AMC Matador
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| AMC Matador | |
 | |
| 2nd gen AMC Matador in finest condition | |
| Type | Mid-size car (1st generation, 2nd generation coupe)
Full-size car (2nd generation sedan and wagon) |
| Manifacturer | AMC
AMI VAM |
| Production | 1971 - 1978 |
| Body material | steel, fake wood |
| Body Style | 4-door sedan
2-door Coupé 4-door wagon |
| Engine | 232 CI I-6
258 CI I-6 304 CI V8 360 CI V8 401 CI V8 |
| Layout | Front engine; rear-wheel drive |
| Curb weight | fat as your mama |
The AMC Matador was, or rather used to be, a car of several sizes and shapes produced by the underfunded folks at AMC (which is a sign that it’s a very, very strange car) for the underfunded people. Yes, this car was designed by DICK TEAGUE. The same DICK TEAGUE who designed, yes, the Javelin. And what did that mean? That the car would be a mishmash of several AMC models.
Development[edit | edit source]
The Matador was AMC’s attempt to replace the AMC Rebel, which had faithfully served since 1967. The company found itself in a peculiar dilemma: the name "Rebel" was no longer in vogue. During the era of stoners in bell-bottom jeans, people protesting in front of the Capitol, and bands of Allah's freedom fighters determined to hijack four planes and blow them up in the desert for no reason, every other person was starting to rebel. And worse yet, AMC was desperately trying to keep up with the big players like Ford or General Motors, a prospect about as realistic and feasible as a Nigger joining the KKK. The solution was absolutely brilliant and in no way showed that the car company that gave us Doc Hudson was strapped for cash. It was a rebranding. After thorough market research, they settled on the name "Matador." Why? Because it sounded tough, exotic, and a bit like the name of a Spanish lover from a telenovel. Nobody at AMC seemed to notice that a matador is actually a guy who teases bulls until one of them gores him, but that was just a detail. Dick Teague could finally suck his own dick over the prototype sketch and the name selection, which, for a car meant to serve as a cheap alternative to Ford or Chevy, was pretty dumb. And so the world saw the new Matador, a car that was as "new" as an old Rebel with a different face. AMC claimed the Matador was revolutionary, but in reality, it was a Rebel with a new grille, a bit of plastic, and a dose of marketing hype. To be clear, AMC wasn’t just strapped for cash—it had no cash left at all. This meant the engineers had to recycle everything they could find, from the Ambassador’s chassis to screws left over in the warehouse since World War II.
First Generation (1971 - 1973)[edit | edit source]
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The first Matadors, introduced in 1971, were essentially a mashup of the Rebel and Ambassador models, replacing the Rebel. They were classified as mid-sized cars, meaning their competition included the Chevy Chevelle and its incestuous siblings like the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Cutlass, or Pontiac LeMans, as well as the Ford Torino and its clones. The Matador was basically a Rebel with a different front end, upholstery, and a total lack of inspiration. In terms of engines, it wasn’t much better. The base models had six-cylinder engines with 232 and 258 cubic inches of displacement, offering about as much power as a vacuum cleaner or washing machine – at least compared to cars from the Big Two. The Matador did have an advantage: it was light. So if you opted for a V8 (of course, for an extra cost, because AMC was always strapped for cash), the cars were surprisingly fast. The Matador did acknowledge its connection to the Rebel through the MACHINE package. The Rebel The Machine was a fairly successful muscle car, showing that even underfunded engineers could produce a proper muscle car. The Matador tried to replicate this, but with far less success, simply because it was too inconspicuous. The 1972 model year brought "innovations" that were about as groundbreaking as putting a new coat on an old dog. It offered the same engine choices as the Rebel – six-cylinder engines better suited for powering lawnmowers and V8s that only impressed if you shelled out extra. You could pair these with a three-speed manual transmission that felt like operating a pedal machine or a Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic, because AMC could no longer afford to make its own transmissions. In 1973, AMC introduced a "revolutionary" 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty, promising to fix anything that broke – except the tires and the owner’s pride. New for the year were updated upholstery, slimmer armrests, optional reclining seats, and a redesigned shape for the rear lights. Stricter American safety regulations meant the Matador got bumpers that were as elegant as a brick wall. The front bumper even had telescoping shock absorbers – essentially a self-defense system – directly stolen from GM. Otherwise, the 1973 model was practically the same as its predecessor, meaning it still looked like a Rebel with cheapened details. To give the Matador some street cred, AMC put it in NASCAR, where Mark Donohue actually won a race in a two-door hardtop. With a bit of luck and a lot of gas, he surprised everyone who didn’t expect a car from AMC to go fast.
AMC also launched a rather genius yet dubious advertising campaign. Matador ads claimed it wasn’t just a name change and facelift. AMC desperately tried to distance the new model from any associations with social unrest – because who would want a car that reminded them of burning barricades, hippies with Molotov cocktails, and the looming oil crisis? Instead, they ran the "What’s a Matador?" campaign, attempting to create a unique marketing identity for the car. In other words, they took the total anonymity of the design and tried to sell it as an advantage. "It’s so inconspicuous, no one will ever mug you," could have easily been their slogan. According to consumer surveys conducted by AMC (probably during visits to brothels, hardcore porn shoots, snorting cocaine, and injecting heroin into their butts), the name "Matador" evoked masculinity and excitement. In reality, it looked more like the car was bought by those who found Ford or Chevy too flashy – though, in truth, they simply couldn’t afford them. The biggest faux pas for AMC happened in Puerto Rico. There, the word "matador" didn’t evoke excitement or elegance – it simply meant "killer." But in Puerto Rico, there were two choices: drive or walk. And Puerto Ricans preferred to walk.
Second Generation (1974 - 1978)[edit | edit source]
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The second generation Matador, introduced in 1974, had two goals: to modernize itself and replace the full-size Ambassador, which was essentially the same car. It failed at both. Gerald C. Meyers decided that styling would be the key. The result was a redesign of the sedan and wagon, which were given a massive front end – stretching the car but at the cost of making it look like an ironing board, anteater or Pinocchio. New interiors and paint options were added, but the result was confusion: cars bearing the same name looked absolutely different. New safety regulations required bumpers to withstand 5 mph (8 km/h) impacts without damage. AMC achieved this with massive shock-mounted bumpers. The result? The car looked like it was preparing for the next world war rather than the highway. 1975 brought technological updates. The Prestolite electronic ignition promised "maintenance-free" operation – until it broke down. The Matador received catalytic converters, meaning unleaded fuel, warning stickers on the fuel cap, and an even sterner warning on the dashboard: “Don’t mess this up.” Equipment expanded: steel-belted radial tires became standard, which was nice until you realized their quality was disguised by the car’s shaking at higher speeds. In 1976, AMC made only minor improvements to the Matador. The interiors got new door handles and padded armrests – small touches meant to enhance a sense of luxury. Sedans and wagons were offered in a "Brougham" version, which featured velour seats, woodgrain door panels, and additional decorative trim. The problem was that the Matador now weighed more than similarly sized competitors while offering less space – which was just plain stupid. By 1977, the Matador had stopped being just a car and became a design anomaly. Luxury features became standard: automatic transmission, power steering, disc brakes, and individually adjustable front seats. But while the interior offered comfort, the exterior continued to resemble an armored personnel carrier. The coupe tried to dazzle with special packages like the two-tone "Barcelona" design, featuring soft fabrics and extravagant colors. The problem? Very few people were looking for a Spanish bullfight on four wheels. The Matador’s final year, 1978, brought minor updates – the engine options were trimmed down to the 258 CI I6 and 360 CI V8, performance was downgraded (140 horsepower for the V8), and a few "luxury" features were added. The "Barcelona" package expanded to sedans, offering plush velour upholstery and two-tone paint schemes. Unfortunately, not even the combination of red paint and fake wood could convince buyers that the Matador was worth their attention. Sales plummeted by two-thirds. The marketing strategy resembled a desperate clearance sale by the end, and the Matador was definitively discontinued at the close of 1978.
Matador Coupe[edit | edit source]
AMC leadership wanted to replace the dull two-door 73 Matador with something sporty, sexy, and capable of attracting customers who longed for luxury coupes during the decline of muscle cars. The result was the Matador Coupe – the only truly new model in the mid-size segment for 1974 (as the regular Matador was a class above). It targeted rivals like the Chevrolet Chevelle Coupe and Ford Torino Coupe and was designed under the direction of Dick Teague (yes, that son of a bitch again), with a touch of magic from racer Mark Donohue. Teague went all out. The coupe’s body was designed to avoid looking like a box on wheels. It featured tunneled headlights, a long hood, a short rear deck, and doors so enormous they resembled garage doors when opened. The result? An "aerodynamic" look that resembled something crossed with the AMC Gremlin more than a car. The base engine was a 3.8-liter inline-six with a manual transmission. If you wanted something "sharper," you could opt for a V8, but given the car’s aerodynamics, you weren’t going anywhere fast anyway. The Matador Coupe was a marvel. For a company as small, poor, and barely solvent as AMC, they created something that won the "Best Styled Car of 1974" title from Car and Driver magazine. Owners were thrilled – 63.7% of them said it "looks great," which was probably the only reason they bought it. In 1974, over 62,000 coupes were sold, a massive leap from the previous year, when just over 7,000 two-door Matadors were sold. But then came the crisis, the market collapsed, and sales plummeted. In its final year (1978), only 2,006 people bought the coupe. AMC decided to pull the Matador from the stage because no one – not customers, not accountants – had the energy for it anymore.
Police Interceptor[edit | edit source]
Matadors were available directly from the factory in police car versions. The largest user of police Matadors was the LAPD, which used them primarily between 1972 and 1974. After thorough testing of special police versions from GM, Ford, and Chrysler, the LAPD chose the AMC Matador because it "outperformed all the other cars in handling and performance." In 1972, the LAPD purchased a total of 534 units. These Matadors included special equipment such as T-2 flashing lights, a five-channel radio, a Federal Interceptor siren, and a "Hot Sheet Desk" with a special lamp so officers could look at their wanted list without straining their eyes. Matadors—both sedans and wagons—were also popular with other agencies, such as the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department or the Los Angeles Fire Department, which presumably used them so firefighters wouldn't be mocked for driving big red trucks. Unfortunately, 1974 was the last year the LAPD purchased Matadors. The second generation (ironing board) with its massive bumpers was heavy, which negatively affected handling. After 1976, AMC simply abandoned the police car business because it "caused too many problems"—either the cars fell apart or nobody wanted them. The states of Georgia and Alabama purchased 285 Matadors in 1972, including 31 in "unmarked" versions. Matadors were used by many other agencies, government departments in the U.S. and Canada, and even by military police. Some stayed in service until the mid-1980s—meaning they were either indestructible or simply left unused. While the performance of V8 engines in most sedans at the time was declining, AMC proved that "bigger is better." Their 401 CI engine had more power than most other police vehicles. Tests from 1972 showed that a Matador equipped with this engine could run the quarter-mile in approximately 14.7 seconds, just like the Javelin (because Javelin was just Camaro for poor people), which is great—until you realize it couldn't stop afterward. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph was under 7 seconds, comparable to the 2006 Dodge Charger Police Package, which is just a plastic junker. The top speed was around 125 mph; however, it took three-quarters of a minute to get there, leaving officers plenty of time to either shoot random nigga witta gun from da hood on the street or give up the chase and grab a donut.
All-around the world[edit | edit source]
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The AMC Matador had one major advantage: since it was manufactured by AMC—a company generally considered second-rate—it was cheap, simple, and remarkably tough and reliable (an unusual trait for an American car). This made it popular with fleets and a successful export to Europe and Asia. But that’s not all. It was also manufactured in Australia, in Melbourne, at the AMI (Australian Motor Industries) plants, a company that assembled pretty much everything. From clunkers like the Standard Vanguard to Toyotas and even Mercedes-Benz cars. So, it made perfect sense for them to produce AMC vehicles starting in 1961. However, they kept the Rambler name. From 1971 onward, they built the Matador under the name Rambler Matador, which sounds like the stage name of some American porn actor with a taste for BDSM, undercutting veins and bondage. These were produced from 1971 to 1976 and sold off until 1977. They were surprisingly popular, even the second-generation models—a paradox, considering Australians usually have better taste than to like a car that looks like a cheap iron. Naturally, these cars were made with right-hand drive, and the manufacturing process involved stealing parts from the U.S. and simply moving the steering wheel to the other side. Matadors were also produced in Mexico at the VAM factories, essentially AMC’s Mexican subsidiary. They were sold there as the VAM Classic—a name taken from a car that hadn’t been made since 1966 and was the predecessor to the Rebel, which itself was the predecessor to the Matador. In Mexico, they even made their own engines, which ran on low-octane fuel (tequila and cocaine). Their build quality? Abysmal. The cars practically fell apart the moment they rolled out of the factory. Matadors were also assembled in Costa Rica—but not for long. The Costa Ricans quickly stole all the parts and dismantled the assembly line.
