American Motors pretty much ran on a shoestring and a prayer for their entire existence, relying on a combination of niche product marketing and the talents of designer Richard Teague. Except for a quick lapse of sound judgement toward the end of the 1960s that provided such fun muscle cars as the Rebel, Javelin, “The Machine”, SC/Rambler and the AMX, AMC tended to cater towards budget-minded cars, and especially after 1970, fuel-efficient smaller cars. The AMC Hornet was probably the most important (and successful) of these ventures…the basic platform was around from the start of production in 1969 for the 1970 model year all the way through 1988, shortly after Chrysler bought out AMC, and spawned such cars as the chop-back Gremlin, the Concord, the Spirit, and the before-it’s-time AMC Eagle four-wheel-drive station wagon. That means that it outlasted all of it’s competitors (Ford Maverick, Mercury Comet, GM X-cars, and the Mopar A-bodies) by at least eight years. That’s a lot of mileage out of a first-generation “import fighter” from an American company!
This 1974 Hornet is one of the cleaner body styles that rode the platform, true to the original design so long as you look past the government-mandated chrome battering rams at both ends. Taking styling cues from the AMC Cavalier/Vixen concept cars from the “Project IV” concept tour of the mid-1960s, the Hornet was meant to be a frugal two-door that had enough styling to be attractive, but wasn’t overloaded with extras. Over forty years later, this Hornet coupe comes across as simple and clean, and while we don’t know if the paint is original or not, we don’t care…the light green and white stripe choice is beautiful and goes well with the green interior and Magnum 500 wheels.
Underhood is the venerable 258 cubic inch AMC inline-six bolted up to an automatic transmission. If you’re inclined to leave things well enough alone, then that’s all you need to know…well, that and the fact that this Hornet seems to be in the hands of a fairly competent AMC fan, according to the pictures. For us, we’d be changing out the trans for a manual and preparing that six for a turbocharger! With a bit of suspension maintenance and some upgraded brakes behind those wheels (a strong suggestion, as Hornet brakes weren’t known for their performance) and you’d have a light little handler that more and more people wouldn’t recognize.
Craigslist Link: 1974 AMC Hornet
Whoever gets the Hornet should seriously consider leaving it alone. It’s a pretty cool car as-is.
How can anyone leave this or any car alone? Sorry but the 6 is the first thing to go.
Better yet, what’s the deal with the Gremmy in the background? That looks to be a sweet ride!
4.0 cherokee F/I engine woth O/D trans and have fun
This is very close in appearance to the awesome AMC Hornet SC360 which had the AMC 360 engine coupled to a Borg Warner Super T10 AMC 4 speed close ratio transmission (2.20 1st gear ratio). This transmission is mostly GM TransAm with a 10 splined input and a 28 spline output, and uses a special bell-housing and a Dodge 440 clutch. Front brakes were Ford vented discs, and at the back end was a sturdy Spicer posi-trac with fat U-joints and drive-shaft. Anti-roll bars front and rear. The only outward difference was a small hood-scoop and the obviously wide wheels. A standard Hornet like this one would be too light and delicate for a big V8. The SC360 was made for racing and was like a tank compared to a a regular Hornet – but it’s nice to dream about it!