The Spirit was American Motors’ replacement for the Gremlin: the same basic car restyled into two hatchback shapes, a Kammback “sedan” and a softer Liftback “coupe”. It was built from 1979 to 1983 and also formed the basis of the four-wheel-drive Eagle SX/4.
AMC Spirit at a glance
| Maker | American Motors Corporation; VAM in Mexico |
|---|---|
| Production | 1979–1983 |
| Class | subcompact car |
| Replaced | AMC Gremlin |
| Bodies | Spirit Kammback (sedan) and Spirit Liftback (coupe) |
| Platform | Gremlin floorpan, 96 in (2,438 mm) wheelbase |
| Standard engine | 121 cu in (2.0 L) Audi EA831 four |
| Optional engines | 232 cu in (3.8 L) and 258 cu in (4.2 L) sixes; 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 on the Liftback |
| Fuel tank | 21 US gal, over 500 miles between fills |
| Related | Eagle SX/4 and Eagle Kammback, 1981–83 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the AMC Spirit.
History of the AMC Spirit
A restyled Gremlin
Budget constraints meant the Spirit shared the Gremlin’s platform: its floorpan, powertrains and many other parts were carried over. American Motors offered the restyled Gremlin as a “Spirit Kammback” or “sedan”, and added a second model with a more gently sloping rear as the “Spirit Liftback” or “coupe”; neither was marketed as a hatchback even though both were. Engineering and equipment upgrades from the 1978 Concord came with it: soft-ride mountings for the coil springs over A-arms at the front and the leaf-sprung live axle at the rear, better sound-deadening and corrosion protection, aluminium bumpers, a lock-up torque converter and a higher-compression camshaft and pistons for the six-cylinder engines.
The 1979 range
The Spirit had noticeably larger rear quarter windows than the Gremlin but kept the 1978 Gremlin dashboard, with woodgrain on DL and Limited models. The Liftback sat on the same wheelbase, was identical to the sedan from the doors forward and had a sloping roof that compromised rear headroom; its rear number plate hid the fuel filler. With a 21-gallon tank and fuel economy of 25 mpg or more, AMC claimed over 500 miles between fill-ups. DL models added colour-keyed wheel covers, bucket seats in corduroy or sport vinyl, wood accents and a digital clock, while the Limited came with leather, air conditioning, an AM/FM radio, an adjustable steering wheel and a full-length console. The GT package on the Liftback brought blacked-out trim, styled wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tachometer and Rallye gauges, a rear spoiler and a deeper exhaust note, with an optional rally-tuned suspension.
Engines and the Eagle connection
The standard engine on all models except the AMX was a 121 cu in (2.0 L) Audi EA831 four-cylinder, built by AMC in Indiana to its own specification with a two-barrel carburettor. Optional were AMC’s 232 and 258 cu in sixes, the larger of which was standard in the AMX, and the 304 cu in V8 was available only in the Liftback for 1979 — the last year a V8 could be ordered in AMC’s short 96-inch chassis. Gearboxes were a four-speed manual or a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic. The Spirit’s body also served the four-wheel-drive Eagle SX/4 and Eagle Kammback from 1981 to 1983. In 1979 a two-car team of Spirit AMXs, sponsored by B.F. Goodrich, raced at the Nürburgring 24 Hours as the first American entries with a pair of hastily homologated cars; they finished first and second in class in a 120-car field and were the only racers on street tyres.
Design and features
- Two body shapes: the Kammback sedan and the softer Liftback coupe, both hatchbacks.
- Gremlin roots: the same floorpan and most mechanical parts, with Concord refinements.
- Economy engines: a 2.0 litre Audi four as standard, with six-cylinder options.
- GT package: spoiler, Rallye gauges and a rally-tuned suspension option.
AMC Spirit versions
- Spirit Kammback: the upright-tailed sedan version.
- Spirit Liftback: the sloping-roof coupe, available with the 304 V8 in 1979.
- Spirit DL and Limited: the better-equipped trims.
- Spirit GT: the sporty Liftback with black trim and a spoiler.
- Spirit AMX: the performance version that raced at the Nürburgring.
- VAM Spirit: Mexican-built cars that kept the Gremlin name.
The Spirit replaced the Gremlin and shared its body with the four-wheel-drive Eagle SX/4. More cars are in the AMC collection.
Video: 1982 AMC Spirit GT
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- AMC Spirit, English Wikipedia: design, 1979 range, engines, racing
