AMC Matador
Encyclopedia
The AMC Matador is a mid-size car
that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation
(AMC) from 1971 to 1978. The Matador came in two generations: 1971 to 1973 and a major redesign from 1974 to 1978. The second-generation four-door and station wagon models did not share the design of the coupe that was introduced in 1974.
, which had been marketed since 1967. With a facelift
and a new name, the AMC Matadors were available as a two-door hardtop
as well as a four-door sedan and station wagon
. The sedan and wagon models "offered excellent value and were fairly popular", including as a prowl car
. The Matador received a redesign in 1974, in part to meet new safety and crash requirements as well as a completely different model "to contend with the bull market for plush mid-size coupes that sprang up after the end of the muscle car
era." The Matador was based on AMC's "senior" automobile platform
shared with the full-size Ambassador
line.
American Motors advertising assured that the Matador was not just a name change and facelift, but in reality, it was the 1970 Rebel restyled with a longer front clip and a new interior. The 1971 Matadors acquired a "beefier" front end look for all three body designs. From the firewall back, the Matador shared its body with the Ambassador, which had a longer wheelbase and front end sheetmetal, a formal grille and luxurious trim, as well as more standard equipment that included air conditioning.
While "Matador" may have been a move away from connotations of the Confederacy
inspired by the rise of the Civil Rights Movement
, it did not help solve the obscurity problem, as AMC adopted a "What's a Matador" advertising campaign. This self-disparaging marketing campaign "turned the styling of anonymity into an asset."
The Matador came with straight-6
or a number of V8 engines
. Transmissions for the Matador included the Borg-Warner sourced "Shift-Command" 3-speed automatic, and a column shifted 3-speed manual or a floor shifted 4-speed manual (for 1971 only).
The Matador's basic body design was essentially unchanged from the Rebel. The station wagons had an available rear-facing third row bench seat. In addition, all wagons included a roof rack
and a two-way tailgate that opened when the rear window was down either from the top to be flat with the load floor or like a regular door to the left side.
Changes to Matadors were minor until the 1972 model year when the innovative "AMC Buyer Protection Plan was introduced. This was the automobile industry's first 12 month or 12000 miles (19,312.1 km) bumper-to-bumper warranty
. American Motors started with an emphasis quality and durability by improving production and mechanical upgrades, followed up by a promise to its customers to repair anything wrong with the car (except for tires). Owners were provided with a toll-free number to the company, as well as a free loaner car if a warranty repair took overnight. The previous Borg-Warner sourced "Shift-Command" 3-speed automatic transmission was replaced by the Chrysler Corporation-built TorqueFlite
3-speed automatic that AMC marketed as "Torque-Command." The column-shift 3-speed manual continued as the standard transmission but the optional 4-speed manual was discontinued.
A comparison of 1973 Matador owners conducted by Popular Mechanics indicated increased satisfaction and fewer problems than was the case with the owners of the essentially similar 1970 AMC Rebel three years earlier.
trend. The Machine performance package was carried forward from the Rebel to the Matador as an option on 1971 model two-door hardtops, but without the bold red-white-blue striping or any special identification and badging. Far lesser known than its 1970 predecessor, around 50 Matador Machines were produced and only one is still known to exist. The package featured 15 x 7 inch slot-styled steel wheels with white-lettered "polyglass" belted tires, dual exhaust pipes, a heavy-duty handling package, power disk brakes, and a choice of either a 360 CID or 401 CID V8 engine with a manual four-speed or an automatic transmission.
A major design change was introduced with the 1974 models for both the sedan and wagon, while the two-door became a separate and radically styled coupe
. These could be considered the "second generation" Matadors. New passenger car requirements called for five-mile an hour (8 km) impact protection that was accomplished with massive bumpers. The four-door and wagons received a new front fascia with a hood and grille featuring a prominent central protrusion that followed the front bumper design. Matadors with this front fascia are sometimes nicknamed "coffin
noses".
Powertrains were basically unchanged for all the 1974 to 1978 Matadors. Either an inline six
or V8 engines
were available with a three-speed automatic transmission
. A three-speed manual column-shift transmission was also available with the six-cylinder engine from 1974 to 1976. For 1977-78, all Matadors came standard with the automatic transmission.
Second generation sedans and station wagons continued over the model years with only minor trim and equipment changes.
American Motors' executives saw an opportunity to replace the "uninspired" Matador two-door hardtop with a new design to capture people looking for exciting, sporty styling in a market segment that was outpacing the rest of the automobile market; and were looking to answer the demand for plush mid-size coupes after the end of the muscle car era.
The 1974 model year introduced an aerodynamically styled fastback
coupe with pronounced "tunneled" headlight surrounds. The Matador coupe was the only all-new model in the popular mid-size car
segment. The coupe was designed under the direction of AMC's Vice President of Styling, Richard A. Teague
, with input from Mark Donohue
, the famous race car driver. AMC's Styling Department had greater freedom because of a decision to design the new Matador strictly as a coupe, without the constraints of attempting to have the sedan and station wagon versions fit the same body lines. Reportedly Teague designed the coupe's front as an homage to one of the first AMCs he designed, the 1964 Rambler American
. Many were amazed that AMC came up with the fast, stylish Matador, considering the automaker's size and limited resources.
The coupe's wind-shaped look was enhanced by a very long hood and a short rear deck. The Matador coupe stands out as one of the more distinctive and controversial designs of the 1970s after the AMC Pacer
. The Matador coupe was named "Best Styled Car of 1974" by the editors of Car and Driver
magazine. In contrast to all the other mid-sized and personal luxury two-door competition during the mid- to late-1970s, the Matador coupe did not share the requisite styling hallmarks of the era that included an upright grille, a notchback
roof, and imitation "landau bars" or opera lights. A Popular Mechanics survey indicated "luscious looks of Matador coupe swept most owners off their feet" with a "specific like" listed by 63.7% of them for "styling".
Sales of the coupe were brisk with 62,629 Matador Coupes delivered for its introductory year, up sharply from the 7,067 Matador hardtops sold in 1973. This is a respectable record that went against the drop in the overall market during 1974 and the decline in popularity of intermediate-sized coupes after the 1973 oil crisis
. After it outsold the four-door Matadors by nearly 25,000 units in 1974, sales dropped to less than 10,000 in 1977, and then down just 2,006 in the coupe's final year. Nearly 100,000 Matador Coupes in total were produced from 1974 through 1978.
The Matador Coupe was used in the 1974 James Bond
movie The Man with the Golden Gun
as the car of choice of Francisco Scaramanga
. His 1974 Matador coupe became an airplane.
American Motors executives, including Vice President of Design Richard A. Teague described design plans for a four-door sedan and station wagon based on the coupe's styling themes did not reach production.
A special Oleg Cassini
edition of the Matador coupe was available for the 1974 and 1975 model years. American Motors had the famous American fashion designer develop a more elegant luxury oriented model for the new coupe. Cassini was renowned in Hollywood and high-society for making elegant ready-to-wear dresses, including those worn by Jacqueline Kennedy.
The Cassini Coupe was unlike all the other personal luxury car
s. The new Matador did not have the typical vintage styling cues of formal upright grille and squared-off roof with opera window
s. The Cassini version was only available on the Brougham two-door models that included standard features such as individually adjustable reclining seats. Cassini Coupes could be had in only black, copper, or white, and all came with a vinyl covered roof. It also featured copper-colored trim in the grille, headlamp bezels, in turbine-type full wheel covers, and within the rear license plate recess.
The interior was a Cassini hallmark featuring a comfortable and plush environment. A special black fabric with copper metal buttons on the seats and door panels was set off by extra thick copper carpeting. Additional copper accents were on the steering wheel, door pulls, and on the instrument panel. Embroidered Cassini medallions were featured on the headrests. The glove compartment door, trunk lid, front fender, and hood featured Cassini's signature.
In 1976, a "Barcelona" option offered an alternative to the personal luxury cars offered by other automakers such as the Chrysler Cordoba
and Chevrolet Monte Carlo
. For 1977 and 1978, the "Barcelona II" coupe featured a padded Landau roof and opera window
s, styling cues that were required at that time by buyers in the highly popular two-door "personal luxury
" market segment. At first it was available in only one distinctive two-tone paint pattern consisting of Golden Ginger Metallic with Sand Tan. In 1978, the Barcelona came in a second color scheme: an Autumn Red Metallic on Claret Metallic combination.
The Barcelona included numerous comfort and appearance upgrades in addition to the extensive standard equipment that came on all Matadors. The special items were: individual reclining seats in velveteen crush fabric with woven accent stripes, custom door trim panels, unique headliner, headlight bezels painted accent color, black trunk carpet, rear sway bar
, GR78x15 radial whitewall tire
s, color-keyed slot styled wheels, body color front and rear bumpers, two-tone paint, landau padded vinyl roof, opera quarter windows with accents, dual remote control mirrors painted body color, Barcelona medallion on glove box door and fenders, 24 oz (680.4 g) carpeting and bumper nerfing strips. The standard roll-down rear quarter windows were converted into fixed "opera windows" with fiberglass covers over the stock openings that were finished with padded vinyl inside and out.
For its final production in 1978, the Barcelona model was also available on the Matador four-door sedan.
Motor Trend magazine road tested a 1977 Barcelona II coupe and found it to be equal to all in the objective areas, as well as one of the most distinctive vehicles on the road that "makes a good deal of sense" ... "if you're nor put off by the Matador's unique lines."
Penske
prepared factory-backed Matador hardtops and coupes were used in NASCAR
stock car racing
by Indy winner Mark Donohue
and Bobby Allison
, and won a number of races. The company's effort "raised eyebrows" for many NASCAR veterans because AMC was not known for cultivating a racing image. Racing pundits "initially scoffed at the notion of an AMC entry" on the circuit, but "the Matador acquired a fan following of its own."
The Matador was one of the first oval stock car to use disk brakes. After Donohue won the Western 500 with the first generation Matador hardtop with four wheel disks, other teams soon followed with the upgrade.
The new 1974 coupe replaced the previous "flying brick" two-door hardtop design. Penske was quoted as saying that they did what they could with the old hardtop, and it did better on tracks with more curves and fewer straightaways. Donohue did not survive to drive the new aerodynamically designed fastback coupe, that many believe was aimed at NASCAR racing. The five wins for the AMC Matador are:
Bobby Allison also won the non-points Daytona 125 qualifying race on 13 February 1975, and finished second in the Daytona 500
three days later.
was also offered as a police car, the Matador would prove to be very popular. The largest user of Matador patrol cars was the Los Angeles Police Department
, primarily from 1972 to 1974, with some staying in service until the mid-1980s. It was also used by other agencies, including the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department
and many other law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and Canada, as well as by military police
units.
While V8 power was down for many domestic sedans, AMC used a 401 CID V8 engine
that outpowered most other police vehicles. Zero to 60 miles per hour (27 m/s) times were within 7 seconds, comparable to a 2006 Hemi Charger police car. Top speed was about 125 miles per hour (56 m/s), which took only 43 seconds, much faster than the previously used Plymouth Satellite
s.
The high-performance 401 V8 was last available in 1975 only for fleet and police ordered sedans.
The 1974 models would be the last year for the LAPD's purchase of the Matador. The longer-nosed restyle added weight which affected handling and performance. Matadors faded from police fleets as downsized Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge Diplomat
-based models became adopted in the late 1970s.
Matador police cars would appear in many television shows and movies during the 1970s, most famously, Adam-12
from 1972 until the show's end in 1975, Police Academy 1, and also in The Rockford Files
beginning in 1974.
(VAM), where it was named the "VAM Classic", and in Australia by Australian Motor Industries
(AMI) with modifications for their markets including continuing the use of the Rambler
marque. AMI production of the Rambler Matador commenced in 1971 and the model was discontinued in 1978.
Rambler Matadors with RHD were also assembled until 1975 under license from AMC by Campbell Motor Industries in Thames, New Zealand
from complete knock down (CKD) kits.
The Rambler name was also used on RHD export models sold in the UK up to the 1976 model year Matadors.
and the continuing double digit domestic inflation.
Lacking the financial resources for a full redesign (partly because of the expensive tooling costs of the coupe), AMC dropped the large Ambassador after 1974, while the Matador was discontinued after 1978, around the same time as Ford moved their full-size nameplates to a smaller platform. The downsized 1977 Chevrolet Impala
also spelled doom for large intermediates from AMC and Chrysler. American Motors responded to the declining demand for large cars by introducing new nameplate in 1978, the AMC Concord
. It combined an "easy-to-handle size with a roomy sumptuous interior" and in contrast to the Matador coupe, with "overall styling was pleasant ... would not offend anyone" This was the first full-line of economical, compact-sized cars with luxurious trim, features, and comfort levels previously available in larger automobiles.
American Motors did not have another large car until the Eagle Premier
that was developed with Renault
's partnership and introduced right after AMC was purchased by Chrysler
.
While well-restored examples of Matador sedans can still be purchased for under $3,000, ads have been published asking over $10,000 for restored coupes. Hemmings Classic Car
magazine listed the 1974-78 Matador Coupe as one of their 19 pieces of rolling proof that the old-car hobby need not be expensive and described the Coupé as "possibly one of the most distinctive shapes to come out of the 1970s, and arguably a style pinnacle for the personal luxury
movement...", the James Bond movie role, as well as its NASCAR history.
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
(AMC) from 1971 to 1978. The Matador came in two generations: 1971 to 1973 and a major redesign from 1974 to 1978. The second-generation four-door and station wagon models did not share the design of the coupe that was introduced in 1974.
History
The Matador replaced the AMC RebelAMC Rebel
The AMC Rebel is a mid-size car produced by American Motors Corporation from 1967 to 1970. It replaced the Rambler Classic. The Rebel was replaced by the similar AMC Matador for the 1971 model year...
, which had been marketed since 1967. With a facelift
Facelift (automobile)
The automotive facelift comprises changes to a car's styling during its production run — often including new sheetmetal and/or interior design) with minimal changes to its underlying mechanicals — allowing a carmaker to freshen a model without complete redesign.A facelift retains the...
and a new name, the AMC Matadors were available as a two-door hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
as well as a four-door sedan and station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
. The sedan and wagon models "offered excellent value and were fairly popular", including as a prowl car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
. The Matador received a redesign in 1974, in part to meet new safety and crash requirements as well as a completely different model "to contend with the bull market for plush mid-size coupes that sprang up after the end of the muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
era." The Matador was based on AMC's "senior" automobile platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
shared with the full-size Ambassador
AMC Ambassador
- 1958 :American Motors planned to produce a stretched a wheelbase version of the Rambler platform for Nash dealers to be the new Nash Ambassador, and another for Hudson dealers...
line.
First generation (1971–1973)
While "Matador" may have been a move away from connotations of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
inspired by the rise of the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, it did not help solve the obscurity problem, as AMC adopted a "What's a Matador" advertising campaign. This self-disparaging marketing campaign "turned the styling of anonymity into an asset."
The Matador came with straight-6
AMC Straight-6 engine
The American Motors Corporation straight-6 family of engines was used by a number of AMC and Jeep vehicles from 1964 through 2006.-195.6:American Motors' first straight-six engine was the...
or a number of V8 engines
AMC V8 engine
American Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
. Transmissions for the Matador included the Borg-Warner sourced "Shift-Command" 3-speed automatic, and a column shifted 3-speed manual or a floor shifted 4-speed manual (for 1971 only).
The Matador's basic body design was essentially unchanged from the Rebel. The station wagons had an available rear-facing third row bench seat. In addition, all wagons included a roof rack
Roof rack
A roof rack is a set of bars secured to the roof of a motor car. It is used to carry bulky items such as luggage, bicycles, canoes, kayaks, skis, or various carriers and containers.There is a long history of the use of roof racks and their designs...
and a two-way tailgate that opened when the rear window was down either from the top to be flat with the load floor or like a regular door to the left side.
Changes to Matadors were minor until the 1972 model year when the innovative "AMC Buyer Protection Plan was introduced. This was the automobile industry's first 12 month or 12000 miles (19,312.1 km) bumper-to-bumper warranty
Warranty
In business and legal transactions, a warranty is an assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen; the other party is permitted to rely on that assurance and seek some type of remedy if it is not true or followed.In real estate transactions, a...
. American Motors started with an emphasis quality and durability by improving production and mechanical upgrades, followed up by a promise to its customers to repair anything wrong with the car (except for tires). Owners were provided with a toll-free number to the company, as well as a free loaner car if a warranty repair took overnight. The previous Borg-Warner sourced "Shift-Command" 3-speed automatic transmission was replaced by the Chrysler Corporation-built TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
3-speed automatic that AMC marketed as "Torque-Command." The column-shift 3-speed manual continued as the standard transmission but the optional 4-speed manual was discontinued.
A comparison of 1973 Matador owners conducted by Popular Mechanics indicated increased satisfaction and fewer problems than was the case with the owners of the essentially similar 1970 AMC Rebel three years earlier.
Matador Machine
The Matador still participated in the muscle carMuscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
trend. The Machine performance package was carried forward from the Rebel to the Matador as an option on 1971 model two-door hardtops, but without the bold red-white-blue striping or any special identification and badging. Far lesser known than its 1970 predecessor, around 50 Matador Machines were produced and only one is still known to exist. The package featured 15 x 7 inch slot-styled steel wheels with white-lettered "polyglass" belted tires, dual exhaust pipes, a heavy-duty handling package, power disk brakes, and a choice of either a 360 CID or 401 CID V8 engine with a manual four-speed or an automatic transmission.
Second generation (1974–1978)
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. These could be considered the "second generation" Matadors. New passenger car requirements called for five-mile an hour (8 km) impact protection that was accomplished with massive bumpers. The four-door and wagons received a new front fascia with a hood and grille featuring a prominent central protrusion that followed the front bumper design. Matadors with this front fascia are sometimes nicknamed "coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
noses".
Powertrains were basically unchanged for all the 1974 to 1978 Matadors. Either an inline six
AMC Straight-6 engine
The American Motors Corporation straight-6 family of engines was used by a number of AMC and Jeep vehicles from 1964 through 2006.-195.6:American Motors' first straight-six engine was the...
or V8 engines
AMC V8 engine
American Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
were available with a three-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. A three-speed manual column-shift transmission was also available with the six-cylinder engine from 1974 to 1976. For 1977-78, all Matadors came standard with the automatic transmission.
Second generation sedans and station wagons continued over the model years with only minor trim and equipment changes.
Matador Coupe
The 1974 model year introduced an aerodynamically styled fastback
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
coupe with pronounced "tunneled" headlight surrounds. The Matador coupe was the only all-new model in the popular mid-size car
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
segment. The coupe was designed under the direction of AMC's Vice President of Styling, Richard A. Teague
Richard A. Teague
Richard A. Teague , born in Los Angeles, California, was an industrial designer in the North American automotive industry...
, with input from Mark Donohue
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. , nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972...
, the famous race car driver. AMC's Styling Department had greater freedom because of a decision to design the new Matador strictly as a coupe, without the constraints of attempting to have the sedan and station wagon versions fit the same body lines. Reportedly Teague designed the coupe's front as an homage to one of the first AMCs he designed, the 1964 Rambler American
Rambler American
The Rambler American is an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC's forerunner Nash Motors second-generation Rambler compact that was sold under the Nash and Hudson Motors marques from 1954 and 1955.The...
. Many were amazed that AMC came up with the fast, stylish Matador, considering the automaker's size and limited resources.
The coupe's wind-shaped look was enhanced by a very long hood and a short rear deck. The Matador coupe stands out as one of the more distinctive and controversial designs of the 1970s after the AMC Pacer
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980.Its initial design idea was started in 1971. The car's unusual rounded shape with massive glass area greatly contrasted with the three-box architecture with "square,...
. The Matador coupe was named "Best Styled Car of 1974" by the editors of Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
magazine. In contrast to all the other mid-sized and personal luxury two-door competition during the mid- to late-1970s, the Matador coupe did not share the requisite styling hallmarks of the era that included an upright grille, a notchback
Notchback
Notchback is a styling term describing a car body style, a variation of three-box styling where the third distinct volume or "box" is less pronounced — especially where the rear deck is short or where the rear window is upright...
roof, and imitation "landau bars" or opera lights. A Popular Mechanics survey indicated "luscious looks of Matador coupe swept most owners off their feet" with a "specific like" listed by 63.7% of them for "styling".
Sales of the coupe were brisk with 62,629 Matador Coupes delivered for its introductory year, up sharply from the 7,067 Matador hardtops sold in 1973. This is a respectable record that went against the drop in the overall market during 1974 and the decline in popularity of intermediate-sized coupes after the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
. After it outsold the four-door Matadors by nearly 25,000 units in 1974, sales dropped to less than 10,000 in 1977, and then down just 2,006 in the coupe's final year. Nearly 100,000 Matador Coupes in total were produced from 1974 through 1978.
The Matador Coupe was used in the 1974 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (film)
The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
as the car of choice of Francisco Scaramanga
Francisco Scaramanga
Francisco Scaramanga is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel The Man with the Golden Gun. The film was so named because it described Scaramanga's possession of a golden gun....
. His 1974 Matador coupe became an airplane.
American Motors executives, including Vice President of Design Richard A. Teague described design plans for a four-door sedan and station wagon based on the coupe's styling themes did not reach production.
Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer noted for being chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her state wardrobe in the 1960s....
edition of the Matador coupe was available for the 1974 and 1975 model years. American Motors had the famous American fashion designer develop a more elegant luxury oriented model for the new coupe. Cassini was renowned in Hollywood and high-society for making elegant ready-to-wear dresses, including those worn by Jacqueline Kennedy.
The Cassini Coupe was unlike all the other personal luxury car
Personal luxury car
A personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Accenting the comfort and satisfaction of its owner and driver above all else, the personal luxury car sometimes sacrifices passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy in favor of style and...
s. The new Matador did not have the typical vintage styling cues of formal upright grille and squared-off roof with opera window
Opera window
Opera Windows are small porthole sized side windows in the C-pillar of some cars. Typically offered in unison with a vinyl roof, they were a very common design feature of American automobiles during the 1970s. The design was new at the time, "... and would prove to be very popular, indicated by its...
s. The Cassini version was only available on the Brougham two-door models that included standard features such as individually adjustable reclining seats. Cassini Coupes could be had in only black, copper, or white, and all came with a vinyl covered roof. It also featured copper-colored trim in the grille, headlamp bezels, in turbine-type full wheel covers, and within the rear license plate recess.
The interior was a Cassini hallmark featuring a comfortable and plush environment. A special black fabric with copper metal buttons on the seats and door panels was set off by extra thick copper carpeting. Additional copper accents were on the steering wheel, door pulls, and on the instrument panel. Embroidered Cassini medallions were featured on the headrests. The glove compartment door, trunk lid, front fender, and hood featured Cassini's signature.
Barcelona
Chrysler Cordoba
The Chrysler Cordoba was an intermediate personal luxury coupe sold by Chrysler Corporation in North America from 1975-1983. It was the company's first model produced specifically for the personal luxury market and the first Chrysler-branded vehicle that was less than full-size.-History:In the...
and Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
. For 1977 and 1978, the "Barcelona II" coupe featured a padded Landau roof and opera window
Opera window
Opera Windows are small porthole sized side windows in the C-pillar of some cars. Typically offered in unison with a vinyl roof, they were a very common design feature of American automobiles during the 1970s. The design was new at the time, "... and would prove to be very popular, indicated by its...
s, styling cues that were required at that time by buyers in the highly popular two-door "personal luxury
Personal luxury car
A personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Accenting the comfort and satisfaction of its owner and driver above all else, the personal luxury car sometimes sacrifices passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy in favor of style and...
" market segment. At first it was available in only one distinctive two-tone paint pattern consisting of Golden Ginger Metallic with Sand Tan. In 1978, the Barcelona came in a second color scheme: an Autumn Red Metallic on Claret Metallic combination.
The Barcelona included numerous comfort and appearance upgrades in addition to the extensive standard equipment that came on all Matadors. The special items were: individual reclining seats in velveteen crush fabric with woven accent stripes, custom door trim panels, unique headliner, headlight bezels painted accent color, black trunk carpet, rear sway bar
Sway bar
A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring...
, GR78x15 radial whitewall tire
Whitewall tire
Whitewall tires or white sidewall tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber.-Background:Early automobile tires were made entirely of natural white rubber. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient traction and endurance, so carbon black was added to the rubber...
s, color-keyed slot styled wheels, body color front and rear bumpers, two-tone paint, landau padded vinyl roof, opera quarter windows with accents, dual remote control mirrors painted body color, Barcelona medallion on glove box door and fenders, 24 oz (680.4 g) carpeting and bumper nerfing strips. The standard roll-down rear quarter windows were converted into fixed "opera windows" with fiberglass covers over the stock openings that were finished with padded vinyl inside and out.
For its final production in 1978, the Barcelona model was also available on the Matador four-door sedan.
Motor Trend magazine road tested a 1977 Barcelona II coupe and found it to be equal to all in the objective areas, as well as one of the most distinctive vehicles on the road that "makes a good deal of sense" ... "if you're nor put off by the Matador's unique lines."
NASCAR racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
prepared factory-backed Matador hardtops and coupes were used in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
by Indy winner Mark Donohue
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. , nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972...
and Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
, and won a number of races. The company's effort "raised eyebrows" for many NASCAR veterans because AMC was not known for cultivating a racing image. Racing pundits "initially scoffed at the notion of an AMC entry" on the circuit, but "the Matador acquired a fan following of its own."
The Matador was one of the first oval stock car to use disk brakes. After Donohue won the Western 500 with the first generation Matador hardtop with four wheel disks, other teams soon followed with the upgrade.
The new 1974 coupe replaced the previous "flying brick" two-door hardtop design. Penske was quoted as saying that they did what they could with the old hardtop, and it did better on tracks with more curves and fewer straightaways. Donohue did not survive to drive the new aerodynamically designed fastback coupe, that many believe was aimed at NASCAR racing. The five wins for the AMC Matador are:
- Winston Western 500Winston Western 500The Winston Western 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California, USA, in January, and then in later years, November. From 1963 to 1981, the race was held in January and was the season opening race...
- RiversideRiverside International RacewayRiverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
- Mark Donohue - January 21, 1973 - Los Angeles Times 500Los Angeles Times 500The Los Angeles Times 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, USA, in February from 1971 to 1972 and in November from 1974 to 1980.-Race winners:Miller High Life 500*1971 - A.J. Foyt*1972 - A.J...
- OntarioOntario Motor SpeedwayThe Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
- Bobby Allison - November 24, 1974 - Winston Western 500 - Riverside - Bobby Allison - January 19, 1975
- Rebel 500 - DarlingtonDarlington RacewayDarlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
- Bobby Allison - April 13, 1975 - Southern 500Southern 500The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...
- Darlington - Bobby Allison - September 1, 1975
Bobby Allison also won the non-points Daytona 125 qualifying race on 13 February 1975, and finished second in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
three days later.
Police
Though the AMC AmbassadorAMC Ambassador
- 1958 :American Motors planned to produce a stretched a wheelbase version of the Rambler platform for Nash dealers to be the new Nash Ambassador, and another for Hudson dealers...
was also offered as a police car, the Matador would prove to be very popular. The largest user of Matador patrol cars was the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
, primarily from 1972 to 1974, with some staying in service until the mid-1980s. It was also used by other agencies, including the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
and many other law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and Canada, as well as by military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
units.
While V8 power was down for many domestic sedans, AMC used a 401 CID V8 engine
AMC V8 engine
American Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
that outpowered most other police vehicles. Zero to 60 miles per hour (27 m/s) times were within 7 seconds, comparable to a 2006 Hemi Charger police car. Top speed was about 125 miles per hour (56 m/s), which took only 43 seconds, much faster than the previously used Plymouth Satellite
Plymouth Satellite
The Plymouth Satellite is an automobile introduced in 1965 as the top model in Plymouth's mid-size Belvedere line. The Satellite remained the top of the line model until the 1967 model year, where it became the mid-price model with the GTX taking its place as the top model. The Fury name was moved...
s.
The high-performance 401 V8 was last available in 1975 only for fleet and police ordered sedans.
The 1974 models would be the last year for the LAPD's purchase of the Matador. The longer-nosed restyle added weight which affected handling and performance. Matadors faded from police fleets as downsized Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge Diplomat
Dodge Diplomat
The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car made from 1977 to 1989. It is substantially identical to the Chrysler- and Plymouth-branded versions of Chrysler's M-body cars, including the Chrysler LeBaron and New Yorker Fifth Avenue and the Plymouth Gran Fury in the U.S. market and the Plymouth...
-based models became adopted in the late 1970s.
Matador police cars would appear in many television shows and movies during the 1970s, most famously, Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
from 1972 until the show's end in 1975, Police Academy 1, and also in The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
beginning in 1974.
International markets
AMC Matador models were built in Mexico by Vehículos Automotores MexicanosVehículos Automotores Mexicanos
Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos S.A. was an automaker in Mexico. The original organization, a distributor for Willys-Overland vehicles, became government controlled in 1963 with American Motors Corporation holding a minority interest. The company imported and produced automobiles and light...
(VAM), where it was named the "VAM Classic", and in Australia by Australian Motor Industries
Australian Motor Industries
Australian Motor Industries was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automobile industry in Australia.- Start of production :...
(AMI) with modifications for their markets including continuing the use of the Rambler
Rambler (automobile)
Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954, and finally by Nash's successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969...
marque. AMI production of the Rambler Matador commenced in 1971 and the model was discontinued in 1978.
Rambler Matadors with RHD were also assembled until 1975 under license from AMC by Campbell Motor Industries in Thames, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from complete knock down (CKD) kits.
The Rambler name was also used on RHD export models sold in the UK up to the 1976 model year Matadors.
End of the line
During the late 1970s, the domestic automobile market was moving to smaller cars. The large-sized Matador was no longer attractive to customers demanding more economical cars as fuel and money became increasingly worrisome problems after the 1973 oil crisis1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and the continuing double digit domestic inflation.
Lacking the financial resources for a full redesign (partly because of the expensive tooling costs of the coupe), AMC dropped the large Ambassador after 1974, while the Matador was discontinued after 1978, around the same time as Ford moved their full-size nameplates to a smaller platform. The downsized 1977 Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
also spelled doom for large intermediates from AMC and Chrysler. American Motors responded to the declining demand for large cars by introducing new nameplate in 1978, the AMC Concord
AMC Concord
The AMC Concord is a compact car produced by the American Motors Corporation for the 1978 through 1983 model years. The Concord replaced the AMC Hornet and to some extent the mid-size AMC Matador, discontinued after 1978 in a market moving to downsized automobiles...
. It combined an "easy-to-handle size with a roomy sumptuous interior" and in contrast to the Matador coupe, with "overall styling was pleasant ... would not offend anyone" This was the first full-line of economical, compact-sized cars with luxurious trim, features, and comfort levels previously available in larger automobiles.
American Motors did not have another large car until the Eagle Premier
Eagle Premier
The Eagle Premier was a full-size automobile developed by the American Motors Corporation and Renault partnership, inherited by Chrysler Corporation when it acquired AMC in 1987, and marketed from 1987 through 1992...
that was developed with Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
's partnership and introduced right after AMC was purchased by Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
.
Collectability
Hemmings Motor News
Hemmings Motor News is a monthly magazine catering to traders and collectors of antique, classic, and exotic sports cars. It is the largest and oldest publication of its type in the United States, with sales of 215,000 copies per month, and is best known for its large classified advertising sections...
magazine listed the 1974-78 Matador Coupe as one of their 19 pieces of rolling proof that the old-car hobby need not be expensive and described the Coupé as "possibly one of the most distinctive shapes to come out of the 1970s, and arguably a style pinnacle for the personal luxury
Personal luxury car
A personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxury vehicle with an emphasis on image over practicality. Accenting the comfort and satisfaction of its owner and driver above all else, the personal luxury car sometimes sacrifices passenger capacity, cargo room, and fuel economy in favor of style and...
movement...", the James Bond movie role, as well as its NASCAR history.
External links
- (Archived) A brief history of the Matador
- The Coupe Coop, a website dedicated to the Matador coupe
- A page dedicated to the Cassini Matador coupe
- A page dedicated to the Barcelona Matadors
- (Archived) MatadorSedan.com
- (Archived) Vintage LAPD Matador
- (Archived) AMC Police Car Registry
- (Archived 2009–10–24) Matador racing history
- Arcticboy's Matador page
- AMC Rambler Club — Club for 1954 – 1988 AMCs.
- American Motors Owners — Club for 1958 – 1987 AMCs.