Once again, I’m going to dive into the catalog of vehicle reviews that were performed by Miami-based news reporter Bob Mayer. His “Behind The Wheel” review series has become a favorite of mine, because Bob tells it like it is, regardless of whoever’s feelings are going to get hurt. Does the paint have more orange peel in it than the orange he had for breakfast? He’ll say something. That funky new feedback carb that’s trying to keep emissions down causing the car to stall and break down like Ashlee Simpson when the recording track replays on live television? Bob will happily share that fault with the audience! His blunt-force-honest reviews are something that’s missing lots of times in vehicle reviews. There’s usually a lot to like about vehicles, and he will share the good sides. But it’s the bad things people remember, be it an infotainment system that needs two college degrees to figure out, seats designed by the Marquis de Sade, or a shifter that doesn’t do squat besides occupy real estate.

So for this round, let’s bring out a regular whipping boy: the American Motors Pacer. Forever immortalized as the “Mirthmobile” from Wayne’s World, the Pacer is best known for it’s gigantic glass ass shape and general 1970s weirdness. AMC was hoping for the best with the Pacer: compact length, intermediate width, a rotary engine that was never coming, and most of all, sales. Yep…that didn’t happen. Even though motoring rags in the country often praised the funky little car, and even though Dick Teague’s design was very forward-looking, the car was visually upsetting, the engines were nothing to sing about, and even with a wagon version later on in the run, the Pacer was simply too weird to live.

With a shoestring budget and a prayer resting on the Pacer’s success, how did the most honest reviewer take to AMC’s fishbowl? Hit play below to check out the review!