Here’s Why The AMC Gremlin Doesn’t Suck (Full Article)

09 Mar 2018

Marketed as the first “American Import”, the AMC Gremlin has for a long time been an object of ridicule, with most people citing its “funky” 70s styling and general low quality. Recently hipsters have driven the prices up but most car critics still dislike it, with many saying its one of the worst cars ever built. They’re wrong, the Gremlin wasn’t, and still isn’t a bad car. Here’s why.

The first reason why the AMC Gremlin didn’t suck is context. The Gremlin competed with the Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto, the latter which was known for literally exploding. The Vega was no angel either as it was plagued by rust issues as soon as it left the assembly line. Plus, the Gremlin beat both of these cars to the market. Comparatively, the Gremlin suffered no major faults and was generally reliable, albeit cheap. The sales figures reflected this too. 671,475 Gremlins were made over its whole lifetime, and while that is less the Pinto’s 3 million and the Vega’s 2 million, it was a strong showing for a car built on an existing platform by a small manufacturer with nowhere near the same funding as the big players.

People cite the styling as the Gremlin’s biggest shortcoming but the truth is it was a product of its time. The Gremlin oozed with 70s. From what I have read, the Gremlin’s styling was received pretty well when it was new, and looking back at American subcompacts of the day, it really wasn’t that ugly a car. I would actually say that the Pinto was a much uglier car. The Gremlin kept AMC afloat during times of trouble. AMC had never been able to compete with the big three and the Gremlin was its underdog fighter, holding its own against other better funded offerings. Lastly, I personally think the Gremlin is kind of cool. Sure it’s slow, but its funky styling is interesting and quintessentially 70s and its hipster appeal is undeniable. They even offered a Levi’s themed edition, complete with a full denim interior.

So what do you guys think of the Gremlin? Have I changed any of your minds about it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Comments

The Gremlin was a great car, yes, cheap, but bullet proof. Even into the Spirit days, the car was solid, heavy and could take a beating better than either the Chevy or Ford. Period. AMC has always received a bad rap, mostly from people that never experienced it for themselves. Still wish AMC was still around today.