February 28, 1975 – AMC Introduces the Pacer
The “first wide small car,” the AMC Pacer, hit showrooms on this day in 1975. Quickly earning the nickname the Flying Fishbowl, the Pacer and its 37% glass surface area was AMC’s sub compact snub to the gas guzzlers that were continuously rolling out of American auto plants. Despite worries from inside AMC about its design, the economical car received various accolades from Car and Driver and Road and Track. Popular Mechanics even wrote, “This is the first time in the history of the American automobile industry that a car manufacturer has said in advance of bringing out a new product that some people may not like it.”
Above: D/L Coupe - By Triskel99 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0Top: 1975 AMC Pacer D/L by Greg Gherdingen
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