The second-generation Matador by American Motors (1974 to 1978) was a full-size automobile. And the styling of the 2-door coupe was a lot different than that of the sedan or wagon. Some consider the styling “quirky” but that seems to be an AMC trait (remember the 1970s Gremlin or Pacer?). This 1975 couple was in a barn for more than 30 years. It was brought out, cleaned up, and made to run until the engine gave up the ghost on compression. So, now it’s an “opportunity” for its next owner to work on further.
AMC Matadors replaced the Rebel in 1971 as a mid-size. When the next rework came in 1974, the company decided to move the car up a notch in size – just in time for the first gasoline shortage caused by a rout with OPEC. The Matador was not a huge seller by Detroit standards, but AMC managed to build 60,000 of them in 1975, the second year of the car which was little changed from the year before. Perhaps the shining moment for the automobile was its prominent product placement in the 1974 James Bond flick, The Man with the Golden Gun, where it was driven by the villain and later turned into an airplane.
We’re told this was a one-owner car that originated in Washington State. It was driven to San Diego, California where it was parked in a barn for more than three decades and forgotten until recently. The seller rescued it, had it registered in his/her name (making it a two-owner car?), and treated it to some soap and water along with mechanical attention. The mileage is said to be under 8,000, but most would say it’s more like 108,000.
Part of the Matador’s mechanical reawakening included cleaning out the fuel system, giving it a tune-up, and adding a new battery and a fresh set of tires. After all that, the compression on the 360 cubic inch V8 engine failed, and the car no longer starts. The next owner will have to sort out that issue and keep the effort going. The red paint seems okay, there appears to be a white vinyl top, and the saddle interior is more than capable from what we can see.
If you’re into American Motors cars and don’t mind a good challenge, perhaps this Matador is it. When was the last time you saw one of these vehicles on the road? From La Mesa, California, this barn find project is available here on craigslist for $8,500. Maybe you could be the next James Bond?
My parents had this car same color and roof but inside was plaid seats.. Thought it was ugly when dad bought it back then. but it was a reliable car for its time..
At least the seller washed it.
The days of selling a non running or dirty project for top dollar are over, at least temporarily, unless it’s a highly sought after make and model, that’s not this car. The seller may have been able to get it running, but it isn’t now, if it was an easy fix they’d probably have found it. There is too much downside based on the asking price, if any major component, which can’t currently be checked, is bad. The market for generic cars without a strong following is softening, patient buyers can and will do better.
Steve R
Wrong. All classic cars are going up in value and will stay up. The curve graph will only go upward. They don’t make these anymore, so there!
Nope, look at the cars featured on this site that are advertised on Facebook and CL. Those ads show the age of the listings. Cars like this, that don’t have a strong following are often sitting on the market for weeks in months. It’s a different story for cars with strong followings such as 68-70 Chargers, Road Runners, 65-70 Mustang Fastbacks and other, those still command string prices and always will.
Cars without a strong following appeal to people who want something inexpensive they can work on, take to an occasional show or cruise around, the make and model isn’t a primary concern, to them it’s more about price and condition. There are a lot of those cars floating around, often 4 doors or cars from the mid-70’s through 1980’s with low mileage, that don’t need any work, they are often advertised in the $5-6,000 range.
This car, the current asking price will only appeal to die hard mid-70’s Matador enthusiasts, there aren’t many of those willing to drop $8,500 on a non-running project.
Steve R
They were love it or hate it looks. When they came out the automotive press raved over the styling. Very comfortable cars . Unfortunately formal styling from GM and Ford sold better. AMC V8s can be made to produce good power. Cut the price in half for a non runner
Yeah, reading is hard too! And not much comes of it. Curves always slope up, in perpetuity. What was that saying about those ignoring history being bound to repeat it?
Never mind.
Tax cuts? Impact on these markets? Something new every day. Ramrod, perhaps you should invest and let us know how it goes.
Pete Malloy had a Matador like this in the last season of Adam-12, episode “Krash”. It was later shown with non-X wheels. It was an “X” and remember Jim mentioning it had a 401, just like their cruisers. Odd styling, and seemed the TV show would be a good place to preview it. Would Pete Malloy have bought a Matador in real life? Nah, worth a try. The public never really warmed up to it, still unsure of AMC after the Gremlin and Pacer, the latter, even less appeal. The brave ones that did buy these, got a wonderful car. Comfy, great heat/a/c, lot of room, reliable gas hog, the 360 was, still, priced at around $3500, it undercut competition, like Ford Torino, $3954, or the Chevelle, $3711, up almost $300 from 1974, it really was a good car. Despite its odd looks, it actually was a big seller. Almost 62,000 bought the coupe in 1974, up from only 7,000 for the old Matador. With the Ambassador cancelled in 1974, the Matador coupe became AMCs only full size car. It didn’t last long, as this was the last.
Steve is spot on, cars like this will never be sold. If it had the plastic on the seats, a much better chance, but it’s the odd styling that will attract any buyers, blissfully unaware of what an AMC even is. A shoddy one like this, has less and less appeal. I too predict a glut of these types of cars in the near future, selling for peanuts, if at all.
The Gremlin sold very well , so I think people were pretty much “warmed ” up to it ; the Pacer sold well the first year , but sales dropped off quickly ,possibly because of its poor gas mileage compared to the other small cars of the time. I think these Matadors sold poorly mainly because of their bizzare looks , the body lines just look all over the place and its squat sides make it look extremely wide , and with the energy crisis in full swing , fuel economy was a concern.
Cars like this look less weird as we move into a future of EVs. These could have been in the back ground of a street scene in Blade Runner. Just curious. The only way I know of a car losing compression is if it blows a head gasket or the rings are worn. That would seem to be an easy fix. At least the head gaskets. Am I wrong?
Generally, if a motor sat that long, it’s more than likely stuck rings. Head gasket would have leaking coolant or oil, and these motors were tough, even 100,000 I doubt would be that worn as to have no compression from worn pistons. Could be a valve stuck open too, but you’d get a backfire of some sort. Soaking it in Marvel oil might loosen them up, but asking a lot.
The compression test failed? What does that mean? It’s not as high as it should be overall? A few cylinders do not have any or they are low?
It could be a broken timing chain as well. Without the details and hearing it crank, one can only guess. Assuming it is a non interference engine, of course.
I have to give the seller credit for for washing it and for being truthful about it losing compression. A lot of sellers would just say it’s a non-runner and leave it at that. Overall it looks decent, but I think it’s going to be a hard sell at that price. Styling like this and the Pacer are polarizing. People that liked it bought one, then next time they bought something else.
Too far away from me to make it work, but… removing the bumpers and doing a smooth roll pan, bring the headlights out to the front, get rid of the vinyl top, and a nice set of 60 series tires on the Cragars makes these look alot better. I have a 69 AMX 390 that would slide right in.
Ugly then . Ugly now. Sorry, hard pass on this one.
Yes the Ambassador was discontinued in 1974 but the Matador sedan and wagon as well as the coupe were available until 1978
Lovely looking car. Assuming parts are still available, I can imagine this Matador being a great resto project, or possibly a restomod.
“the compression on the 360 cubic inch V8 engine failed” odd terminology …
I miss AMC, but I DON’T miss this Matador.
MY best guess is that they had no idea how to prepare this to run again. New oil, thoroughly lubricate the cylinders, carefully turn it over by hand to make sure nothing is binding, new gas of course, much more, depending how it goes. They probably damaged the engine with what they did. As to the price, I wouldn’t bid over $1,000 for this major project.
Rich Corinthian leath……oops, wrong car.
Maybe the timing chain/ cam gear failed, common @ 80K plus miles, not a car with any upside if it needs much, nowhere near the ask, money wise. Steve is right on, most of the 1920’s- 70’s cars are dropping in value, except for the certain types, everyone in the business knows the ones that will hold value, but look for bargains in that category in the near future.
There’s a pretty nice, *running* Oleg Cassini version on the BaT right now that will probably go for a little more than this asking price, but likely won’t require a fraction of the time and effort to get this one on the road. Most AMC enthusiasts live in the midwest and aren’t going to find this on CL in CA. Maybe some Barn Finds exposure will help it find its proper home, but not at that price.