AMC Matador

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AMC
AMC Matador Station Wagon (1972)
AMC Matador Station Wagon (1972)
Matador
Production period: 1971-1978
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Sedan , station wagon , coupé
Engines:
Petrol engines : 3.8–6.6 liters
( 66– approx. 150 kW)
Length: 5207-5316 mm
Width: 1965 mm
Height: 1316-1432 mm
Wheelbase : 2895-2995 mm
Empty weight : approx. 1300–1700 kg
Previous model AMC Rebel
AMC Matador Sedan (1975)
Rear view

The AMC Matador was a mid-range car offered by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from early 1971 to early 1978.

history

The Matador replaced the AMC Rebel that had been offered since 1967 . Like the Rebel, the Matador was based on the great AMC Ambassador .

The AMC advertising promised that the Matador was not just a facelift with a change of name, but in fact the new vehicle was recognized as the 1970 Rebel with a longer engine compartment and new interior. From the A-pillar to the rear, the Matador body corresponded to that of the AMC Ambassador, which had a longer wheelbase and a longer engine compartment, a more representative radiator grille and more luxurious equipment, such as. B. had air conditioning. “Matador” was a step away from the southern terminology , which was inspired by the rise of the civil rights movement, but it did not change the fact that the name was not very well known, so AMC felt compelled to launch a “What's a Matador” advertising campaign perform.

The Matador was available with a 6-cylinder in-line engine and some V8 engines as a two-door hardtop coupé, four-door sedan and five-door station wagon. The station wagon version was exactly the same as its predecessor Rebel. There was also a third bench seat for the station wagon, on which the passengers could sit with a view to the rear. All station wagons were equipped with roof rails and a double-hinged tailgate, which could be opened downwards or to the side when the rear window was open.

A more extensive facelift was carried out in 1974 in sedan and station wagon versions, while the previous two-door model was replaced with a formally completely independent, radically styled coupé. These models can be described as the second generation of the Matador.

But the automotive market turned to smaller cars. Since AMC did not have the financial means for a completely new edition (also because of the high tooling costs for the coupé), the large Ambassador was discontinued at the end of 1974, while the Matador was still produced until 1978, around the same time that Ford was shrinking its large models.

The downsized Chevrolet Impala from 1977 sealed the fate of the large mid-range cars from AMC and Chrysler . AMC later only had the Jeep, models derived from the Hornet and Renault vehicles adapted to the US market in its range. American Motors Corporation did not sell any other large vehicle until the Eagle Premier, developed jointly with Renault, was introduced shortly after the company was sold to Chrysler.

Police car

Although the Ambassador was also offered in a special police version, the Matador was also very popular. The best customer was the Los Angeles City Police between 1972 and 1974 . But other agencies, such as the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and units of the military police, also used the vehicle.

While the V8 engines of that time offered less and less power, AMC used a 6.6 liter V8 for their police cars, which was more powerful than most other police cars. They accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 7 seconds, comparable to the Dodge Hemi Charger from 2006 . The top speed was 200 km / h and was reached in just 43 seconds, much faster than the previous Plymouth Satellite . The LAPD last used the Matador in 1974. The long-nosed second series was heavier, more cumbersome, less powerful, and unreliable. The model quickly disappeared from the police fleets and was replaced by the downsized large Chevrolet Impala and the Dodge Diplomat in the late 1970s . Matador police cars appear in many TV series and films from the 1970s.

Matador Machine

The matador was still part of the muscle car trend. The "The Machine" equipment, which was already available as an optional extra package for the Rebel, was adopted for the 1971 hardtop coupés. In contrast to its predecessor, the Matador Machine remained largely unknown; only 50 pieces were made. The package consisted of a double exhaust, a sports suspension and either a 5.9 liter or a 6.6 liter V8 engine. Mind you, the red, white and blue stripe design of the Rebel “The Machine” no longer existed.

Matador Coupe

In the 1974 model year, an aerodynamically styled hatchback coupé with the main headlights strongly retracted into the body was brought out. The Matador Coupé was the only completely new model in the popular mid-range segment that year . It was designed by AMC's Vice President and Head of Styling, Richard A. Teague , based on suggestions from well-known racing driver Mark Donohue . The rear design, especially the remarkable hip swing, was influenced by a show car from Vignale , which in turn was based on the Coupé Studio GT Due Litri by Italian bodywork manufacturer Neri e Bonacini .

The streamlined appearance of the coupé was achieved by a very long bonnet and a short rear. The 4-door sedan and the 5-door station wagon, however, remained unchanged in their basic form. The new regulation that collisions up to 8 km / h must not cause any damage to the vehicle, led to huge bumpers (these Matador were nicknamed coffin noses - " coffin noses "). The coupe stood out as one of the more eye-catching and controversial designs of the 1970s, after the AMC Pacer . The Matador Coupé won the award for Best Styled Car of 1974 from the editors of Car and Driver magazine .

Sales of the coupe were initially high, but fell when mid-range coupes became less popular due to the 1973 oil crisis . Plans to bring out the sedan and station wagon in the style of the coupé were dropped again.

Oleg Cassini

There was a special Oleg Cassini edition of the Matador Coupé in the 1974 and 1975 model years. The American Motors Corporation commissioned the famous American fashion designer to create an elegant, luxurious version of the new Coupé. Cassini was known in Hollywood and high society for his elegant pret-a-porter dresses, which Jacqueline Kennedy had also worn.

The Cassini Coupé was of a different design than the other Personal luxury cars . The new Matador had no classicist design reminiscences typical of its class, such as a vertical radiator grille or angular roof with retracted rear side windows framed by the vinyl roof . The Cassini package was only available for 2-door Brougham models with upscale equipment, such as standard reclining seats. Cassini Coupés were only available in black, copper or white, each with a vinyl roof and copper trim on the radiator grille, headlight covers, the turbine-shaped hubcaps and the rear license plate recess.

The interior was - typically Cassini - comfortable and lush. A special black fabric with copper-colored buttons on the seats and door panels was complemented by thick, copper-colored carpets. There were also copper-colored accents on the steering wheel, the door armrests and the dashboard. Embossed Cassini medallions were found on the headrests. The glove box lid, trunk lid, front fenders, and hood all bore Cassini's facsimile signature.

Barcelona

AMC Matador Barcelona Coupe (1977)

In 1976 there was the AMC Matador Barcelona as an alternative to Chrysler Cordoba and Chevrolet Monte Carlo . The specialty of the Barcelona Coupé, available in the model years 1977 and 1978, was a padded Landau roof with opera windows , styling components that buyers in the then very popular “ personal luxury cars ” segment wanted.

NASCAR races

With the help of the Matador factory, Penske Racing prepared hardtop coupés and coupés for NASCAR races, which were successfully used there by Indianapolis winners Mark Donohue and Bobby Allison . The new coupé replaced the previous flying brick hardtop coupé; Penske is reported to have said that everything was gotten out of the old hardtop coupé; it was of course better suited for stretches with many curves and few straights. Donohue didn't live long enough to drive the new aerodynamic fastback coupe, which is widely believed to have been built with NASCAR racing in mind. The Matador Coupé achieved five victories:

Bobby Allison also won the non-championship Daytona 125 race on February 13, 1975 and finished second in the Daytona 500 race three days later.

Trivia

  • In the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun , the villain Francisco Scaramanga drives a Matador Coupé that could turn into an airplane. He was followed by the police in Matador limousines (second generation). A number of AMC vehicles were used in this film, although it was shot in Thailand , where no AMC vehicles were offered at all. This was one of the first examples of product placement .
  • California Highway Patrol Matador police cars appear in Pink Floyd's film The Wall .
  • Several Matador police cars appeared in the first Police Academy film.
  • In Michael Jackson's music video Black or White (11 minutes - version) is shown a Matador sedan from the construction period from 1971 to 1973. In this music video, Michael Jackson destroys the windshield and a side window. The matador was also used as a stage decoration at some Michael Jackson concerts.

literature

  • Patrick Foster: AMC Cars: 1954-1987, An Illustrated History , Motorbooks International (2004), ISBN 1-58388-112-3
  • Patrick Foster: The Last Independent , Motorbooks International (1993), ISBN 0-87341-240-0
  • Andrew Montgomery: The Great Book of American Automobiles , Motorbooks International (2002), ISBN 1-84065-478-3
  • Edrie J. Marquez: Amazing AMC Muscle: Complete Development and Racing History of the Cars from American Motors , Motorbooks International (1988), ISBN 0-87938-300-3

Web links

Commons : AMC Matador  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files