The Last AMC Dealership

[Flybrian]

...but not selling a whole lot:


Collier Motors sits on Highway 117 in Pikeville, North Carolina. Its owned by Robert Collier, whose family sold American Motors cars and its predecessors at least back from the 1950s.

AMC was bought out by Renault in 1982 and apparently Collier didn't want anything to do with being owned by a French car manufacturer, so he apparently disassociated from them and went on his own selling his inventory of AMCs. Needless to say, he didn't sell many, so fe in fact, what was left of his stock of AMCs and other (used?) cars sat...and sat...and sat...and rusted into place while the lot grew over with vegatation.

These are relatively recent photos of the dealership circa 2002 or so, so you get an idea of what it is. Apparently, still there.



Matadors, Pacers, Gremlins...waiting for buyers that will never come.

[mightymouse]

HOW COOL ! I love that frozen in time crap I can't believe AMC freaks haven't raided it, with parts being so scarce. Some of those cars will roll again, no doubt.

[bobo]

The Jeeps probably sold. Nobody wanted AMC-brand vehicles. What are two Colony Parks doing there?

[capriceman]

I want an AMX

[mustang84]

That would be spectacular to see in person. For sitting out in the weather for nearly 24 years, some of those cars look like they're in great shape. I'd take that Javelin too.

[HarleyEarl]

I want an AMX

[post="48972"][/post]

I owned an AMX once and I have to say, I have had a lot of cars and trucks, including a Corvette....the AMX and Corvette are my favorites....

I'm such an AMC fan, infact have always been a GM/AMC fan....the sight of those photos of this old dealership just makes me slightly sad. AMC did some interesting cars with not a lot of money to work with.....I always liked that they were the underdog. I wish they were still around. In it's heyday, some of their models gave the big three a run for their money..the Rambler did some respectable numbers.

Here are a few AMC models. While the Pacer is the brunt of jokes now..in it's day it was fresh thinking. For example the passenger door was bigger for easier access to rear seat and had great interior room.

[Flybrian]

While the Pacer is the brunt of jokes now..in it's day it was fresh thinking.  For example the passenger door was bigger for easier access to rear seat and had great interior room.

[post="48986"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The Pacer was supposed to be the 'small car with the big car feel' like virtually all cars ever were supposed to be. The Pacer was alot wider than the Gremlin it succeeded - about as wide as a fullsize car - and was designed with cab-forward in mind.

Some say the Pacer was one of the big nails in AMC's coffin. It was supposed to be powered by a Wankel engine then under development by GM, but when the General dropped it, AMC was left to use a stock I6 which wasn't economical at all. Add that to it being all-new and therefore sharing no major componants with anything else AMC made made it expensive to make. I believe the Matador coupe was also rather expensive because it shared little with the sedans.

Its funny that alot of AMC lived on until very recently. AMC Eagle all-wheel drive wagons were sold until '88 and the Eagle name itself was picked up by Chrysler. Their main factory in Wisconsin is now the Kenosha Engine Plant and the Bramalea Assembly Plants churning out LX-cars was completed shortly before the Chrysler takeover. That plant, interestingly, was supposed to build the '88+ Renault/Eagle Premier, whose platform was actually reengineered into the LH-cars (Concorde/New Yorker/300M/Intrepid).

[daves87rs]

Wow.That is pretty cool. Any old dealerships we have around here disappear real quick.. I wouldn't mind walking though there..and talking one or two home. :)

[thegriffon]

I'm renting a car carrier as we speak and will be out there shortly. I just want the Javelins and Ambassadors and I don't care about the rest.

[post="48948"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

That's it wildman, get all the "new" AMCs and screw with Chryslers sales reporting for 2005.

[Flybrian]

That's it wildman, get all the "new" AMCs and screw with Chryslers sales reporting for 2005.

[post="49020"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

DCX ANNOUNCES RECORD SALES FOR AMC LINE
Ambassador, Javalin at 20-year record highs

[capriceman]

I want to call up the dealership and be like do you have a AMX in Dark green Metalic with a stick. oh then can i place an order than? also in the DCX monthly numbers AMC Division 4? Chysler 120,000 Dodge 105,000

[Sixty8panther]

Wow. Frozen in time indeed. This wins the "Thread of the Month" award right here. I say leave the cars as they sit. That's where they belong undisturbed. It would almost be disrespectuful to disturb aht place, I kind of like just knowing that it's there. Kewl.

[ocnblu]

I want either the light blue Gremlin in the top photo, or the calf sh*t yellow Hornet two-door. Then I'd stick a warmed-up 401 under the hood and have me a bitchin' Rambler.

[HarleyEarl]

My AMX had that 401 engine.....great power....had a 140 mph speedo..had that needle bouncing there and beyond.

[balthazar]

Occurances like this (a still-stocked AMC dealership) restore my faith in mankind. I'd trade 100 weed-choked AMC dealers for every 1 hyundai dealer in a microsecond. And I salute the perserverance of the owner who refused to buckle down.

[Sixty8panther]

Well spoken Balthazar!


Makes me think of my old Sig. :(

I'll have to rework it and stuff a TRUE AMC in there in place of the Talon.

Edited November 27, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[HarleyEarl]

Occurances like this (a still-stocked AMC dealership) restore my faith in mankind. I'd trade 100 weed-choked AMC dealers for every 1 hyundai dealer in a microsecond.

And I salute the perserverance of the owner who refused to buckle down.

[post="49146"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Absolutely agree.

[Flybrian]

Makes me think of my old Sig. :(

[post="49147"][/post]

Makes me think of when Plymouth made a vehicle worth a damn...thank God they're gone.

[balthazar]

Thank God Plymouth is gone?!!! I'll thank God when hyundai & kia are gone.

[Flybrian]

Thank God Plymouth is gone?!!!

I'll thank God when hyundai & kia are gone.

[post="49157"][/post]

Plymouth was an embarassment for the majority of its recent past with such inglorious products like...





All of which were merely stripped-down, cheapened Dodges. In fact, I can't recall a truly differentiated Plymouth aside from the short-lived and ill-placed Prowler. In fact, I'll be bold and say the only worthwhile Plymouths since WWII were the pre-70s cars (Except the putrid 1961 lineup), Duster, Barracuda, and Road Runner.

Its hard to be real appealing when you're known as 'Dodge...but a whole lot cheaper.'

[mustang84]

Plymouth may have been reduced to just rebadges in the 90s, but I'm not happy that it's gone. Imagine what it could be today with the LX platform...a new Barracuda? Hell yeah.

I also like the Volare coupes from the 70s.

[LosAngeles]

Well, Plymouth was below Dodge in the old pecking order. Imperial Chrysler Dodge Plymouth DeSoto

[HarleyEarl]

I'm not happy Plymouth is gone. I wish they were still here. They were a victim of neglect. American car culture is the worse for it. I wish the AMCs, Plymouths, Oldsmobiles, Studebakers, Packards, Kaisers, Frasers, LaSalles, Nashes, etc etc etc were still with us.

Plymouth:

Edited November 27, 2005 by HarleyEarl

[ocnblu]

That little blue '53 (or '54?) is one of my favorite Plymouths.

[HarleyEarl]

It's a '55, Blu. And it's one of my favorites too. That color looks so good on it. It's a good example of a non-metalic paint....just pure solid color...love it. Edited November 27, 2005 by HarleyEarl

[balthazar]

Well, Plymouth was below Dodge in the old pecking order.
Imperial
Chrysler
Dodge
Plymouth
DeSoto

DeSoto belongs right below Chrysler, not below Plymouth.

I agree with you Harley: let's get all the old nameplates back, please!

[steamer]

Someone said Renault bought AMC in 1982, not completely. I think Renault purchased 46% of AMC in 1978. I know this as I worked for Motorola from 1983 to 1987, and Motorola was a major supplier to AMC at one time.

[Flybrian]

Someone said Renault bought AMC in 1982, not completely.  I think Renault purchased 46% of AMC in 1978. I know this as I worked for Motorola from 1983 to 1987, and Motorola was a major supplier to AMC at one time.

[post="49284"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

My mistake.

I believe Renault bought what amounted to about 5% of AMC in 1979 to provide some shoring-up money to the company, a percentage that gradually increased until 1983 when Renault had bought up 49% of AMC.

[Drew Dowdell]

We had a Studebaker dealer right up the street from me until about last year. Even had 1950ish Studebaker Champion in the showroom.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm sure that would result with a hearty round of "What the %$#@!"s at Chrysler headquarters. Think any of them still remember AMC?

[post="49353"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

It would be "Was ist das!?!?!"

[Sixty8panther]

I agree with you Harley: let's get all the old nameplates back, please!

[post="49275"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

If only Plymouth had gotten the TP-Cruiser and then held out untill the current RWD-LX cars (rebadged MB E-series) hit the streets they could already have a Belvedire/Sport Fury/Cuda lineup selling like Hotcakes.

It's a freeking Crying shame Plymouth is gone... Olds had plenty of lame products in the 70s, 80s and 90s but I wouldn't ever try to say "good at least someone put the out of their misery!"

How could anyone be happy about a nameplate like Plymouth getting euthenized. <_<



What about LaSalle, Pierce Arrow, Studebaker, Packard & Deusenberg... those deserve to die too? Edited November 28, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[Sixty8panther]

Thank God Plymouth is gone?!!!

I'll thank God when hyundai & kia are gone.

[post="49157"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Balthazar: Why did you leave out Mitsubishi, Honda, Acura, Scion and Saturn?

Yes I said Saturn. I;d sacrafice Saturn, Hummer and SAAB just to bring back ONE of the aforementioned: esp. Plymouth, Olds or DeSoto. Edited November 28, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[Flybrian]

How could anyone be happy about a nameplate like Plymouth getting euthenized.  <_<

[post="49483"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Better dead than making completely insulting cars.

At least Olds and even Mercury to an extent had one or two unique products during the late-70s and 1980s. Man, even Saturn had unique products. What did Plymouth offer but cheaper Dodges?

So sue me, but I'm honestly mystified at the lovelorn you're showing for Plymouth, putting them in the same league as Oldsmobile, Packard, Hudson, Studebaker and all the rest. The difference between them and Plymouth was that Plymouth was from its conception the 'cheap' car brand and honestly it showed. And from what I understand, Plymouth was hanging on by a thread of varying thickness since the 1960s.

As I've said, yes, a few fine cars, but for most of recent memory, nothing but junk. You really want Plymouth to be back and everyone to remember not the Fury and Roadrunner but the Breeze and Sundance?

[steamer]

I'm sure that would result with a hearty round of "What the %$#@!"s at Chrysler headquarters. Think any of them still remember AMC?

[post="49353"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Check:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Motors

[C.H.U.D.]

Better dead than making completely insulting cars.

At least Olds and even Mercury to an extent had one or two unique products during the late-70s and 1980s. Man, even Saturn had unique products. What did Plymouth offer but cheaper Dodges?

[post="49488"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Prowler?

[balthazar]

Better dead than making completely insulting cars.
So sue me, but I'm honestly mystified at the lovelorn you're showing for Plymouth, putting them in the same league as Oldsmobile, Packard, Hudson, Studebaker and all the rest. The difference between them and Plymouth was that Plymouth was from its conception the 'cheap' car brand and honestly it showed. And from what I understand, Plymouth was hanging on by a thread of varying thickness since the 1960s.

I know what you're saying, Fly, but there's more to what Plymouth was than merely their cars from the last 10 years. If we can lament Hudson & Studebaker for what they built in the '40, '50s and '60s, why can't we likewise lament Plymouth for the same era? You know that's where I'm coming from.

Plymouth's "cheapness" really didn't show until at least the '80s. Many sister Dodge/Plymouth models really were extremely similar and the differences were minor. But before that there were a lot of rock solid & interesting vehicles. But ChryCo pulled their trucks after '80 (except for the POS rebadged mitsu), leaving only the vans... and once the performance models were gone by the late '70s, the writing was on the wall.

Better dead than making completely insulting cars, yes, but better alive with the chance of a rebirth than dead with no chance at all. Sixty8 nailed it: the PT Cruiser should've been a Plymouth (it was as a concept) and by now there could've been an LX Fury sport sedan and an upcoming 'cuda coupe. Instead, the bottom line for me: one more American nameplate gone, which is a federal offense and a capital crime in the automotive arena, IMO.

[Teh Ricer Civic!]

If a brand cant make it it should die, thats how every other company worked. BUT that is cool seeing that pic of that AMC dealership, might be fun to buy one just to have.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I'll take the AMXs, Javelins (espically those), and the Ambassadors. What makes me wonder, though, is why this Bermuda Triangle of a car lot is still here? Won't the owner sell his stock of AMCs? I'd buy. And I'd bet they would be pretty cheap, too. The old owner, if he is still alive, is setting on something of a gold mine.