UPDATE – This 1974 AMC Matador coupe is listed for sale again – this time here on eBay and it’s still located in Staten Island, New York where it was located when we saw it on craigslist back in November. The seller is asking $14,500, $1,000 more than what it was listed for back in November. Please check out the (same) photos in the new listing and let us know your thoughts on this one.
FROM 11/11/2022 – AMC didn’t have a lock on unusual designs in the 1970s, but they sure were towards the top of the heap in that regard. A Gremlin? Crazy. Wait, what about the Pacer?! Who would’a thunk? Then there’s this 1974 AMC Matador Coupe, one of the most unusual designs, maybe of all time. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Staten Island, New York and they’re asking $13,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for sending in this swoopy-woopy tip!
Call me crazy (hey!), but I really like these cars. It could be the Adam-12 connection where Pete Malloy (Marty Milner) bought one, or just because I like unusual vehicles. It doesn’t get much more usual than this, design-wise. Thankfully, it appears that the original wheels come with the car.
AMC came out with a totally new design for the Matador Coupe – which looked nothing at all like the Matador sedan – for the 1974 model year through 1978. We’ve seen a few of them here on Barn Finds and some of those have had the bumpers removed. This was the era when the evil gov’ment forced car makers to add bigger bumpers for safety, and a lot of the companies weren’t able to figure out an elegant way to make them work; just get’r done, and this is what we got.
This car appears to be in almost-perfect condition. The interior is a time capsule back to the Nixon era. The seats look perfect both front and rear – although there is a small mark on the right corner of the dash pad, hopefully that’ll be an easy clean or fix. The trunk looks clean and the underside looks rock-solid. And, kudos to the seller for providing such a wide variety of good photos!
The engine compartment looks like a brochure photo it’s so clean. The standard engine would have been AMC’s 232-cu.in. inline-six and I’m not sure if this is that base engine or the 258-cu.in. inline-six. In any case, it looks great and the seller says that it’s smooth, as is the automatic transmission. The elephant in the room is the asking price. They say that they paid $23,000 and were going to ask that for this car, which is $1,000 over Hagerty’s value for a #1 Concours car with a 304 V8, so that’s not happening here. What are your thoughts on this Matador Coupe?
If I had unlimited funds, I would start a collection of oddball cars and this would be one of them.
I like your thinking, sir. I’m right there with ya.
Have you met Myron Vernus,in Ohio yet?
Penske & Bobby Allison did it best:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklands/24250816153/
They “shrank” the rear side windows, lowered it, and radiused the body for massive tires. And added a lot of ponies.
Yea Ken, I always liked the way this. car looked in Nascar trim.
That rear window shape comes from the Matador Barcelona II from 1977-1978. Earlier NASCAR Matadors had the original, larger windows. At least some good came from that tacky, overdone Barcelona II package.
Èl Matàdor coupe
“Crazy” is such a harsh word, lets say, “mishuga”. I have never met someone who enjoys certain TV shows as much as I do. Andy Griffith, Dragnet, and of course, the biggie, Adam-12, so it’s no surprise a car like this would trigger that memory. Petes car initially was shown as a top of the line “X” with a 401, but later shots, showed a more sedate one. Buying one went beyond just being different, almost a giant middle finger to the neighbors, as if to say, try and top this! Well, top it they did, and Matador was a poor seller. I always wonder what went on in the board rooms when this was unveiled. Did they really think it would be popular? I suppose auto history is full of those ideas.
I think unusual is making a comeback, of sorts, at least in my goofy town, and I’m seeing more unusual, cars like this, so who knows? I’d put the original wheels back, or “X” wheels, the mags are cool, but not here. It’s the originality that will sell this car. Now, $13,500? That’s the real “mishuga” part. Oh wait, best offer, $5grand, tops. I think we all can agree on the mileage being original. Another great find from the master of such things.
T.J. sent in this tip, so is he the master?
Looks good in orange.Like the wheel choice.These were not bad cars.
In the 70’s our driveway looked like an AMC dealership. We lived in a duplex with my aunt and her kids next door. Ma had a Matador wagon, my brother and I had Hornet X’s, Cousin Paul next door had a Concord. My girlfriend (wife of 38yrs) had a Gremlin, and my sister had a Sportabout wagon. If I remember correctly, they all ran good with no major issues. Good simple cars. All except the Matador had the 232/258 sixes, The Matador had a 360 V8. No power windows in any, the Concord had AC, all auto trans except for my Hornet. The Sportabout and Gremlin didn’t have power steering.
Power windows were never available in a Hornet or Gremlin. Concord could have p/w but try to find one. Javelin & AMX also were not available with power windows but one could get leather seats in AMX or Javelin, depending on the year.
The older we get, the more cars we see, I think we realize that some cars had more panache than we realized. A guy in high school had one jacked up, big tires in the rear narrow in the front, dark brown with a cream vinyl roof , and a 401 with dual exhaust, it was a very nice car. That being said, this car doesn’t look good in orange and the anemic engine isn’t a good match. This car looks good in darker colors, it just seems to flow better. The asking price is absurd with what you are getting. It’s a nice car, but 13 large is high, Halloween is over.
I think $13k is reasonable. You can hardly buy anything for $13k let alone something in a condition this nice.
The horrible vinyl [ or two toned ] top doesn’t help things.
There should never have been a vinyl topped, opera windowed or landau roofed version of a Matador coupe.
Hideous stick on ways of adding ersatz “luxury”.
Every time we see a Matador my wife tells the story about when my father in law came home with one of these for their new family vehicle. Bought it from a bar buddy who was an AMC salesman. Her mom was…”not happy”!
To this day my wife thinks these are the ugliest cars ever built. Scarred for life! 🤣
Looks as if it was dropped from a five-story building and landed on its roof. I like it.
I purchased a one owner w/ 80k miles in the mid 90’s for $750
Blue/ blue 304, auto, with A/C.
Needed radiator serviced and water pump.
Drove it a couple years, never needed anything but oil changes and fuel. Once took it from Phoenix to Las Vegas and got 23 mpg in the middle of July.
In 50 years of buying cars and having owned more than 85, this got more attention and conversation than any other…
I like this but if I purchase another it would have to be a V-8 and A/C car.
It must have been tough to be in charge of AMC, back in the ’70’s. With each new vehicle being further out there than the last. Spit balling at it’s finest.
Guy I work with has yellow one, built 401, auto, bumpers removed and centerline wheels, it’s actually nicer than this one,in my opinion.
‘This was the era when the evil gov’ment forced car makers to add bigger bumpers for safety, and a lot of the companies weren’t able to figure out an elegant way to make them work; just get’r done, and this is what we got.’
The Matador was lauded for it’s simple [and elegant] freestanding approach to the government bumper mandates at the time.
As for removing a Matador’s bumpers: not an improvement to the styling and a critical mistake, leaving nothing to protect vulnerable sheet metal from even slight dings. A stupid move.
Everyone bloviates about the “awful” styling of the Matador, conveniently forgetting such hideously styled piles like Torinos, Monte Carlos, full sized Chevrolets.
Fords 5 mph bumpers were the worst in the industry, but they get a pass.
Compared to bloated Cadillacs, Fords, Lincolns, full size Oldsmobile [a ’75 Toronado is a joke] or Buick, a Matador of that period looks sleek.
Every horrible mess from the ’70s gets a pass, but mention an AMC…..
Back in 1980, my buddy bought a 1974 Ambassador. 4dr, V-8, loaded, no rust, etc. Had it a week and we were driving back to my place. He took a left hand turn a little too fast, trying to beat the light. The front suspension curled up like a cat, thus driving the car onto the berm, we hit a raised sewer grate, which launched the car into a small 3 inch diameter tree. That Ambassador collapsed like an accordion. The whole front end was looking at the sky! Since we weren’t going that fast, we walked away, unscathed. The poor AMC was toast.
I was working at an AMC/Jeep dealer when these came out. Remember, it was 1974 and we were all amazed that AMC could produce such a different style. It was Motor Trends Car of the Year.
However, I still would never have one with the 6-cylinder. Most had the 360. The six was great for the smaller cars but not for a car the size of the Matador.
Sorry guys. I know it’s not an Aztec but this is not my idea of something I would park in my garage.
This was the first of the one-two punches that killed AMC.
First the restyled Matador. AMC had, by that time, been relishing its reputation as a proponent of “quirky” styling. The 1970 Hornet was a bit different, if not radical. The first modern design to move away from Coke-bottle flaring on the rear.
The Gremlin, of course, was an automotive amputee; but that was more driven by budget than by taste. Clever advertising made it into a virtue, popular with the under-20 set (which in those years had money to buy cars, amazingly).
Into that…as well as Dick Teague’s other less-successful attempts (the restyled C-103 Commando)…came the Matador Coupe.
Right into the Arab Embargo gasoline shortage.
An overdone, awkward style, on an obvious heavy frame, with little thought of space utilization. It was obviously Teague & Company on a bad day, and against deadlines. “We don’t know what to do with it, but the old style isn’t working anymore.”
This out…hitting the market like the Titanic hit the iceberg…the battle-fatigued Troops of Teague set up to make the Really Wide Small Car. That would incorporate the GM Rotary Engine.
What could go wrong THERE? And especially, right on the heels of AMC’s sale of the engine line that would have been a perfect second choice for the Pacer – the Kaiser-nee-Buick V6.
What that meant was, with GM’s rotary project aborted, there was no engine to use for the Pacer, but the tall, long, 600-pound in-line six.
And there was no way to recover the money spent. The only option left was to beg…first the US government, then, rebuffed, the sympathetic management of state-owned Renault.
It’s really a tragedy – especially since in AMC’s back rooms, they had been playing with a four-wheel-drive Hornet concept, since, effectively, their purchase of Kaiser Jeep. THAT could have saved the company, and it could have come out with a healthier cushion and development funding, in those years.
I worked for an AMC dealer back in 1977 as a lot boy .They had one in the showroom stuck in the back corner it was 76 .I worked there 3 months and when I left it was the only car left after all the originals sold .I went back a couple times and it was still there . I think it took a year and half to sell it
just my 2 cents. It was ugly then. It’s still ugly now. I do like some AMC stuff, just not this one
Needs a set of wings for Bond to chase.
These look so much better with those ugly bumpers removed. Feels like a hug risk though.
@PRA4SNW- It’s truly a “hug” risk. No woman would give you the time of day after you roll up in that thing.
Nicest one left????
Not by a long shot!
Check out AMC clubs.
It’s not that rare. But it is COOL!
Im thinking 8k is fair for this one, being all original with a six and no ac…Its a oddball and even if you get for 8 it wilol be a fist fight to sell down the road in a lower market.
That was funny! “a fist fight to sell” just the mental picture of that, HA,HA!!!!
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If it’s not the Oleg Cassini abomination…..I’m not interested ! lol
Its orange. And a Matador. With no rust. If I ONLY had the room…………..
bt
I have not seen the 4-door Matador on Barnfinds in the 4 years I have been looking at Barnfinds. An aunt of mine offered me a 4-door version of the Matador FOR FREE (with the six, 2 years old), but it was too butt ugly for me, so I kept my 1970 Biscayne 6 cyl. 4-door. I would have taken a two-door like this in a second!
We’ve done just one of them over the last few years that I can see, John.
https://barnfinds.com/2414-miles-1975-amc-matador/
That’s it as far as I can see. There have been a few four-door wagons, but only that one four-door sedan. We’ve done some two-door non-“Coupe” Matadors. You can search for Matador in the little search box on the upper-right of the page to see the ones that have been on the site.
Cragar S/S should have been the factory wheels on a Matador!
In AMC tradition they could have made color keyed Cragers for Matadors.
Maybe with Oleg Cassini emblems on them. lol
Major price update: the seller lowered the buy-it-now price to $10,750! This appears to now be a great deal. Anyone looking for a cool orange Matador Coupe (I’m lookin’ at you, Michelle!), here’s your chance.
There is one of these for sale in Mexico in a beige color with the AMX package on it.
It is super clean.
Pretty much for the same price as the one featured .
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/976893913269369/?hoisted=false&ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ac67b0f50-0f4a-4504-aa86-9cfade0e0386