American Motors Parts
Overview
For over three decades, American Motors Corporation (AMC) produced several successful automobile lines and provided competition for Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler until becoming defunct.
Contents
1. Origin and the Rambler
2. Changing Focus and Future Product Development
3. Financial Woes and Renault Partnership
4. The End of AMC
Origin and the Rambler
American Motors was the result of a merger in 1954 between the Hudson Motor Car Company and the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, which itself had been formed as the result of a merger between Nash Motors (Est. 1916) and Kelvinator Appliance Company (Est. 1914) in 1937. George W. Mason, who was CEO of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation at the time, helped orchestrate the acquisition and subsequent merger with Hudson, feeling that by combining the strengths of both Hudson and Nash, the resulting company would be better suited to battle the larger automakers. Mason was AMC’s first CEO but unfortunately, within months of the formation of AMC, he died in 1954, never to see the results of his hard work.
Both the Nash and Hudson lines remained available to consumers at the onset of the merger, and cars were often restyled and then made available under each marque. However, the compact Rambler model released in 1956 became so popular that eventually, in 1957, both the Nash and Hudson names were replaced and Rambler became its own marque. This would last until 1970.
Changing Focus and Future Product Development
In 1970, the Rambler name itself was dropped due to a shift in company focus towards larger and more profitable cars and its financial and market woes at the time. AMC at that point became the official brand name for all American Motors vehicles. American Motors also added the Jeep brand of 4x4 off-road SUVs and light trucks, as well as their government contracts, to complement their car business in 1970 with the purchase of the Kaiser-Jeep Corporation (formerly known as Willys-Overland) from Kaiser Industries. In addition to the Rambler, American Motors developed several classic vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s. The AMC Javelin, Rebel, Marlin, Matador and Hornet are all desirable collector cars. Other models included the AMC Pacer, Gremlin, Spirit, and Concord, as well as the AMC Eagle produced in 1979, which was one of the first true crossover vehicles.
Financial Woes and Renault Partnership
During the mid to late 1970s, the company was suffering from serious cash flow problems, even despite record profits on sales in 1979. It had received credits from US banks, and it also partnered with the nationally owned French automaker Renault in 1978 to jointly manufacture and distribute cars and trucks. A year later, the company struck another deal with Renault that would inject much needed cash into AMC, amongst other things, in exchange for a little over a quarter ownership interest in the company. The company continued to struggle and, in 1980, due to US banks failing to provide AMC with any more credit, it once again turned to Renault to help finance the company’s manufacturing operations and obtain the capital and resources it desperately needed to try and compete in the changing marketplace. With the potential of bankruptcy looming, AMC shareholders approved the plan for Renault to acquire a controlling stake in the company and become its principal owner. By 1983, Renault owned 49% of the company and American Motors’ run as an authentic American automaker sadly had come to an end.
Production on all AMC cars was discontinued after 1983 except for the AMC Eagle, which lasted until 1988. Instead, the focus turned to the AMC-Renault partnership and its joint vehicle the Renault Alliance (later, simply called Alliance), and to Jeep. The Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Wagoneer were introduced in 1983 for the 1984 model year, and these models helped usher in a new market segment that later developed into the sport utility vehicle (SUV).
The End of AMC
In 1987, due to changes in the marketplace and in management, as well as having problems of its own back in France, Renault sold its share of AMC to the Chrysler Corporation, which then also bought out the remaining shares. Production on all AMC and Renault brands was then discontinued by Chrysler in America (the French company has since returned with its purchase of a controlling stake in Nissan in 1999), while assimilating several managers and engineers to build new Chrysler vehicles. What was left of AMC after the buyout formed the Jeep/Eagle division of Chrysler Corporation, which manufactured vehicles until 1997, when the Eagle division was eliminated and Jeep became a standalone division not long after the Chrysler Corporation was bought by Daimler-Benz AG. Despite no longer existing, American Motors has left a lasting legacy and is admired even today for its progressive thinking. Resourceful management and the anticipation of consumer interests initiated advances in the industry such as fuel efficiency and four wheel drive sport utility vehicles that remain to this day.
Need American Motors Parts?
American Motors has been defunct for over two decades and parts are difficult to come by. Have no fear, however; if you are in need of a replacement part for your American Motors vehicle, then you've come to the right place! At 1A Auto, we get you the right American Motors parts for your car, at a great discount. You'll find a large selection of new, high quality aftermarket AMC auto parts, including headlights, taillights, weatherstripping, mirrors, door handles, exhaust manifolds, radiators, and more. We don't only just sell aftermarket American Motors parts online here at 1A Auto; we also carry a selection of new and performance parts such as high flow air filters for your American Motors vehicle as well, at huge savings to you.
Our product development team spends over 8,000 hours a year researching the best auto parts, and they are carefully selected by our trained engineers so you can rest assured that you are getting the correct, high quality part you need for your car, at a discount price. If we wouldn't put the part in our own cars, we won't sell them to anyone else. A new aftermarket replacement American Motors part from 1A Auto will save you 30-50% on average over a comparable new OEM replacement American Motors part that you would get at a dealership, and our new aftermarket AMC parts are also extremely durable and reliable. Don't overpay for American Motors parts and save yourself from a lot of potential headaches by shopping at 1A Auto.
You can shop for all of your American Motors parts online and buy safely and securely right here on our website, or you can call our customer service toll free at 888-844-3393 if you have any questions about any of our parts, or to buy over the phone. With over 150 years combined experience, 1A Auto's customer service representatives are the most qualified to answer your questions about all of our new, aftermarket, and performance AMC car parts. Our representatives answer 99.9% of phone calls in less than one minute and emails are responded to within the hour because we know you need answers quickly to get your classic vehicle back in working order again. We also know you want your part fast for the same reason; 98% of in stock American Motors auto parts ship from our warehouse within one business day so that you can get back on the road in no time, and all ground shipping in the continental US is completely free. And, in the unlikely case that you are unhappy with your AMC auto part for any reason, 1A Auto also offers the only No Hassle return policy for unused items in the industry. Simply put, our competitors can't beat the 1A Advantage. Don't just take it from us - take it from over 50,000 satisfied customers!
Look no further than 1A Auto for your aftermarket, original equipment (OE) replacement, new and performance American Motors auto parts and get your car the new parts it needs today from car enthusiasts just like you! If you happen to be an enthusiastic AMC owner, have a deep passion for AMC vehicles, or just want to learn more about the automobile manufacturer, continue reading below for a detailed look at the brand's history and some of its past models.
