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Revision as of 06:27, 20 June 2006 by 71.112.5.20 (talk) (→The end)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Motor vehicle| AMC Matador | |
|---|---|
| 1972 AMC Matador | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | American Motors Corporation |
| Production | 1971–1978 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Related | AMC Ambassador |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | AMC Rebel |
| Successor | Eagle Premier Eagle Vision Chrysler 300M |
The AMC Matador was an intermediate size car built and sold by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1971 to 1978. The Matador succeeded the Rebel nameplate which had been in use since 1967. After an absence, it was replaced by the Eagle Premier which became the basis for the Chrysler LH cab forward and 300 sedans.
AMC advertising assured that the Matador was not just a name change and face lift, but it was the 1970 Rebel restyled with a longer front clip and a new interior. From the cowl back, the Matador shared its unibody with the AMC Ambassador, which had a longer wheelbase and front end sheetmetal, formal grille and standard air conditioning.
The Matador came with optional automatic transmissions, in 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan and station wagon bodystyles. The so-called 3-way tailgate with window-up opening was never incorporated into AMC wagons. An unusually styled coupé was offerd in 1974. AMC's stable of 6-cylinder and 304 and 306 V8 engines were available. The Machine offered in 1970 was available only as an equipment option in 1971 without graphics, and is a rare muscle car today.
The four-door sedan was adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department and many military police units in 1972. It became familiar through its use on the Adam-12 TV show.
NASCAR racing
Penske prepared factory-backed Matadors that were used in NASCAR racing by Mark Donahue and Bobby Allison, and won a number of races. The first generation coupe had aerodynamics best described as a "flying brick". Penske was quoted as saying they knew they had an aerodynamically challenged box, but did what they could, and it did better on tracks with more curves and fewer straight ways. Donahue did not survive to drive the fastback coupe, which many believe was aimed at NASCAR racing. The nose, however, turned out to be less fast than it looked.
Matador coupe
The 1974 model year introduced an unusually styled fastback coupe with pronounced "bug eye" headlight surrounds. The four-door models got a less attractive grille with two single lights which were in vogue at the time. The coupe stands out as one of the more distinctive and controversial designs of the 1970s after the AMC Pacer. Today, the provocative styling still delivers an impact beyond the forgettable Malibu or Satellite coupes. Well restored examples can be seen on Ebay, but are very rare compared to other collectible 70s intermediates.
Sales were brisk, but dropped as intermediate coupes declined in popularity with the oil crisis of the 1970s. The downsized 1977 Impala spelled doom for large intermediates from AMC and Chrysler. Design plans for a sedan and wagon based on the coupe styling themes did not reach production. A "Barcelona" option offered an alternative to the Chrysler Cordoba and Chevrolet Monte Carlo, but the padded Landau roof and opera windows were inconsistent with fastback styling.
The end
Lacking the financial resources for a full redesign (partly because of the expensive coupe redesign), AMC dropped the Ambassador, and then the Matador was discontinued after 1978. AMC soldiered on with 2WD and 4WD Hornet derivatives, now nearly midsize, and Jeep and Renault Alliance. Chrysler would also rename, then drop their midsize lines.
Legacy of the AMC midsize cars
The Matador line began with the Rambler Ambassador of the 60s. When Chrysler's acquired AMC, it was entering the midsize arena again with 1988 V6 FWD Eagle Premier which was far more advanced than the K cars. The Premier was a failure, but the design and factory were the starting point for the sleek Chrysler LH cars. The AMC-derived Eagle Vision and next generation Chrysler 300M paved the way to the LX platform 300C and Charger.
In pop culture
- In the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, the villain Francisco Scaramanga drives a Matador that could transform into an aircraft (in that movie, various American Motors vehicles were used, making it one of the first product placement movies).
- AMC Matadors were also used in the first Police Academy movie and in the Dukes of Hazzard television show.
- Los Angeles Police Department Matadors appear in Pink Floyd's movie The Wall.
- Michael Jackson takes a sledgehammer to a Matador in one of his music videos.
- In the movie Convoy, the Arizona police cars are Matadors.
- In Adam-12, a 1972 AMC Matador as used one of the squad cars. It succeeded a Plymouth Satellite.
Toys
- Aurora AFX slot cars made both the boxy stock car resembling the factory Penske car and the 1974 coupe.
- Cox made a gasoline car of the 4-door sedan.
- Cox also made a large-size stock car of the 1974 coupe.
- AMT made a model of the 1974 coupe stock car driven by Allison, and one with customized body parts.
External links
- A brief history of the Matador
- Norbert Vance's Matador Photo Sampler
- Arcticboy's Matador page, from which this page's pictures were taken
- The Coupe Coop, a page dedicated entirely to the Matador coupe
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