The attractive V8 Hatchback is all you need

No one did Singer Car Design-level revisions on ’70s AMC Gremlins, but this V8 concept shows why a brash muscle car is perfect for 2023.

There’s a reason why some people are willing to pay half a million dollars or more and wait several years to get a Porsche 911 redesigned by Singer Vehicle Designs. And that reason is the incredible attention to detail that goes into each 1980’s revamp. Porsche 911. Now imagine that same mechanical and styling detail put into a relatively unloved American small car from the ’70s. This 1972 AMC Gremlin Tells you not to try too hard.

Re-envisioned from the ground up by 3D renderer Rostislav Prokop, this Gremlin restoration results in an ugly-looking hatch. Or a small muscle car, depending on how you look at it. The AMC Gremlin was originally designed to be a mini wagon and was underpowered from the factory even though it had a six-cylinder engine. However, there is the 1972 AMC Gremlin The world was just introduced to the hot hatchback concept – all with significantly less power and no V8 engine.

ArtStation – AMC Gremlin Restomod

The AMC Gremlin X was certainly ahead of its time, and in this HotCars exclusive Gremlin concept, we take that seriously.

This 1972 Gremlin

Overall, the AMC Gremlin, first introduced in 1970, is not a special car. It was designed, engineered and built to a strict budget. Aimed to compete with imports like the Volkswagen Beetle and Toyota Corona, even before domestic cars like the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto appeared. American Motors Corporation, or AMC, took its Hornet sedan and essentially chopped off the rear end and gave it a glass rear hatch, giving the rear end a wagon shape. It’s a look that many consider youthful and fresh and perhaps even considered ugly as sin.

However, this ’72 Gremlin restoration is a far cry from the original’s somewhat ungainly proportions. Boosted, smoother and more refined than the French, this hot hatchback means business. If you spot the subtle widebody, that’s half the difference right there. But just as a Porsche Singer looks much more rugged than the Porsche 964 on which it is based, it also has a lot of smaller changes to get there.

On this Gremlin, sharper lines, larger wheels and proper equipment have filled the arches, large, modern brakes, bumpers, modern LED halo lights on the front and wings The ducktail roof spoiler gives it a distinctive look. head. The two-tone paint job doesn’t hurt either. Smaller touches, such as marker lights on the front grille as well as modern LED lights are another great throwback to the original small car that everyone hated.

Is the Gremlin a good car? Green AMC Gremlin front 3/4 Mecum Auction

The AMC Gremlin, thanks in part to a name that evokes images of things rising in smoke, or adorable furry monsters that can eat you, is certainly not a bad car. Sure, the styling was quirky but it also suited a lot of people in the ’70s. It was initially offered with a six-cylinder engine. Although they weren’t particularly fast, fuel-efficient, nimble, or good-riding, AMC sold enough Gremlins to consider them a sales success. During its run from 1970-1978, AMC produced more than 671,000 Gremlins, making them AMC’s second best-selling car! The fact that it’s one of the cheapest cars you can buy certainly helps.

In 1971, the AMC Gremlin . In 1972, the company added a 5.0-liter V8 to the mix. But due to the oil crisis and crippled emissions equipment, the small car’s large, front-mounted V8 engine produced only a shortfall of 150 horsepower. But with wider tires, it looks a lot better than the standard Gremlin. The Gremlin X also paved the way for the limited edition AMC Gremlin 401-XR.

The larger 6.6-liter V8 is a shoe-in for the standard 5.0. That means power jumps straight to 255 horsepower. The Gremlin 401-XR was pretty much dreamed up by an AMC dealer and was only offered by them. Only 24 units were produced.

If someone can find a market for high quality AMC Gremlin restorations, and we know the market is there, then this idea points the way in the right direction. According to Classic.com, although the Gremlin has never been a high-priced muscle car and prices have remained consistently affordable, that also makes it an ideal candidate for a restoration job. inexpensive.

This would also solve some of the problems of the original Gremlin – the right feel of the interior, the handling and the sluggish engine. As long as we’re talking about rebuilding one, what about putting a modern Dodge muscle car engine in the engine bay? Something like the 5.7-liter Hemi engine in the 2022 Dodge Challenger R/T, which produces a plus 375 horsepower. For a vehicle that weighs about 2,600 pounds, that’s enough. And with no other model currently using a V8, this is a surefire way to make the AMC Gremlin a modern classic.