AMC Cowboy...think El Ramblero

[Ace-Garageguy]

This was a new one on me...

 

 

[thatz4u]

Bill, thanks for posting this video...this would make a great kitbash....

[Tim W. SoCal]

In the immortal words of Artie Shaw on Rowan & Martin's "Laugh In"... VEDDY INTEDESTING!...   http://www.oldcarscanada.com/2013/12/1973-amc-cowboy-pickup-prototype.html

[Mark]

I never knew about that one until I saw pics of them (there were two, six and V8) in an AMC book.  And I'm into AMC, having had one many years ago (wouldn't mind another, if the right one came along).

I believe that is the V8 one, the only one of the two to still exist.  It, like the other one, started out with the '70-'72 front sheet metal.  AMC supposedly dropped the pickup because the Hornet (particularly the wagon) was selling really well at the time.

It's a shame AMC dumped money into the Pacer, and the Matador coupe in the mid-Seventies.  Both of those were dead ends.  That money would have been better spent keeping the Hornet and Gremlin up to date.  Those were great cars; a bit dated and heavier than they needed to be.  The Gremlin in particular was overweight, but shared chassis parts, brakes, and power train with the Hornet.  I put over 200,000 miles on a Spirit (hatchback derivative of the Gremlin) and would buy another if the right one turned up.  They sold well but they were great drivers, everyone (me included) used them until they were used up.  Having a trimmer, slightly more up-to-date Hornet/Concord and Gremlin/Spirit in the mid-Eighties might have put AMC in a better position for a merger than the lousy Renault deal they ended up with.

Edited July 23, 2024 by Mark
D--- spell check

[ChrisBcritter]

7 hours ago, Tim W. SoCal said:

In the immortal words of Artie Shaw on Rowan & Martin's "Laugh In"... VEDDY INTEDESTING!...   http://www.oldcarscanada.com/2013/12/1973-amc-cowboy-pickup-prototype.html

That was Arte Johnson; Artie Shaw was the bandleader.

I think the Cowboy might have been successful for AMC in Australia as a Ute (and maybe with their subsidiary in South Africa as well).

[Brian Austin]

I wish I recalled the particular issue, but decades ago Collectible Automobile magazine published an article on the Cowboy so I had been aware of it.  I always thought this was a neat looking concept, but I doubt it would have been a success.

[1972coronet]

8 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

I think the Cowboy might have been successful for AMC in Australia as a Ute (and maybe with their subsidiary in South Africa as well).

Definitely resembles the styling cues of a Ute , its B-pillar especially. Surely this was a concession , but it nevertheless strongly resembles the Utes I've seen (the Dart and Valiant in particular).

I saw this video's thumbnail a week or so ago but I never watched it - so much "click-bait" around, and this video definitely presents itself as just that , more so with that headline.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, 1972coronet said:

...so much "click-bait" around, and this video definitely presents itself as just that , more so with that headline.

Yup, and he takes a while to get into the meat...which is why I'll usually fast-forward and look at a few seconds of the middle of most YT products from makers I don't know before watching them, just to see if there's any real value.

Edited July 24, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY