These cars were introduced in 1980, after a few years of modification and testing on the 1977 AMC Hornet by project manager Roy C. Lunn, chief of the Ford GT40 project.

Originally it was called the “American Eagle”, but this was soon dropped in favor of the simple, “Eagle” by American Motors.

This is a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout Wagon from the 1976 AMC Passenger Cars Brochure, essentially identical to the 1977 version of the starting point for the project…

Project Gallery Home > Brochures, Catalogs, Pamphlets > 1976 AMC Passenger Cars Catalog

And here’s what you get, when you stuff yourself some JEEP engineering know-how, into the visionary American Motors passenger car design excellence.

1988 Chrysler/AMC Eagle Limited Wagon

This is the last car model built by American Motors.  The Hornet is still clearly visible in the Eagle over 10 years later…

1980 “Sea Level, Ski Level” American Eagle Magazine Ad

From a 1979 issue of Mother Earth News

This is an actual photo of the undercarriage of the original modified Hornet, with its 4wd drivetrain shoehorned in…

1977 AMC Hornet/Eagle Prototype

In 1977, a contemporary Hornet Sportabout Wagon was modified throughout the floorpan, structural members, and suspension. The cabin was also modified to some degree.  A viscous-coupled transfer case with torque-sensing differential characteristics was added, for auto-sensing 4 wheel drive effect.

The result- The AMC Eagle.   Awesomely simple engineering…

For more pictures and information, visit:

the AMC Eagle Nest

Everything AMC Eagle

The AMC Heritage Forum

I own one of these cars myself, a 1981 in the Kammback body style, it’s basically a four-wheel drive AMC Gremlin:

1974 AMC Gremlin

 1981 AMC Eagle DL50

The primary difference, cosmetically, is the change in the rear quarter windows, providing more vision to the flanks, and changing the overall effect into more of a shorty wagon style.

Both of these projects have a discussion on The AMC Heritage Forum, along with several other projects being undertaken by fellow Members of The Forum:

Newspaper Ad from September of 1959:

This nifty accessories catalog from 1970 was posted recently on The AMC Heritage Forum by Member GT360.

Discussion of this item at The AMC Heritage Forum:

The AMC Heritage Forum > Lost Dealership Project > Documentation, Sales Aids & Training > Go & Show High Performance Parts & Accessories

This is probably the earliest piece of Rambler advertising in my collection.  G & J started business in 1881, prior to that, since 1879,  the business was a sole proprietorship run by Thomas B. Jeffery alone, as American Bicycles Company.

This is not the prettiest reproduction, but it was very small, in a very dirty newspaper from 1881.

8-Page pamplet introducing the Big Bad Options.

In January of 1969, American Motors introduced the Big Bad Option list,
which included simulated exhaust rocker moldings, an “air spoiler” roof
wing, “C-Stripe” decals, and performance offerings. These cars have
become some of the most sought-after AMC’s of the present time.

Wild Colors were watchwords in the muscle car market at the end,
and the Big 3 were cranking out the freaky colors themselves, like I Am
Curious Yellow, The Grabber colors, the Hugger colors, and the other
bizarre trim schemes of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

AMC didn’t exactly stop there. Later came the Maxi colors, and they also added a “Big Bad Yellow”, called Baja Yellow.

Matador Red stepped into this elite group in 1972, when AMC’s Jeep
Corporation was offering a limited-edition trio of CJ5 Renegades in
1500-unit runs, available in special colors, Matador Red, Baja Yellow,
and Mint Green. There was some sort of problem at the paint station
with the Matador Red, so the last 1000 or so of the Matador Red Jeeps
rolled out the door wearing Big Bad Orange instead. Most of that run
was done in the wrong color. Only about 500 CJ5s out of the Matador Red
run were actually Matador Red.

This is an advertisement from January of 1969, flaunting the Big Bad Orange Javelin SST tricked to the max.

This is a Paint Chip Sheet bearing the paint codes and small
samples of their corresponding finishes. My first AMC, at age 18, was a
1969 Javelin SST with a 390 and 4-speed, Twin-Grip rear, and Big Bad
Orange paint, no stripe, no roof spoiler, but it had the exhaust-styled
rocker moldings. Just an unbeatable car, show AND go. The girls loved
it!

My current Javelin SST is also a ‘69, with the hood scoops from
the Go Package, a 343/auto car, in Alamosa Aqua, which seems to be even
a more rare color than these Big Bad Colors. The color is usually seen
on Ambassadors, if at all. A number of AMX’s have been seen that were
repainted Alamosa Aqua, changing from the original color of the car.

This is a unique choice of finish, because the V8 engines from AMC
were also painted Alamosa Aqua in 1969, creating a bizarre anodized or
chrome-type effect under the hood, because everything under the hood is
shiny and same-colored.  At first it dazzles your eyes, a slight
disorientation, before you realize what you’re looking at.  There
were three variants offered in some of these special colors, including
the Alamosa Aqua and the Bittersweet Orange.

There is a normal metallic version, and a second variation called
Polychrome or Polychromatic, similar to metallic except the metallic
particles within the paint are multi-colored instead of just gold or
silver.  The version on my car was known as an Irridescent,
similar to a Pearl, with a limited amount of color change.  The
metallic particles are also multicolored, but only in metallic colors
like copper, gold and silver.  The Big Bad colors and some others
do not offer these features.

Also, see the post on the Rebel Raider,
available in these colors, renamed Electric Green, Tangerine, and Blue
You’ve Never Seen.

1969 AMC Rebel Raider Poster