American Motors' Stubby Pacer

In the mid-1970s American Motors Corporation (AMC) launched a different kind of car -- the Pacer.  That act was more risky than usual for a car industry firm because of all the "unknowns" that the effort faced.  (Even playing it safe by launching an utterly conventional car has its risks.  Such as the car being perceived as being bland and a bit old-fashioned.)

What AMC did was create a small car by American market standards simply by making it shorter than standard cars.  Not shorter and narrower -- overall, smaller -- but just as wide as conventional cars.  Width was even a point stressed in early Pacer advertising.

Pacers sold fairly well for the 1975-76 introductory period, but then dropped off noticeably.  The link above cites some reasons.  I recall that the reason had to do with the recent gas crisis still worrying potential buyers and that Pacers were not seen as being much less fuel-thirsty than regular cars.  In that context, the Pacer's main virtue was that its short length made it more convenient to park on crowded city streets.

I briefly wrote about the Pacer here.

Pacer styling was under the direction of Dick Teague (Wikipedia entry here), an experienced styling director.  Therefore, its packaging concept aside, the car was cutely styled, though it has a chubby appearance.  One interesting feature was that the passenger-side door was longer than the one on the driver's side, this to allow easier back seat access when loading by a street curb.

Pacers were produced 1975-1979, production ending in December of the latter year with fewer than two thousand 1980 models built.

Unless noted, the images below are AMC- sourced.

Gallery

Front view of a 1975 Pacer.  The image fuzzes over the grille, but it's basically a horizontal band with thin, horizontal bars.  Teague used horizontal bands on his major-facelifted 1955 Packard line.

Aft quarter view.  Pacer coupes were hatchbacks, a feature that was never hugely popular in the USA.  Note the extensive glass area.  Automobile shatterproof glass is heavy, and that added to the Pacer weight and fuel economy problem.

For a quick break from factory furnished images, here are two photos of a 1975 Pacer auctioned by Barrett-Jackson.

A 1977 Pacer showing the wide passenger-side door (compare B-pillar cut lines) and offering a sense of the car's profile.

For 1977 Pacer introduced a station wagon variant, but this did little to help bolster sales.

A V-6 motor was added for 1978, so the hood had to be raised and the grille redesigned.

Front quarter view of a 1980 (or perhaps 1979) Pacer -- the hood ornament is the main car spotter tipoff for those model years.