December 3, 1979 – The last AMC Pacer
The 1970s gas crisis forced automakers to rethink their rather bulbous lineups. By the middle of the decade, consumers interest in style and power waned as focused shifted to value and fuel efficiency. AMC's answer? The Pacer. When it debuted in February 1975, AMC appeared to have an instant hit on its hands. More than 145,000 Pacers sold in their first year of production alone. Like the 70s, sales soon ran out of gas. Between 1976 and the end of 1979, the car averaged sales of about 35,000 units per year. That's good, if you're selling pet rocks. By the time Pacer production ended on this day in 1979, some 280,000 had left the assembly line in total.
1975 AMC Pacer interior and dash. By Christopher Ziemnowicz. Top: The large amount of glass used in the Pacer gave it the name ...
