed by the ZIMMER guys ?
Does anyone else think the author should live somewhere else besides the North Pole? I hope someday he gets that warehouse full of Asian classics in sunny AZ. Hey, it could happen.
The Sportabout is one of those cars that gets no respect, no respect, I tells ya'( adjusting tie, wiping forehead). It set the stage for the “hatchback”, that practically every car maker eventually offered, AMC was the 1st, I believe.( crickets) It’s been said( mostly by me) the Hornet, and all it’s offshoots, was probably the most sucessful car AMC made. I don’t know who or what “Gucci” is or was, I couldn’t care less what moniker they attached to these cars to increase sales, I think simply, it was the best car AMC ever made. Just try and find another,,,they had rust on the showroom floor.
Usually I agree with you Howard , but these didn’t rust on the showroom floor, They did rust, but no more than most other cars, with the exception on the 70s imports and the king of Rust, the Vega . The reason you dont see them anymore is they were an entry level car, and were treated as such. they became hand me down cars and were driven into the ground . They were dependable and fairly rugged , but their last owners only cared if they ran, not how beat the rest of the car became .It wasn’t uncommon to see them in the lower income housing areas beat to h*ll , but still chugging around . When AMC folded, anything AMC was looked upon like Studebaker, an extinct car of the past that nobody wanted. A lot ended up in our junkyard from dealerships that took them in trade but didn’t want them on their lot, even if they weren’t in bad shape.
Dad had one as a family workhorse. Full of kids all the time. It was a great car, same color but had white racing stripes. Lasted a long time.
No really correct to say that AMC folded. They were bought out by Chrysler so my 100 shares of AMC became 41 shares of Chrysler and when Mercedes bought Chrysler my 100 shares of AMC were then 23 shares of Daimler Benz. No further stock conversions when Daimler sold Chrysler to a hedge fund who then sold Chrysler to Fiat/Stellantis. So I still have my 23 shares of Daimler that pays a nice dividend and still call it my AMC stock!
You’re 100% correct , Bob19116 – poor choice of wording on my part
Poor AMC! Flailing desperately to stay relevant and afloat in the 70’s. Including the wacky designer interiors. The only one that made sense was the Levi’s option.
Needs a hemi, like the Gremi on Roadkill.
I’ve always thought that these were nicely styled cars, and I love the unique interior! My only personal experience with these wagons is when I drove one as an autobody jobber delivery car, back around 1980. Admittedly, the guys tended to beat on the delivery vehicles, and it had a lot of miles on it, but even with that being said, driving it was like driving a bucket of loose bolts. The delivery car only had a six, which made a sound similar to a long, drawn out shart. I’ll be the eight makes a big difference! But, jeez, over $12,000 for a Hornet Sportabout? The world has gone mad, I tell ya.
Long drawn out shart 😂 where can I get one of those exhaust systems?
I love this car (body style, engine, color, etc.) and want it. But currently all my money is tied up building a house. (How smart is that right now?)
Maybe another will turn up again.
I have a good friend who had one of these without the roof rack and with a 258 and 4 speed from the factory. He would still own it if it weren’t for an idiot that forgot what a brake pedal was for.
Yeah that price is still rising, these are good looking and almost sporty. Back in the day a customer of a service station I was employed at had one very close to this one . Green, small eight with a NORMAL interior, same wheels and luggage rack. Made an impression with me then and I still think it’s a good design.
I never had a Sport About, but I did have a 77 Hornet wagon, 258 automatic A/C car. Great car, the only problem I ever had with it was the hinges for the lift gate, they broke into so I had to replace them. I don’t want one now because my situation has changed, no kids, no wife and I’m more into the big Convertibles. This will be a good car for someone. That 304 should move it well enough for most needs.
God Bless America
Had one bought brand new in 74 ? Gas was too high in the Travelall. 232 cube 6, 3 on the tree, green with faux woody trim. Good running car, decent gas mileage, the right size for my 5 ft wife. Put miles on it, traded for a 78 jeep FSJ Cherokee. Back to gas prices!!
Something different to see at the shows and cruise-ins.
Really, how many GM 4 speeds with chrome hood hinges do we
have to see. Great cars, but a nice original or restored car from some place other than the Big 3 is fun to see.
Auction update: this Gucci Sportabout sold for $19,820!