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1977 AMC Hornet
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Despite the fact
that AMC had spent it's resources on the Matador Coupe and
the Pacer it's automobile lineup got a few worthwhile low-cost
improvements. A new Hornet model was introduced into the existing
lineup, the Hornet AMX. AMC applied the AMX option to the Hornet hatchback, in typical AMC tradition it seems, as a going away present for the model.
The Hornet AMX was
the old hatchback model with a full dress-up package that
added wheel flares, rear window louvers, sport wheels, a brushed
aluminum "targa" band on the it's window pillar,
and a oversized hood decal.
The rest of the Hornet line was again a
carry over with a a few touches to stir interest. They continued
to offer the same variety of motors from the previous year.
The basic motor is the 6 cylinder 232 cid, with the 6 cylinder
258 cid and the 304 cid V8 as optional. Once again the buyer
could choose between a manual transmission or an automatic
with "overdrive" as an option (see visitor comments below). |
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As the 1977 model year ended, it was obvious that American Motors
was in deep trouble. The Hornets were the best selling 1977
AMC car, but they, along with the Gremlin, were dying in the
showrooms for lack of new styling to rejuvenate them. Sadly,
all of AMC's capital had been spent on the Pacer and the Matador,
so the needed all-new designs for the Hornet would never come.
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It was the end of the line for the
beloved Hornet. What little money was left to improve it was
used to slightly modify the Hornet body to create something
new for 1978 model year, the "Concord". |
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Front fenders from
the Gremlin were grafted onto the Hornet, with a new hood,
a very tasteful die cast grille, modified end caps on the
rear fenders and new taillights. A new smoother and quieter
suspension, sound insulation, and a plushly dressed up D/L
package placed the new Concord on a decidedly more upscale
market than the Hornet had ever seen.
Did you know that American Motors developed a pickup version of the Hornet? It was called the "Cowboy". It was featured for a while on this site. Click here to read more about this cool car. |
Visitor Comments:
I just wanted to point out that in several pages on your web site, you mention AMC having an "overdrive" Automatic Transmission. This statement is completely false. The closest AMC ever came to developing an AOD trans was when they started using lockup torque converters in the late 70's.
However, the Overdrive you may be thinking of is a 3 speed MANUAL transmission with an Overdrive Unit bolted to the back of the three speed. It was electronically controlled with a single push-button on the Turn signal wand. Once in 3rd gear, pressing the button essentially "turned on" the overdrive unit. When speeds dropped below 45 mph, the brakes were pressed or the driver downshifted to second, the overdrive unit automatically switched out of Overdrive back to Direct.
Provided courtesy of
Darrin K.
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