Competitors past and present
02/25/2023
Imported compact cars were a major concern for American car manufacturers in the second half of the 1960s. Almost half of these "imports" came from Volkswagen. Ford responded with the Pinto, GM with the Vega. American Motors Corporation, however, came up with the most extreme model, the Gremlin.
This AMC Gremlin was presented in 1970 (in Geneva and New York) and was basically just a shortened AMC Concorde with a striking hatchback.
In terms of price (with a six-cylinder engine), it was on a par with the VW "Beetle". Buyers had to pay around USD 1800 and could therefore choose between a four-cylinder Beetle and a six-cylinder Gremlin. Those who wanted V8 power had to wait until 1972 and, of course, pay a little extra. Around 150 hp then provided propulsion, but the Gremlin with its automatic transmission was still not a real sports car. Compared to the Beetle, however, it certainly had significantly more reserves.
Why are we telling you all this? Well, at the Retro Classics in Stuttgart, the former rivals are facing each other again, at least almost. There is a distance of around 10 meters between the two cars.
Interestingly, they are also priced almost the same. The seller would like EUR 28,900 for the green VW Beetle 1300with original engine from 1973, while the red Gremlin with 4.2-liter engine, automatic transmission and air conditioning from 1975 is available for EUR 26,900.
Which of the two will find a buyer more quickly in the here and now?
If you would like to see the two cars in person, you can do so until Sunday evening (February 26, 2023) at Retro Classics in Stuttgart.
