Every now and then, you just gotta go back to the dealer intros for a fresh perspective on an old car. Like it or not, 1970s cars will continue to rise in popularity over the next several years as more people entering the old car hobby find that they can’t afford the 1950s and 1960s cars. And what better car to represent the 1970s than the Gremlin?
Over at the AMC Forums, Ken scanned the original Gremlin press release from February of 1970, and he scanned it real big (pages 1, 2, 3, and photo 1, 2).
Of particular interest in the press release are Bill Luneberg’s frank statements about having to compete directly with the imports.
“We believe the reason more and more buyers have turned to importsis that they did not have an acceptable alternative among U.S. cars for the combination of features they were seeking in a smaller car,” he said. “The Gremlin was designed to include not only the desirable features of import-size cars but to provide exceptional handling and roadability characteristics most U.S. buyers do not want to sacrifice in a small car.”
Nowadays, the domestics wouldn’t dare mention imports in a press release, and they’d pair imports with “desirable features” as likely as they’d pair peanut butter with pickles.
Very cool find, Ken, and thanks for sharing it.