This 1973 AMC Hornet two-door sedan came just about halfway into the run of these unique cars and this is one of the nicest that I’ve seen in a long time, at least for this body style. I love this notchback design with a trunk rather than a hatchback. The seller has this time capsule listed here on Hemmings in Clearwater, Florida and they’re asking $15,900. Here’s the ad in case someone grabs this car in the next few days.
If you click on the seller’s other listings, they have some gems and they’re all priced accordingly. $15,900 might be the top of the market for such a bare-bones car as this Hornet where maybe the only option is an automatic transmission, but we all know that there are really no great deals anymore and, sadly, you’re not getting this car for $2,500 as you may have been able to a decade ago. The seller lists the mileage as being 21,362 and I don’t see any glaring issues that would lead me to believe otherwise. How about you?
The Hornet was made for the 1970 through 1977 model years at which point AMC upgraded the Hornet and it evolved into a much nicer, quieter, posher, plusher AMC Concord. The Concord had the same body styles and then some, adding an unusual convertible and also the you-know-it-you-love-it, you-can’t-live-without-it, the AMC AMX. I like the utility of a hatchback but prefer the look of this notchback two-door coupe with an actual separate trunk. Look at that profile! Cool.
Yes, an SC/360 would be the ultimate version of this car, even though 1973 was a couple of years after they quit making that version. But, this is what most people bought since the Hornet wasn’t exactly a luxury car. This one appears to not even have an optional radio, that’s how bare bones it is. Although, the automatic transmission would have been an option as would have, I believe, the full wheel covers and whitewall tires. The whole interior looks as perfect as the exterior does both front and back.
This is no 360 V8, this one has the base engine which was an AMC 232 cubic-inch inline-six that put out 100 horsepower. The three-speed Chrysler-sourced TorqueFlite automatic won’t make any crazy 0-60 times but this is a car that you drive for the fun factor of seeing people’s reactions when you stop for gas or groceries. Have any of you owned an AMC Hornet? If so, any thoughts on this asking price?
I like it a lot, but not 16K a lot. 8K would work for me.
Back in the day my senior Pastor at church owned a ’72 model 2 door Hornet in a hideous yellow, Canary Yellow I believe. He swore (not really) by that car and how good it was.
I LOVE this plain-jane Hornet!
Why, oh why, am I so enamored with AMC products? I guess I’ve always gone for the underdogs.
Slow, noisy, uncomfortable seats, and overpriced…what’s not to like?
Drove a new 74 wagon as a senior in high school. You said it all, especially the seats. Drove from Denver to Houston in it, could hardly stand up straight after a couple hours in those front seats. Back seats were no better. Neat car here, but not certain would ever want another one of these honestly.
I installed Concord seats in the Sportabout wagon I used to have. What a difference! Spend any time in standard Hornet or Gremlin seats and you’ll be running to a chiropractor. Even Rambler American seats were 1000% better.
Nice to see one of these in such nice shape but that’s a crack pipe price.
Yes, thinly padded, poorly shaped, flimsily framed and the folk’s new ’71 Gremlin already had frame pieces working holes into the sides of the vinyl from the day they brought it home.
Would love to have one of these with this engine: https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/horsepower-turbo-4-0-amc-jeep/.
Now that would be an absolute hoot to troll most any vehicle with….IF you could get it to hook up.
Hasn’t this car popped up somewhere recently, at a lower price? I recall seeing something similar, also without air conditioning? That’s what alerted me.
Nice car, but at half the listed price.
This was a much nicer car, albeit it more miles, that sold for a much more reasonable price.
https://barnfinds.com/sun-orange-survivor-1977-amc-hornet-dl/
How do I know? I took the photos of the car for the seller.
I saw this very car today in Clearwater at a dealership. The guy was very nice, and I told him that a very similar car came up on BF yesterday (not realizing it was the same car). He didn’t mention that it was the very same car, but maybe he wasn’t familiar with BF (seems unlikely).
After seeing the car in person, I can revise my estimate upwards. It’s in really excellent shape. Condition isn’t the problem….desirability is.
I knew someone who had one of these. You could turn the steering a full half turn and it would still keep going straight.
Just like my ’70 boxy falcon with PS – i called it rope steering. lol
Are the seats in the 1st gen camaro really any more comfortable?
I wouldn’t call this any kind of a coupe, it’s a two-door sedan with the same roofline and rear window as the 4-door. As such, and given the dowdy image Rambler/AMC never could shake as well as the Gremlin’s presence in the showroom next to it, its’ sales ran neck-in-neck with the 4-door sedan at a time when sporty coupes dominated the Big 3’s compact sales. (with them offering no compact wagons for the first half of the ’70s, some years over half of all Hornets sold were Sportabouts). This model’s sales dropped well below the 4-door once the hatchback coupe joined the line.
At least it wasn’t “post” coupe.
The outlier is “hardtop” but people like to add words like “post” to sedan and anything with two doors is always a “coupe” these days.
Usually people who add the word “post” are trying to sound better informed than they are.
There were no manufacturers that ever sold anything called a two or four door “post” anything.
NLPLT: yes, it does matter and thank you for taking the time to explain it.
Back in the early to mid 70s, a neighbor of mine had a Gremlin. He must have been an AMC man, because he traded that in on a new Pacer. Baby blue, just like Wayne’s.
Seller has very lofty aspirations with that price. If it were a V8 hatchback model, then perhaps. But to have the smallest of four engine choices, and a granny tranny (auto on the column) in the bland-est of colors…. good luck.
I used to haunt the AMC lots in Davenport Iowa when these were new and was surprised at how many they stocked with absolutely no options on them, especially Gremlins.
It wasn’t till years later I ever saw anything close, a brand new 96-97 Cavalier with nothing more than what came standard.
By that time, of course, standard equipment included ABS, AM radio, wheel covers, power steering and [ power disc brakes too IIRC ].
My own Valiant Signet had a heater and radio and possibly whitewalls. Not even “nicely equipped” for ’63 .
Love these basic cars. It’s still the way I buy them, but the standard equipment list = a loaded car from years before. Nothing is really stripped these days.
Remember for 72 AMC dropped it’s most basic models so they were better trimmed than the base 70-71.
http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1973_AMC/1973%20AMC%20Full%20Line%20Prestige%20Brochure/image11.html
This one featured on BF was the SST trimmed level trim for ’72
http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1972_AMC/1972%20AMC%20Full%20Line%20Brochure/image2.html
Can’t find any pictures of ’71 base but they were pretty much slabs with vinyl stretched a cross and a couple of stripes.
I owned the 4 door version, I believe it was a 72 model. Mine was yellow with a black roof, had a radio, plaid seats that laid flat and the 252 engine that was used in jeeps up into the 90s. Drove it all through college and loved it. As for price on this one, I wouldn’t go higher than 5 grand.
correct motor, nice condition, right transmis (well may B the more modern 4 speed auto – an OD). Daily em if U got’em (all Spring/Summer/Fall) !
My Uncle had a 73 four door in the same yellow color. He drove it until 2006 when he ” traded up” to an 86 Tempo. My grandparents had a 76 Hornet. Canary yellow with a white top. Both ran forever. Both also took forever to get there. Wish I had those cars today.
Very nice, overpriced car. 5-7k seems more reasonable. Just because it’s uncommon doesn’t make it rare or desirable. He will have it awhile.
I would love to own this cute little granny car, but not at this price.
It needs to come back home to Wisconsin!
Whoa! This seller has raised the price $2,000 to $17,900 and, not surprisingly, it’s still for sale…
Well Scotty, the seller can now boast “As seen on Barnfinds.com!”. That’s gotta be worth 2K, eh?