American Motors Corporation (AMC) was a well-established, but struggling U.S. automaker that thrived in the 1950s and finally came to an end in 1987. AMC is most well known for its Rambler series of vehicles after the company formed when the Hudson and Nash automotive companies merged to become American Motors.
In 1976 and 77, the company went hog wild showing off concepts and ideas for its future, hoping to ride its wave of popularity at the time. But its popularity was short lived. Out of that crazy couple of years of concepts, though, came the AM Van.
Built for the Concept 80 traveling tour of 1977, the AM Van was mixed in with six other concepts, most of which were variations of the company’s already-existing models like the Gremlin and Pacer. The AM Van looked like a ballooned up Pacer, but with beach buggy hints and some unique attributes. It was a far cry from the other original concept that was touring with it, the wedge-shaped Concept Electron electric car.
The AM Van was designed by AMC’s Dick Teague, a now-legendary designer who made his name creating wacky but sellable vehicles.
The design of the AM Van was popular with Concept 80 attendees, about a third of whom called this one their favorite of the seven vehicles being shown. The expanded Pacer design was augmented with all-terrain tires on oversized wheels under flared fenders. Chromed exhaust pipes and big logos touting “4×4” and “Turbo” to match its fat rump and square headlamps.
The AM Van foretold the forced induction four-wheel drive design of the AMC Eagle that would come in 1980. Showing that the company was already working on the concept three years before.
In real life, the AM Van had no actual underpinnings. No drivetrain, no turbo.. not even an engine to attach a turbo to. It didn’t even have proper framing, its molded body sitting atop a wooden frame with bolted on wheels. The AM Van was cutting edge, on paper, but AMC’s 1977 budget didn’t allow fully-functional concepts.
The concept van eventually got warehoused and then sold. It recently came up at auction with RM Sothebys, where it sold for an undisclosed amount.
Photo credits to RM Sothebys.
