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101 Cars: AMC Pacer
The Very Definition of Strange
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SPEED Staff  |  Posted August 04, 2008   Charlotte, North Carolina
Small was never this wide. (Photo: Autoweek)

If there ever was a poster child for one of the worst eras in the history of the American automobile, the Pacer is it. Although car snobs make fun of the chop-tailed Gremlin, it was a huge sales hit. AMC felt there was room above it for an avant-garde compact. WIde ofr its length with lots of glass, the idea was a smallish car that didn't feel that way. One of its sales slogans was, "Small was never this wide."

AMC also spec'd a lot of technology for the Pacer, including a rotary engine, front-wheel drive, electronic ignition, and rack-and-pinion steering; only the last two made production. The most unremarkable thing about the Pacer is driving it. The standard six-cylinder engine was optimized for fuel mileage, so performance is a relative term; but the rare, optional V-8 isn't so bad. The rest is standard late-1970s American fare: a smooth ride, uninspiring handling, and cheap plastic everywhere. But like disco and other cultural symbols of the era that taste forgot, the Pacer has made a comeback as a cult classic - which proves that what goes around, comes around, no matter how weird.

Specifications
Engine: 3.8-liter I-6, 4.2-liter I-6, 5.0-liter V-8
Horsepower: 120 (4.2 with 2V carb)
0–60 mph: 10.0 seconds (V-8)
Top Speed: 105 miles per hour on a good day
Price New: $3,299
Value Now: $1,000-7,500, depending on model and condition.
AMC Pacer Photos



Claim to Fame

CLAIM TO FAME: The Pacer is the only car on the cover of Eric Peters' book Automotive Atrocities!


Soundtrack

SOUNDTRACK: The soundtrack from the dork comedy Wayne's World, in which the Pacer played an important role.


Perfect Passenger

PERFECT PASSENGER: Mike Myers


Behind the Wheel

BEHIND THE WHEEL: These things are all over eBay. Cheap.


Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW? The Pacer's doors are asymmetrical, the passenger side being longer to aid ingress and egress.


The Perfect Drive

THE PERFECT DRIVE: Any place that makes you think of the late 1970s.



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