AMC Matador

Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "AMC Matador". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's cap and add your own article... Read Full Story

The Matador replaced the AMC Rebel, which had been marketed since 1967. Like the Rebel, the Matador was based on the full-size AMC Ambassador. AMC 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. 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... Read Full Story

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 cars. The new Matador did not have the typical vintage styling cues of formal... Read Full Story

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 by AMC's Vice President of Styling, Richard A. Teague, with input from Mark Donohue, the famous race car driver. The coupe's wind-shaped look was enhanced by a very long hood and a short rear deck. The four-door and station wagon models did not share the complete redesign... Read Full Story

Michael Teutul from the TV series American Chopper owns a Matador Barcelona that was given to him by his father as a gift. In the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, the villain Francisco Scaramanga drives a Matador coupe that could transform into an aircraft. Matador sedans (2nd generation) were used as local police pursuit vehicles. In that movie, various American Motors vehicles were used despite the fact that the movie was set in Thailand, where AMC cars were never sold; this... Read Full Story