Loved my gremlin. Wish I still had it. I abused it for years doing everything from taking it off road to jumping a hill dukes of hazard style (with 5 ppl in it which broke my transmission in 2) but not still ran. It was unstoppable.
The Gremlin doesn't look ugly. It looks FANTASTIC! (eccept frontend and interior...) The long hood (with factory V8...) makes it cool. And the shape of the rear side windows is copyied by many makes for decades later on...
@@Romiman1 Hey, you are so right. AMC Gremlins were _NEVER_ ugly cars. They actually had a little cute style of their own... Can't say the same for some other cars featured in the video.
AMC never got the respect it deserved. Being Number Four, they had to ride the bleeding edge of styling to get noticed. Gremilns lasted on the roads a lot longer than the competition from Ford and Chevy. Gremlins were cute too, very good personal cars.
It was a good time to be into cars for me. I was born in '64 and was a car encyclopedia by age 12. Could tell the make of the car by the exhaust sound driving by my house. My parents had me check out all their new cars in the '70s and '80s before they bought them.
My friends and I used to do that also, we could tell you what car was coming down the street just by the sound of the engine and at night we would identify cars by the headlights!!!
I could identify any car by it’s headlight configuration. Cadillac was the first company to introduce the square headlights on their 1975 model year. And Lincoln first introduced the European headlights on their new Lincoln MkVII coupe. One of my all time favorite cars is the big Lincoln MK V.
The Grand Am was attractive in two or four door. I liked the looks of the Bricklin. Its bumpers were way too large, but I forgive them as they were a tiny manufacturer with very limited resources, trying to meet the new 5 mph bumper laws. The Espada was odd looking, exotic and fast. The Gremlin and Thing were both so homely, they were also sort of cute.
I hate all four doors of that era - coupe or nothing! However, I knew someone with a Bricklin and I loved that car. I used to car pool with his daughter through my young teens and he would occasionally pick me up in it (usually it was parked in the garage). Not only did I get a ride in a cool sports car, but his smokin' blonde teenage daughter would be forced to sit on my lap for the ride - win, win for me young me! I still think the Bircklin is a good looking car and has aged fairly well. The bumpers just make it unique.
My Father order and purchased a 1973 4 door white Grand Am with the 455ci engine. He had Von Dutch put a custom paint job on it in 1974... What a Hot car in Scottsdale Arizona back then. And ironically the Bricklin was used as our Scottsdale Police cars in the mid 1970's...
The AMC Gremlin was an incredibly fun car to drive. It would smoke many other cars in its class with it's torquey inline 6. The V8 version was insane!!!
I swapped out the automatic for a B/W T-10-S 4 speed out of a Rebel. Powered by the completely stock 258 I6, I was still able to pull wheelies in 1st and second. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned In spite of me treating it like it was a Jeep.
@@CDBC Seems as though everyone who grew up in the era of bell bottoms and Zeppelin owned either a Gremlin or a Valiant, Duster, Dart or Nova back in the day!.( quite a few Pintos as well). Of all those sub compacts in the 70s the Gremlin was about the best!!!!.
1972 Gremlin with the 258 straight six and automatic cost $2600 out the door. It had towed a 1000# camper 75 mph down intrastate 10 getting 26 mpg. It was a great all around vehicle.
Here here... my parents bought one that was a demo on the show room floor with 6k miles. 4 door, star mag wheels. 400 2bbl, beautiful car. Drove that thing coast to coast a few years later. Funny thing, you had to go thru the right wheel well to change the aft spark plugs on that side. I miss it. To me it was one of the most beautiful cars ever created. The sticker price in 73/74 was around 6500 bucks.
The Pontiac 400 wasn’t considered a small block. It was a different engine than the Chevy 400. The Pontiac 400 was the same size as the 350 and the 455.
@@dryan8377 I would have LOVED your parents Pontiac! I settled for a '73 Luxury LeMans 4dr in a beautiful metallic red called Buccaneer Red with a white interior. It had the handling package (front and rear stabilizer bars). As a mechanic, I drove many cars and in the day it was the best-handling car I could find. Also, many GM intermediates by '73 (and on) had a crowded engine compartment because most were equipped with air conditioning. making antics like you described necessary to change spark plugs. My '62 Pontiac Grand Prix needed the AC compressor removed to change the left front spark plug buried under it!
My Mom had a '74 Gremlin, in this funky blue color that looked lavender/orchid-ish in the shade, with denim interior. It had the 304 with an auto tranny, manual steering and brakes. Oh, and an AM radio. That thing was a beast! My Mom loved that car! It was totaled in '82 when she got hit head on by a Buick Electra and walked away. She bought a loaded '83 Spirit, which she absolutely hated. She traded it the next year for a Daytona Turbo.
My Mom always liked fast cars. The first car I remember was a '61 Fury, and then she got a '67 Dart with a 318 which she traded on the Gremlin. In 1990, I showed up to show off my new car, and unbeknownst to me, she has bought a new car the day before... I was so proud of my Mercury Colony Park with the wood sides and roof rack... parked next to her new Z-28 with the t-tops... my dad just shook his head... lol
@@draggonsgate was the Mercury a wagon with a rear facing back seat? My uncle had the Country Squire which was Fords Station wagon. Station Wagons where popular in the 70’s
The big Lincoln’s were some of the most beautiful cars ever made. They were certainly the most comfortable as well. Rolls Royce luxury took a distant backseat to both Cadillac and Lincoln. The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible was gorgeous as well. As was the new Seville.
VW Thing was the civilian version of a West German Army vehicle, basically their equivalent to our Jeep. Essentially a modernized Kubelwagen from WWII.
If I could have bought a VW THING, I would have had it painted and trimmed as the German WWII vehicle, complete with the spare tire mounted on the hood.
I can tell you're not trained for narration. Jesus Christ liven up. Talk about amateur hour. You morons think anybody can do it. BZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTT! The. 19.73. Buick. Was. Thebestcarevermade. But. Some. Would. Disagreewiththis ASsEment?
I disagree, I think the 4 door Gran Am was a good looking car whose style is still contemporary today. Great engines,good transmission options.,and great handling.A very underated car at the time.
I used to have a 1975 AMC Gremlin X :) I loved driving that little car because of all the funny looks I got with it, especially on the interstates :) Can you imagine a car like that keeping up with the new modern cars of the time doing 65 mph on the interstates? I loved that car and miss it to this day :)
Me too. My '75 Gremlin was an ugly lime green, but she was one of the best handling cars I've ever driven. She could turn and stop on a dime. One of my favorite memories was right after I bought her. I pulled into a full-service gas station to fill up, seeing as the gauge was showing below the quarter mark. When the pump showed 16 gallons and kept climbing, the person pumping the gas looked at the car kinda funny, so I explained that Gremlins had a 21 gallon gas tank. I called her Greta the Green Gremlin. She always started, even in the winter, and could go almost anywhere a 4 wheel drive could. One spring I plowed mud so deep it knocked the body plugs out of the floor between the front and back seats. I still miss her and her quirks to this day.
Great video. I never owned any of these cars, but I really liked seeing the Grand Ams, Gremlins, and Things. I had a VW Beatle convertible that was great fun, and I have wished many times that I still had that car.
Thanks for this. Most people class the Espada as a 4 seater instead of a 2+2. That's one reason for the front overhang - to push the V-12 away from the passenger compartment.
until youtube, didn't realise there was a love hate thing for the Espada, I have always loved it, just can't imagine anything designed by Ghandini being ugly.
A friend of mine in high school (1973) got a brand new GREMLIN with the LEVI option trim package. It had denim seats, which included copper buttons and the LEVI tags sewn into the seat stitching. Not a great car (it kind of fell apart within 5 years) but it served a purpose back then. It was made here in WISCONSIN, when AMC was a big thing in Milwaukee and Kenosha.
@@jmorrow888 You should've seen the tv commercials about the grand am back then. It featured a 73 model crashing into a brick wall at 5-6mph, the entire front end collapsing, but coming back to form as if nothing happened. The big flexible nose was the key. We had one. That nose you could punch it all day and it would pop back out!
I was very young when the thing came out. My dad had a 68 bug so VW was something I kept up with. I remember the things release and TV commercials well. For the longest time i thought everytime you drove it under a bridge overpass or behind a tree or building it changed colors and got covered in some pattern such as polkadots or stripes. Thought it was awesome and more than once tried to convince my parents we needed one.
The cars I thought were ugly back in the day seem much more attractive now. My attitude and vision has changed 64 years later. How did that happen.? lol
I had a Gremlin with the V8. It was a blast to drive, I enjoyed it more the 75 Corvette I had at the time. The Bricklin was a classic example of trying to make the government happy rather than car buyers. Plus it competed with the Ford Pantera which was a beautiful car.
I had a brand new Gremlin X in 1973. Inline 6 with manual trans. I was stationed at Ft. Hood and lived in Houston, and went home almost every weekend. Put almost 50,000 miles on it in a little over 2 years. Not one problem, never left me stuck on the side of the road.
The '74 GTO was actually a good seller with decent performance, they should had kept it on the Ventura. The Firebird was the "GTO" of the late '70s and beyond..
@@joyceleadbetter2600 I disagree a bit. More than likely if GTO continued with maybe an available 400 option until a probable '77 downsize Lemans based GTO w/301 HO woulda replaced Ventura GTO. I say this because fuel economy/emissions at the time and GTO sales were being stolen by Firebird until Ventura GTO was available plus the Firebird overall was a better performance car in corners than any GTO at that time.
Taste is subjective, I always admired the 4 door Grand Am and it's longer wheebase. The body colored flexible nose was ahead of it's time compared to the huge bumpers fitted on most cars to comply with new government bumper regulations. Enjoyed the video.
My first car was a 73 Grand Am two door. Even tho emissions had choked horsepower the 7.4L 3 speed, it laid rubber in 2nd gear at 70 mph. Loved that car!
The Grand Am also came in a Police Package for a few years. Rutgers University Police used them for a couple of years. They looked sharp in their bright white paint with red and black markings and a red Twinsonic light bar up top.
Could not disagree more about the Pontiac Grand Am 4 Door. Really beautiful sedan with the honeycomb wheels. The lines were much better than the 2 door.
The problem with the Bricklin was the old school engine choices in a time of very high fuel prices, not the bumpers. I owed the Datsun at the time. It was totally gutless by then, but at least the fuel economy was acceptable. Also, the Bricklin was really expensive.
I really liked the submarine doors and “colonnade” styling of the mid 70’s GMs. Of course the Grand Am coupe was sexier but the sedan was no wallflower.
I had a 1972 Gremlin X that came stock with a 304 V8 and 3spd manual. It was fast and fun. Then I pulled the engine and Trans, and installed a 360 4bbl and torqueflite 727 auto. Then the Gremlin became stupid fast and hard to stop with manual drum brakes...
Small Correction: The US called "Thing" was used Since WW II, not since Western Germany. It was the VW type 82 "Kübelwagen". "Kübelwagen is a contraction of Kübelsitzwagen, meaning 'bucket-seat car (Wikipedia quote)"
In the late 80's when I was in High School (and these were all just used cars), my buddy bought the ugly Cutlass and while it had no HP it still had torque. We had dirt roads all over and made a track and it was a fantastic drifter with extended reverse lock tail out action. Loads of fun for the HP dollar. Also in S FL there's a guy with a Bricklin that goes to the car shows. He's a fanatic for sure.
Fun fact in 74-75 Eugenie Street in Saint Boniface (Winnipeg MB Canada sub division) had all five cars on the street, although the Lamborghini only drove for about 6 weeks and broke down and parts were unavailable for it. It was owned by an Italian doctor who brought from Italy when he did a training program at the Saint Boniface Hospital. It was a great time for an eight year old car nut. Another car that could have made this list was the first generation 64 to 66 Plymouth Barracuda. The original design was designed more like the 2nd generation, but the bean counters weren't convinced that there was much of a market for a nimble smaller pony car and okayed production but insisted that they hed to use as much body panels as they could from the Valient. The result was a car that looked odd from certain angles.
For sure driving a vw thing is such fun! Without the roof and folded down the windshield, is like driving a bathtub in wheels… 😂😂 1976 VW Thing owner… thanks for share!
Fun Video! I never thought the Gremlin was ugly, but the Thing, yes it was ugly! My neighbor had an Orange one. It sounded EXACTLY like a Beetle (same engine and transmission, I believe...).
The VW Thing was super popular in exotic places as a vehicle rental , usually arranged through the hotels ..... and especially in the Caribbean and Central America and the South Pacific islands too ....
The Grand Am was awesome my best friend got one back when we were in college maybe 86 it was rough on the outside but the performance was like a rocket or something you would never imagine.
This channel is so interesting for so many reasons. I've got to be honest and say I'm addicted to it and am always ready for the next one. I enjoy and respect your opinions. Keep em coming!✌ Stay Safe & Be Well
The ‘75 Grand Am 4 door looks a bit like my first car. A 1976 Olds Cutlass sedan. I bought that Cutlass in ‘82 and drove it until it started falling apart in ‘93. 😂
I had a 73 Grand Am two-door. Loved that car. Beautiful and always got compliments about it. Ran great, drove great. It once started at 27 below zero. It tore me apart to get rid of it but after 19 years it had just rusted out too bad to keep.
When I was a kid, my parents had a Beetle. I really didn't like that car. Than my parents decided to sell it and I was very happy! But not for long, they bought another Beetle. Thank goodness Thing wasn't available in my country! 😅
The '72 Gremlin was our family car, the only car bought new by my Grandparents I6 Mom sold it to enthusiasts c1983, mint condition. I myself had two '70s cars, '72 Dart sedan, 318, '77 LeSabre sedan, Olds 350, $100 & $200 cars.
About 15 years ago my son who was 6 saw a Thing parked in front of the house. He told his grandmother and she took him to see it. The owner came out and let the kid take a look. The next time I was there, the owner let me take my son for a drive in it. And it was terrible! I had an old SuperBeetle. And this Thing was terrible! I didn’t tell the kid… didn’t want to bust his bubble 😂😂
That reminds me of the time in 1982 that I gave a 5 year old kid and his dad a ride in my 1962 VW sunroof Herbie the Love Bug, that I decked out with stripes and "53"s.
Four doors was a HUGE IMPROVEMENT to the Grand Am's looks, since it deleted those fugly window louvers! GM only had one attractive quarter window treatment for the Colonnade coupes, the thin-pillared triangular ones that were clearly the original intent, and as the run progressed it was more and more restricted to the base models only.
I had several 73 to 75 GRAND AM's INCLUDING a NEW 75 2 door with every option including a moon roof. I HATED it because the 455 couldn't get out of It's own way due too catalytic converter and single exhaust. After that I got a used 4 DOOR 74 G.A. with a 455, FAST reliable great handling. DEFINITELY a sleeper. The giveaway was the 7.4 Liter emblem on the deck lid. IF it didn't get totaled, parked on the street, I would still own it today along with my 74 S.D Trans AM I still own !!
Back then it would have been totally legal to remove the catalytic converter and put dual exhaust on your GA. Although you would’ve had to get a “double hump” transmission crossmember. Then it would’ve ran about the same as the 74. There was very little difference in Pontiac V8s between 74 and 75.
I had a V8 Gremlin with a stick. after I blew up the 304 I picked up a 401 out of a LAPD patrol car. It went right in and with a set of headers, a beefier rear end, and other mods for handling and intake it flew ! I used to blow by "Hot" Camaro's and Mustangs. Great fun.
The SV1 always confused me. It was supposed to be safe, but those doors don't work with the slightest dent. The also don't work if you're upside down. I'd still love to have one ( with some modifications)
I drove a close cousin to the Grand Am...a two door Pontiac Luxury LeMans. Blue body white interior and vinyl top and rear fender skirts. Bought new, drove it for 33 years. Nice car to drive.
The Vega is a lovely design, crappy quality but in that category, I can't think of anything better. The Pinto is nice too. Much better than a bland Golf or some other subcompacts. The Pacer is goofy, yeah not very pretty, but fun. Not ugly though.
My generation was just starting to be able to afford new cars when the Vega came out. We called them mini-Camaros due to the front end similarities. But boy, were they complete junk!
My Grandpa had a '74 Gremlin with the 304 V8. He would always point out that it had a 3-spd manual that was "3 on the tree", which was Not an option on that car for any model year. I don't know the full story as to how he got it that way. I just know he swore it was a one of a kind. I rode in it several times and it indeed had a three speed column shift manual transmission.
I, for one, would be PROUD to be seen driving one of those mid-70s Pontiac Grand Ams--coupe or sedan! I LOVE their body shape! They remind me of a "flying saucer on wheels"!
I actually think l the front of the Bricklin looked really good. Agreed on the back,it would've been OK if it was just a little smaller. I would love to drive a stick shift 304 gremmy.
I once found a 4 Dr 73 Grand Am with a 400 4spd in the wrecking yard ,with front buckets gold on gold Wish I saved it but I do have a 73 Lemans build that is a Pro Street blown and tubbed car now and she's one of a kind that I've owned for 40 years and love this style 😎
I love these videos. Unfortunately the narrator is slow speaking and very monotone. Don't get me wrong but he reminds me of the B9 robot in the 1960s TV series, Lost in Space.
Loved my gremlin. Wish I still had it. I abused it for years doing everything from taking it off road to jumping a hill dukes of hazard style (with 5 ppl in it which broke my transmission in 2) but not still ran. It was unstoppable.
The gremlin was one of the best cars ever made my aunt had one it was a tough little sucker
The Gremlin doesn't look ugly. It looks FANTASTIC!
(eccept frontend and interior...) The long hood (with factory V8...) makes it cool.
And the shape of the rear side windows is copyied by many makes for decades later on...
Had one on rental for my honeymoon. That car would swap ends as fast as you could look at it! Was worse than the mustang.
@@Romiman1
Hey, you are so right. AMC Gremlins were _NEVER_ ugly cars. They actually had a little cute style of their own... Can't say the same for some other cars featured in the video.
AMC never got the respect it deserved. Being Number Four, they had to ride the bleeding edge of styling to get noticed. Gremilns lasted on the roads a lot longer than the competition from Ford and Chevy. Gremlins were cute too, very good personal cars.
It was a good time to be into cars for me.
I was born in '64 and was a car encyclopedia by age 12. Could tell the make of the car by the exhaust sound driving by my house. My parents had me check out all their new cars in the '70s and '80s before they bought them.
My friends and I used to do that also, we could tell you what car was coming down the street just by the sound of the engine and at night we would identify cars by the headlights!!!
I could identify any car by it’s headlight configuration. Cadillac was the first company to introduce the square headlights on their 1975 model year. And Lincoln first introduced the European headlights on their new Lincoln MkVII coupe. One of my all time favorite cars is the big Lincoln MK V.
@@Funsho97 One especially had to be familiar with the "headlight signature" of police cars, such as Dodge Polaras.
64 me too,,,can you believe you're going on 60 ? I've been rebuilding automatic transmissions since I was 14 years old
@@Louis-kk3to Next week the odometer rolls over to 60.😆
The Grand Am was attractive in two or four door. I liked the looks of the Bricklin. Its bumpers were way too large, but I forgive them as they were a tiny manufacturer with very limited resources, trying to meet the new 5 mph bumper laws. The Espada was odd looking, exotic and fast. The Gremlin and Thing were both so homely, they were also sort of cute.
I hate all four doors of that era - coupe or nothing! However, I knew someone with a Bricklin and I loved that car. I used to car pool with his daughter through my young teens and he would occasionally pick me up in it (usually it was parked in the garage). Not only did I get a ride in a cool sports car, but his smokin' blonde teenage daughter would be forced to sit on my lap for the ride - win, win for me young me! I still think the Bircklin is a good looking car and has aged fairly well. The bumpers just make it unique.
I think that the Bricklin had 10 mph bumpers.
Buddy of mine had a 4 door 230hp Grand Am and it was a joy to ride. Good torque and get off. It hit 132mph on the highway.
My Father order and purchased a 1973 4 door white Grand Am with the 455ci engine. He had Von Dutch put a custom paint job on it in 1974... What a Hot car in Scottsdale Arizona back then. And ironically the Bricklin was used as our Scottsdale Police cars in the mid 1970's...
good memory!
The AMC Gremlin was an incredibly fun car to drive. It would smoke many other cars in its class with it's torquey inline 6. The V8 version was insane!!!
I swapped out the automatic for a B/W T-10-S 4 speed out of a Rebel. Powered by the completely stock 258 I6, I was still able to pull wheelies in 1st and second. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned In spite of me treating it like it was a Jeep.
I had a 1974 Gremlin with the inline 6 and 3 on the floor, I can confirm, smoke the tires anytime you like!
My girlfriend had the Levi edition one, 3 on the floor, it was a blast!
@@CDBC Seems as though everyone who grew up in the era of bell bottoms and Zeppelin owned either a Gremlin or a Valiant, Duster, Dart or Nova back in the day!.( quite a few Pintos as well). Of all those sub compacts in the 70s the Gremlin was about the best!!!!.
I had a feeling this car would be on the list, but I actually thought it looked cool.
1972 Gremlin with the 258 straight six and automatic cost $2600 out the door. It had towed a 1000# camper 75 mph down intrastate 10 getting 26 mpg. It was a great all around vehicle.
AMC "6"s were GREAT motors!
I learned to drive in a 1973 4 door Garnd Am 400 small block. Corduroy inserts on the front buckets, console shifter , what a sweet ride she was !
Here here... my parents bought one that was a demo on the show room floor with 6k miles. 4 door, star mag wheels. 400 2bbl, beautiful car. Drove that thing coast to coast a few years later. Funny thing, you had to go thru the right wheel well to change the aft spark plugs on that side. I miss it. To me it was one of the most beautiful cars ever created. The sticker price in 73/74 was around 6500 bucks.
We got the 2-door in '75 drivers ed. Beautiful car. Awful color--kitchen counter green.
The Pontiac 400 wasn’t considered a small block. It was a different engine than the Chevy 400. The Pontiac 400 was the same size as the 350 and the 455.
@@dryan8377 I would have LOVED your parents Pontiac! I settled for a '73 Luxury LeMans 4dr in a beautiful metallic red called Buccaneer Red with a white interior. It had the handling package (front and rear stabilizer bars). As a mechanic, I drove many cars and in the day it was the best-handling car I could find. Also, many GM intermediates by '73 (and on) had a crowded engine compartment because most were equipped with air conditioning. making antics like you described necessary to change spark plugs. My '62 Pontiac Grand Prix needed the AC compressor removed to change the left front spark plug buried under it!
@@dryan8377 hear, hear 👂
My Mom had a '74 Gremlin, in this funky blue color that looked lavender/orchid-ish in the shade, with denim interior. It had the 304 with an auto tranny, manual steering and brakes. Oh, and an AM radio. That thing was a beast! My Mom loved that car! It was totaled in '82 when she got hit head on by a Buick Electra and walked away. She bought a loaded '83 Spirit, which she absolutely hated. She traded it the next year for a Daytona Turbo.
She had a Levi edition Gremlin. If there ever was a collectible Gremlin your mother had it! 😎👍
Imagine A Gremlin With A 401!
My Mom always liked fast cars. The first car I remember was a '61 Fury, and then she got a '67 Dart with a 318 which she traded on the Gremlin. In 1990, I showed up to show off my new car, and unbeknownst to me, she has bought a new car the day before... I was so proud of my Mercury Colony Park with the wood sides and roof rack... parked next to her new Z-28 with the t-tops... my dad just shook his head... lol
@@draggonsgate was the Mercury a wagon with a rear facing back seat? My uncle had the Country Squire which was Fords Station wagon. Station Wagons where popular in the 70’s
@@charlesprice7608 nope... side to side
The big Lincoln’s were some of the most beautiful cars ever made. They were certainly the most comfortable as well. Rolls Royce luxury took a distant backseat to both Cadillac and Lincoln. The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible was gorgeous as well. As was the new Seville.
AND Imperial....
"Eye of the Beholder", buddy!
Except they weren't
VW Thing was the civilian version of a West German Army vehicle, basically their equivalent to our Jeep. Essentially a modernized Kubelwagen from WWII.
If I could have bought a VW THING, I would have had it painted and trimmed as the German WWII vehicle, complete with the spare tire mounted on the hood.
For years before I could actually drive, I really wanted a VW Thing painted with zebra stripes 🦓
I’m pretty sure the VW Thing was based of the Kubelwagen from WW2, or at very least it’s successor.
Yeah, I saw a ton of them on Combat! and The Rat Patrol.
I've always thought they were as well. All that's missing is flat grey paint and some iron crosses.
I can tell you're not trained for narration. Jesus Christ liven up. Talk about amateur hour. You morons think anybody can do it. BZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTT! The. 19.73. Buick. Was. Thebestcarevermade. But. Some. Would. Disagreewiththis ASsEment?
i think the VW 181 (Thing ) was always eclipsed by the smart design of Citroen Mehari
You are 100% correct. I had a friend that had an actual Kubelwagen, and the engine casing had some "interesting" logos on it.
I disagree, I think the 4 door Gran Am was a good looking car whose style is still contemporary today. Great engines,good transmission options.,and great handling.A very underated car at the time.
I used to have a 1975 AMC Gremlin X :) I loved driving that little car because of all the funny looks I got with it, especially on the interstates :) Can you imagine a car like that keeping up with the new modern cars of the time doing 65 mph on the interstates? I loved that car and miss it to this day :)
Me too. My '75 Gremlin was an ugly lime green, but she was one of the best handling cars I've ever driven. She could turn and stop on a dime. One of my favorite memories was right after I bought her. I pulled into a full-service gas station to fill up, seeing as the gauge was showing below the quarter mark. When the pump showed 16 gallons and kept climbing, the person pumping the gas looked at the car kinda funny, so I explained that Gremlins had a 21 gallon gas tank.
I called her Greta the Green Gremlin. She always started, even in the winter, and could go almost anywhere a 4 wheel drive could. One spring I plowed mud so deep it knocked the body plugs out of the floor between the front and back seats. I still miss her and her quirks to this day.
Say what you will, but my '77 Buick Century got me through grad school with nothing more than a minor coolant leak. And so comfortable!
Sweet 70's - I heard no one complain and all have live through the era!
Not much to look at, but these ALWAYS ran!
Great video. I never owned any of these cars, but I really liked seeing the Grand Ams, Gremlins, and Things. I had a VW Beatle convertible that was great fun, and I have wished many times that I still had that car.
Thanks for this. Most people class the Espada as a 4 seater instead of a 2+2. That's one reason for the front overhang - to push the V-12 away from the passenger compartment.
Harry Metcalf & Jay Leno love their Espada’s.
Awesome car❤❤❤
until youtube, didn't realise there was a love hate thing for the Espada, I have always loved it, just can't imagine anything designed by Ghandini being ugly.
@@ceedoubleyou Agree
A friend of mine in high school (1973) got a brand new GREMLIN with the LEVI option trim package. It had denim seats, which included copper buttons and the LEVI tags sewn into the seat stitching. Not a great car (it kind of fell apart within 5 years) but it served a purpose back then. It was made here in WISCONSIN, when AMC was a big thing in Milwaukee and Kenosha.
I kind of wonder if it would have lasted longer if it wasn’t owned by a high school student. I remember how high schoolers drove.
I would have loved the Levi interior when I was a teenager!!!
I lived in Kenosha when AMC was still in business and it was a civic duty to drive one of their cars.
The Gremlins were okay!
I remember a Chevrolet truck commercial in the 1980's "DONT YOU BUY NO UGLY TRUCK!!!"classic...
Yes, and look at what thry're selling now!
I think that was a dodge commercial in the 90's
@@terrygugel3803 come on man,you gotta admit that a dodge prospector is an ugly truck...
I agree,just remember the commercial on TV I'm a Ford fan myself
@@terrygugel3803 they probably all had one..this was one of those hurry hurry hurry...don't you buy no ugly truck,come on down to dipshit chevrolet
I actually love the look of the Grand Am sedan.
IMHO, the Pacer should've been on this list instead of the Grand Am!!! lol
Reminds me of the Edsel a bit. People thought it was ugly at the time but looking back it’s a great looking car with an unusual front end design.
@@jmorrow888 You should've seen the tv commercials about the grand am back then. It featured a 73 model crashing into a brick wall at 5-6mph, the entire front end collapsing, but coming back to form as if nothing happened. The big flexible nose was the key. We had one. That nose you could punch it all day and it would pop back out!
@@dryan8377 The feature you didn't know you needed!
I was very young when the thing came out. My dad had a 68 bug so VW was something I kept up with. I remember the things release and TV commercials well. For the longest time i thought everytime you drove it under a bridge overpass or behind a tree or building it changed colors and got covered in some pattern such as polkadots or stripes. Thought it was awesome and more than once tried to convince my parents we needed one.
It's a re-badged NAZI Kubelwagon. Look it up.
@@nastybastardatlive I know what it was. When I was three or four the last thing on my mind was ww2
They didn't call it a Gremlin for nothing :-) . But at least it wasn't bland, and if looking for cheap and practical, it was pretty good.
The cars I thought were ugly back in the day seem much more attractive now. My attitude and vision has changed 64 years later. How did that happen.? lol
It sneaks up on you, then one day POOF 💨 changed 😐
It doesn't help that the newer cars are getting uglier every year. Or maybe it does 😂
@@nate678 you made me laugh. lol
@@nate678 This. Even the ugliest cars of yesteryear had unique styling whereas every make and model today has the same appalling features.
I had a Gremlin with the V8. It was a blast to drive, I enjoyed it more the 75 Corvette I had at the time. The Bricklin was a classic example of trying to make the government happy rather than car buyers. Plus it competed with the Ford Pantera which was a beautiful car.
I had a brand new Gremlin X in 1973. Inline 6 with manual trans. I was stationed at Ft. Hood and lived in Houston, and went home almost every weekend. Put almost 50,000 miles on it in a little over 2 years. Not one problem, never left me stuck on the side of the road.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Gremlin was soooo out there along with the Pacer. Love them both!
The Bricklin ugly ? Still a great car in my book and it handled very well. Drove one at a dealer I worked at. I still want one today.
That was the point of this video: ugly but fun cars to drive.
The '74 GTO was actually a good seller with decent performance, they should had kept it on the Ventura. The Firebird was the "GTO" of the late '70s and beyond..
74 GTO should of still had the 400 in it. Even better a 455 option.
@@joyceleadbetter2600 I disagree a bit. More than likely if GTO continued with maybe an available 400 option until a probable '77 downsize Lemans based GTO w/301 HO woulda replaced Ventura GTO.
I say this because fuel economy/emissions at the time and GTO sales were being stolen by Firebird until Ventura GTO was available plus the Firebird overall was a better performance car in corners than any GTO at that time.
Taste is subjective, I always admired the 4 door Grand Am and it's longer wheebase. The body colored flexible nose was ahead of it's time compared to the huge bumpers fitted on most cars to comply with new government bumper regulations. Enjoyed the video.
exactly! It was designed specifically for that purpose to beat the 73 fm regs that came into play back then for 5mph bumper survivability.
Being slightly ahead of the world is a dangerous place in marketing
I don't think anybody disagrees with you.
The Buick Apollo was pretty out there as well!
The grand am doesn't belong on the list.. 🎉
Was it not fun? It check the ugly box for sure
Totally agree- looked great in the era!
Like the 2 door Grand Am, but 4 door model is ugly.
Agreed. Beautiful lines and front end
It had great lines.... But not everyone liked those distinctions
My first car was a 73 Grand Am two door. Even tho emissions had choked horsepower the 7.4L 3 speed, it laid rubber in 2nd gear at 70 mph. Loved that car!
That's was cool. I remember that car. GM needs to get back in the game, they need to build affordable reliable gas saving cars. Can they do it.
1st. I like these cars there not ugly their just different
The Grand Am also came in a Police Package for a few years. Rutgers University Police used them for a couple of years. They looked sharp in their bright white paint with red and black markings and a red Twinsonic light bar up top.
I must say the Espada has always been my favourite Lambo! I even prefer it to the also fantastic Countach and Miura.
That white on burgundy GrandAm coupe is a sweet looking package
Could not disagree more about the Pontiac Grand Am 4 Door. Really beautiful sedan with the honeycomb wheels. The lines were much better than the 2 door.
My buddy has a 74 in early 80s highschool his dad and us painting it .had the 400 in it fun times in Illinois
The problem with the Bricklin was the old school engine choices in a time of very high fuel prices, not the bumpers. I owed the Datsun at the time. It was totally gutless by then, but at least the fuel economy was acceptable. Also, the Bricklin was really expensive.
Imagine The Bricklin With A 401!
So Right - It was not the bumpers that did them in. Everything you said, plus the gull wing doors were unreliable and quality control was dodgy.
If you could afford the car legitimately, one would not care about gas mileage on a car at that price point
The Brickland became the DeLorean and some say the Brickland was the AMC Vixen which is why they used a 390. Kinda cool
I had the 4×4 version of the Gremlin called the Kammback, it was fun and great in winter.
I always liked the AMC Gremlin. I thought it was a fine looking car, albeit a bit unconventional.
I really liked the submarine doors and “colonnade” styling of the mid 70’s GMs. Of course the Grand Am coupe was sexier but the sedan was no wallflower.
I had a 1972 Gremlin X that came stock with a 304 V8 and 3spd manual. It was fast and fun. Then I pulled the engine and Trans, and installed a 360 4bbl and torqueflite 727 auto. Then the Gremlin became stupid fast and hard to stop with manual drum brakes...
Best comment ever.
Small Correction:
The US called "Thing" was used Since WW II, not since Western Germany.
It was the VW type 82 "Kübelwagen".
"Kübelwagen is a contraction of Kübelsitzwagen, meaning 'bucket-seat car (Wikipedia quote)"
It was a tribute to the WW2 German "jeep". There was an amphibious version of the Kubel.
Strap a MG-42 on the hood of a Thing and paint it grey.
I think the Pontiac is a stretch - the rest of these cars . . Well I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder huh !
Pontiac "style" REQUIRED LIQOUR CONSUMPTION!
In the late 80's when I was in High School (and these were all just used cars), my buddy bought the ugly Cutlass and while it had no HP it still had torque. We had dirt roads all over and made a track and it was a fantastic drifter with extended reverse lock tail out action. Loads of fun for the HP dollar. Also in S FL there's a guy with a Bricklin that goes to the car shows. He's a fanatic for sure.
The AMC Pacer looked like a fish bowl
Fun fact in 74-75 Eugenie Street in Saint Boniface (Winnipeg MB Canada sub division) had all five cars on the street, although the Lamborghini only drove for about 6 weeks and broke down and parts were unavailable for it. It was owned by an Italian doctor who brought from Italy when he did a training program at the Saint Boniface Hospital. It was a great time for an eight year old car nut. Another car that could have made this list was the first generation 64 to 66 Plymouth Barracuda. The original design was designed more like the 2nd generation, but the bean counters weren't convinced that there was much of a market for a nimble smaller pony car and okayed production but insisted that they hed to use as much body panels as they could from the Valient. The result was a car that looked odd from certain angles.
For sure driving a vw thing is such fun! Without the roof and folded down the windshield, is like driving a bathtub in wheels… 😂😂 1976 VW Thing owner… thanks for share!
Great vid, really enjoyed!! 👍👍
Fun Video! I never thought the Gremlin was ugly, but the Thing, yes it was ugly! My neighbor had an Orange one. It sounded EXACTLY like a Beetle (same engine and transmission, I believe...).
The VW Thing was super popular in exotic places as a vehicle rental , usually arranged through the hotels ..... and especially in the Caribbean and Central America and the South Pacific islands too ....
Bricklin was built in New Brunswick, not your Detroit of Canada. I remember seeing this in Montreal in the day, but that was rare.
Always wanted a VW thing. Hahaha. Great video!
The things were amazing and still are! Driven many of them, mostly as rentals in other countries. Try to find one these days... big bucks!
Thanks for creating this list. I had a '74 Gremlin, blue with gold accent stripes and Levis interior. Loved that car!
The Grand Am was awesome my best friend got one back when we were in college maybe 86 it was rough on the outside but the performance was like a rocket or something you would never imagine.
All of these cars look beautiful by comparison with modern day automobiles.
I had forgotten how attractive those early 2 door Grand Am's really were.
Can Ams were cooler
@@mrsamsung8184 Way cool. But well into the emissions choked bad years of Pontiac.
This channel is so interesting for so many reasons. I've got to be honest and say I'm addicted to it and am always ready for the next one. I enjoy and respect your opinions. Keep em coming!✌
Stay Safe
&
Be Well
Except the narrater sounds like he's on lithium.
@@spankynater4242 👌 facts...
Has to be a bot reader!!
No one with real flesh sounds like a 1985 "See n Say"
The ‘75 Grand Am 4 door looks a bit like my first car. A 1976 Olds Cutlass sedan. I bought that Cutlass in ‘82 and drove it until it started falling apart in ‘93. 😂
Had a Grand Am - great car! Had a 400cid engine…fantastic handling!
The Pontiac was perhaps the most interesting that year.
I had a 73 Grand Am two-door. Loved that car. Beautiful and always got compliments about it. Ran great, drove great. It once started at 27 below zero. It tore me apart to get rid of it but after 19 years it had just rusted out too bad to keep.
The most beautiful and great car of the 70's was the 72 Monte Carlo. I would rather have one than any new car on the market.
When I was a kid, my parents had a Beetle. I really didn't like that car. Than my parents decided to sell it and I was very happy! But not for long, they bought another Beetle. Thank goodness Thing wasn't available in my country! 😅
They may be called ugly today, but they sure look better than today's cars and trucks!
Thx for the Memories 🎯🤙🏄♂️😎
My dad had a 73 4 door Pontiac Lemans. I knew a guy with a AMC Gremlin. We used to make fun of those along with the Pacer.
The '72 Gremlin was our family car, the only car bought new by my Grandparents I6 Mom sold it to enthusiasts c1983, mint condition. I myself had two '70s cars, '72 Dart sedan, 318, '77 LeSabre sedan, Olds 350, $100 & $200 cars.
Aside from the Pontiac, you were waaaaay off-base with your picks of ugly cars. The Bricklin, in particular, was a beautiful car.
I know it had it's short comings, but I always liked the look of Bricklin!!!
About 15 years ago my son who was 6 saw a Thing parked in front of the house. He told his grandmother and she took him to see it. The owner came out and let the kid take a look.
The next time I was there, the owner let me take my son for a drive in it. And it was terrible! I had an old SuperBeetle. And this Thing was terrible!
I didn’t tell the kid… didn’t want to bust his bubble 😂😂
That's being a good parent.
That reminds me of the time in 1982 that I gave a 5 year old kid and his dad a ride in my 1962 VW sunroof Herbie the Love Bug, that I decked out with stripes and "53"s.
Your videos are fantastic. I really enjoy them!
Four doors was a HUGE IMPROVEMENT to the Grand Am's looks, since it deleted those fugly window louvers! GM only had one attractive quarter window treatment for the Colonnade coupes, the thin-pillared triangular ones that were clearly the original intent, and as the run progressed it was more and more restricted to the base models only.
Grandpa had a73 GA, 4dr, endura, 400, buckets & console in FUGLY green
That Espada is a must own and its own unique entity. A true man's car
Hey I had a 74 Grand am, very cool car the endurance front end was its downfall. No replacement parts.
You are a true car historian and I really enjoy all of your videos thank you!!!!
I had several 73 to 75 GRAND AM's INCLUDING a NEW 75 2 door with every option including a moon roof. I HATED it because the 455 couldn't get out of It's own way due too catalytic converter and single exhaust. After that I got a used 4 DOOR 74 G.A. with a 455, FAST reliable great handling. DEFINITELY a sleeper. The giveaway was the 7.4 Liter emblem on the deck lid. IF it didn't get totaled, parked on the street, I would still own it today along with my 74 S.D Trans AM I still own !!
Back then it would have been totally legal to remove the catalytic converter and put dual exhaust on your GA. Although you would’ve had to get a “double hump” transmission crossmember. Then it would’ve ran about the same as the 74. There was very little difference in Pontiac V8s between 74 and 75.
I had a V8 Gremlin with a stick. after I blew up the 304 I picked up a 401 out of a LAPD patrol car. It went right in and with a set of headers, a beefier rear
end, and other mods for handling and intake it flew ! I used to blow by "Hot" Camaro's and Mustangs. Great fun.
Other best comment ever.
Ugly is strictly subjective! I love ALL these cars! I would own any of them!!
Absolutely LOVE the look of the Espada and always have. Last time I saw one was in Palm Springs.
The SV1 always confused me. It was supposed to be safe, but those doors don't work with the slightest dent. The also don't work if you're upside down. I'd still love to have one ( with some modifications)
I drove a close cousin to the Grand Am...a two door Pontiac Luxury LeMans. Blue body white interior and vinyl top and rear fender skirts. Bought new, drove it for 33 years. Nice car to drive.
The AMC Pacer, Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega should have also been on this list.
The Vega is a lovely design, crappy quality but in that category, I can't think of anything better. The Pinto is nice too. Much better than a bland Golf or some other subcompacts.
The Pacer is goofy, yeah not very pretty, but fun. Not ugly though.
The Vega didn't look bad. It was just an awful car .
My generation was just starting to be able to afford new cars when the Vega came out. We called them mini-Camaros due to the front end similarities. But boy, were they complete junk!
Thank you! That was a real fun video to watch. Hey, would you ever do a video on the sub compact cars of the '70s like the Dodge arrow?
The Plymouth/Dodge "Arrows" were "built" by Mitsubishi! 'NUFF SAID!
70's smooth ride and comfy seats.
My Grandpa had a '74 Gremlin with the 304 V8. He would always point out that it had a 3-spd manual that was "3 on the tree", which was Not an option on that car for any model year. I don't know the full story as to how he got it that way. I just know he swore it was a one of a kind. I rode in it several times and it indeed had a three speed column shift manual transmission.
Maybe someone took a 3 on the tree column out of a Hornet for him or something?
I, for one, would be PROUD to be seen driving one of those mid-70s Pontiac Grand Ams--coupe or sedan! I LOVE their body shape! They remind me of a "flying saucer on wheels"!
I actually think l the front of the Bricklin looked really good. Agreed on the back,it would've been OK if it was just a little smaller. I would love to drive a stick shift 304 gremmy.
The lift mechanism was located inside the doors and they weighed 90 lbs each. If there was a problem you were pretty much stuck there.
1975 bricklin sv1 >> 1976 lotus esprit
There were a tiny number of manual tranny Bricklin's made. I bet they were a blast.
Don’t remember ever hearing of this particular brand of cars and I was all about cars then!
I once found a 4 Dr 73 Grand Am with a 400 4spd in the wrecking yard ,with front buckets gold on gold Wish I saved it but I do have a 73 Lemans build that is a Pro Street blown and tubbed car now and she's one of a kind that I've owned for 40 years and love this style 😎
The most underrated car from this era was the '71 Buick Riviera.
AND THE LINCOLN TOWN COUPE , GORGEOUS 🤗
My first car was a '73 Gremlin. I paid a Benjamin for it.
You over paid.
@@davidmitchell6873 Lol, it was only 9 years old, and I was in High School and had a paid off car.
That Grand Am is clean!!!
I had a 74' Grand Am 4 dr, I loved it....it was metallic Green with a white vinyl top and a 455 c.i.d.
Old Grand Am looks kinda cool today. Looks real good.
Man that Turbo Z was one of my dream cars.
I miss the 70’s😫😩😭
I think the Lamborghini Espada is a stunning looking car, it doesn’t belong on this list. Instead the AMC Pacer should be on this list.
Uh-oh. I love the 1973-1975 Pontiac Grand Am. I like the styling! I liked the two-door better...but I like the four-door too.
That's a beautiful color on the 4 door GTO! I wish we could see more of the interior of these classics.
I love these videos. Unfortunately the narrator is slow speaking and very monotone. Don't get me wrong but he reminds me of the B9 robot in the 1960s TV series, Lost in Space.
My alll time favorite car was my 76 Monte Carlo!
76 & 77 MONTE CARLO'S WERE BOTH GORGEOUS VEHICLES 🤗🤗