I’m not exactly sure why, but it’s been a longstanding pattern for me to often root for the underdogs, whether it’s losing sports teams, music that’s not popular, or even domestic vehicles not manufactured by the “Big 3”. This may have been triggered at a young age when my dad bought a new Gremlin, one of those oddly shaped compacts that were typically not considered a cool form of transportation during the seventies. However, times have changed, and most vintage AMC offerings are no longer being shunned as they sometimes were several decades ago. This 1973 Gremlin here on Craigslist is the sporty “X” model, and it appears to be a well-cared-for example. Priced at $11,900, this one’s residing way up in the northeast in Oxford, Maine, and we’d like to thank reader Tony Primo for locating it and sending in the tip!
It’s one thing for a manufacturer to give a car a masculine name, or a moniker that’s associated with something fun, sporty, trendy, or reliable. For AMC to choose a title like Gremlin was a risk from the get-go, as this term is sometimes associated with undetectable sources of problems. Looking back, I don’t recall ours ever having any serious trouble and very few minor issues, even at the 100k-mile mark. The seller reports that this car has only traveled 62,000 miles, has recently been serviced, and needs nothing. Power comes from an inline-6 engine, though there’s no word on whether it’s a 232 or 258-cubic-inch unit.
Another positive here is that this one sports the optional X package, and though no performance enhancements were included, it did feature a full-length side stripe and some additional smaller striping on the top areas of the quarters. The luggage rack and wind deflector over the rear hatch also enhance the top appearance on this one, and while it’s not clarified if this is still the original paint, this Gremlin appears to be in very nice shape cosmetically and structurally, regardless. It’s said to have previously resided in Ohio and was shipped to Maine about two years ago.
The mostly red interior has received some upgrades and features a few custom touches, such as those front buckets and the console sitting in between them. There’s some wear on the driver’s armrest, but overall, things in here look pretty sweet. More good news is that the undercarriage also appears solid, with the provided photos showing strong rails and floors. AMC Gremlins are no longer comedy material, and I’m guessing someone will be eager to snatch this one up fairly quickly. Is the seller’s asking price in the ballpark for what we’re seeing here?
This one has a couple of upgrades seats and luggage rack which I suppose if you’re traveling it would definitely be a plus. I am 6’2″ and when I was in Minot and the gas prices jumped (we were Airmen) three of us started car pooling and I did ride in the back of X package Gremlin. Green with gold stripes, white lettering on the tires. Sitting sideways, and enjoying the ride lol. They were a decent transportation and the heater worked just fine. That’s Minot ND 3 months of decent weather!
Interior looks like it’s spray painted. I don’t recall Gremlins or Hornets with a RED interior like that. (Also you can see paint wearing off of the driver’s door arm rest.)
I’d lose the fat rear tires. They’re kind of ridiculous on a six-cylinder Gremmie. I don’t really care for the look of the aftermarket bucket seats but they are no doubt more comfortable than AMC stock.
Gremlins tend to get a bad rap from people who don’t know them but aside from awful space utilization (they’re really two-seaters) they are not bad cars and are actually pleasant to drive when equipped with a few well-chosen options.
Those seats in this car are ridiculous.
It’s Gremlin week on Barn Finds.
A Gremmy X, with a six and an automatic. Just like your hip granny desired.