AMC Matador - Articles - Zimbio

Matador Square House Rechargeable Lantern, Brown

Wed, 27 Mar 2008 07:30:00 GMT

posted by getextra

Enlighten your home or patio decor without the hassle and cost of batteries. The Matador rechargeable lantern has a unique square house design with frosted glass for an updated classic look. Excellent for in- or outdoor use, this lovely cordless lamp can also suspended from a line or hook.

Welcome to our wikizine called "AMC Matador"

Wed, 23 Aug 2007 17:00:10 GMT

posted by allworld
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!

History

Wed, 23 Aug 2007 17:05:50 GMT

posted by allworld
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 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 [1]
The Matador came with straight-6 or a number of V8 engines and it was available with 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan and station wagon body styles. The wagon design was essentially unchanged from the Rebel. A rear facing third row bench seat was available. All wagons included a roof rack and a two-way tailgate that opened down or to the side when the rear window was down.
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.
However, the automobile market was moving to smaller cars. 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. AMC would be left with Jeep, Hornet derivatives, and Renault cars. 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 well under $3,000, ads have been published asking over $100,000 for restored coupes.

Oleg Cassini

Wed, 23 Aug 2007 17:07:01 GMT

posted by allworld
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 upright grille and squared-off roof with opera windows. 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, trunklid, front fender, and hood featured Cassini's signature.

Matador coupe

Wed, 23 Aug 2007 17:06:41 GMT

posted by allworld
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 of the coupe. The requirements for five-mile an hour impact protection meant they received a facelift with massive bumpers (Matadors with this front fascia are sometimes nicknamed "coffin noses"). The 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.
Sales of the coupe were brisk, but dropped as intermediate coupes declined in popularity with the 1973 oil crisis. Design plans for a sedan and wagon based on the coupe's styling themes did not reach production.