There was absolutely a Porsche/VW I4 offered in the Gremlin for a year or two, but I'm not sure about the larger Pacer.

That is fantastic , I think that would have sold . I want one with a 3.8 Buick engine . My dad mounted a 3.8 in a Corvair Corsa and it was one strange but cool car . He had to make a huge scoop on the back and use a spoiler to get enough air to cool the radiator . The engine was mid mounted and the dif was turned…

Also, the 70s were a time of massive Greek architecture-inspired grills. It’s what people were buying. People weren’t buying the Pacer — partly because it was AMC, but mostly because the design was WAY out of the mainstream and buyers’ comfort level. I suspect AMC hoped a more prominent grill would bump sales.

All published info indicated the bigger grill was to accommodate the V8 and improve cooling ability. that being said it might just as well have been an attempt to upmarket the cars a bit as the higher end cars of the time used tall central grills, or at least suggested they did. Cadillac to a point still had them,…

As a Corvair guy I am utterly ashamed I did not know of this fantastical beast. Thank you for sharing.

There was another Jalopnik article a while ago about how many cars a particular VW engine appeared in, and I know one was an AMC. Might be what you’re thinking of.

I had no idea this existed. I see a lot of Lamborghini Miura in there too (from the front anyway).

THAT is magnificent!

I knew I could always count on Jonee for the real deal.

The grille change was probably not necessary. Randall American, the dealership famous for its 401 Gremlins also did some V8 conversions for early Pacers without having to alter the hood or grille. Another possible engineering issue was the standard V8 radiator, which was taller than the one used for the sixes and had…

Hi Jason,

The facelift really did wreck the lines of the car. The styling was what actually sold them at first, people wanted something different. For an economy car, most of the early production was actually loaded up higher trim ones that cost as much as larger cars, and they were a genuine success for the first year or two.

Errrr....what I meant to say is that you are out of GOOD content ideas...and now have to tap the keg of truly A-MAZING concepts.

YOU BEADY-EYED BASTARD SAY THAT TO MY FACE I’LL CONTENT YOUR IDEAS YOU MISERABLE HAM-GROPING CLA--(dragged from room)

The really clever trick is the roof though, those glass panels, seven each side, retract into the T-bar, at touch of a button. The side windows disappear at the same time, years later a similar trick was employed in the Renault Avantime.

Still a lame baseless joke.

I think it locks better sans louvres

May I present the Volkswagen up! which not only does this beautifully but weighs 150-300lbs less than a Fiat 500 and comes in a 117HP/150ft-lb turbocharged GTI model. Sadly, we have to wait 20 more years to get them in the US.

Those two movies are great! ...your take on MM:FF is still terrible.

I saw this with my Dad on the first day it was released, we both loved the originals and were really excited when this finally came out. Mind you, we live a good 7 hours apart so I ended up driving 14 total hours just to see Fury Road.