American
Motors Corporation (AMC) was formed by
the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor
Car Company. American Motors combined Nash and Hudson models with
Hudsons being redesigned to merge with the Nash body style. Models
in the fifties included Rambler, Metropolitan, Nash Statesman,
Wasp, and Hudson Hornet. Models in the late sixties would include
the AMC Javelin, Marlin and AMX designed to compete with the
pony car stable. In the early seventies, the Gremlin and Matador
were introduced and AMC won the contract to replace the LAPD
Plymouth Satellite cruisers with the AMC Matador. AMC supplied
two Matadors for use in the popular police TV series "Adam 12"
thus increasing the model's profile. The AMC Pacer was introduced
in 1975 in an effort to create the world's first wide small car.
AMC purchased Kaiser Jeep in 1970 and partnered with France's
Renault from 1980 to 1987. When Chrysler purchased AMC in 1987,
US operations of the AMC and Renault brand ceased in the U.S.
while the Jeep/Eagle brand was created.
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