I was just perusing on older photo file of mine when I came across this picture. Yes, the Gremlin was the obvious object of my attention despite its goofy grin, and its splendiferous CC is here. But as I was looking at it, I suddenly remembered someone’s comment here in the past few days saying that they never saw Ford Aerostars anymore. Well, how about two, side by side? Here’s a close up, including the other cars back there.
Can you ID them all? And how many Aerostars are there left in your town? How about Gremlins? They are even getting a bit scarce here, in terms of daily drivers.
My hometown is now Honolulu. I don’t recall seeing a Gremlin here for years, but there are about a dozen or so Americans still on island. There are still a fair number of Aerostars – mostly on the North Shore/Windward side. ALL OF THEM have the rear polyurethane bumper fascia cracked or in pieces.
Here’s a photo of the Rambler/AMC dealer of the day, Motor Supply Co. on Kapiolani Blvd. in Honolulu. It is now a tire shop. The building and the block look the same today (with the exception of some taller buildings behind the store). This photo is ca. 1963.
The Aerostar bumper covers were not polyurethane, they were ABS or a similar plastic which is why they crack when hit particularly once they have gone a few years of out gassing. Polyurethane bumper covers don’t crack they tear, or droop when they get old.
Still plenty of Aerostars around. Most are the later flush head light models. I haven’t seen a roadworthy Gremlin outside a car show in a long time. There is the occasional one in long term storage though.
CC Prequel Effect – saw an Aerostar at lunch. Fortunately, I have written up an Aerostar so I did not really care. Last time for a Gremlin? No idea. One with a 304 would be a hoot, though.
That is a Gremlin-face that I don’t really recall. Not the best front end ever on a Gremlin.
Methinks its a ’74 or so…mom had a Gremlin X with the 304 auto, a limited slip rear end, and every possible option located directly on or in front of the front wheels…to this day, it was by far, the BEST donut car on snowy roads i ever drove…it actually looked cool, with the burnt orange paint, white stripes and tan interior…it still rates as having the WORST night lighting in the instrument panel of any car i ever drove…that pale green….eeeeek!
That’s the one-year-only 1976 grille. Grew up amongst AMCs, my dad loved them.
Back in the early 90s I was looking for an Aerostar with a 5 speed manual for my wife as her daily driver. I am glad I did not buy one, as they have not aged gracefully.
Holy cow. In my Ontario, Canada city, this is like a scene from 1987. I haven’t seen an Aerostar in ages. Let alone two at once! Windstars are now very rare. Reagan or George Bush Sr. was likely prez, the last time I saw a Gremlin parked on the street.
My city announced the other day that they will spread 177,000 metric tonnes of road salt this winter on city streets. It’s special when a daily driven car can last 9 years here without extraordinary care, regular underbody washings and oil sprays.
An off topic observation: I notice so many of these Oregon cars have been on the road so long with their original plates, that the lower fifth of the front licence plates are often bent downward due to smacking the curb for so long, so often… In my jurisdiction, you just don’t see these little telltale signs of a car’s age. 80% of cars here seem 5-6 years old, or newer. It’s all very entertaining to observe… And really adds to our cost of living here.
I remember a bad snowstorm here about 18 years ago where I saw a spray of Aerostars, like four or five of them, off the road on the one hill in my part of town. They were the only vehicles in the ditch.
I love that Gremlin face.
Saw an Aerostar on Saturday; I likely noticed it since someone here quipped about not having seen one in a long time. This particular Aerostar had low back front seats and no “CHMSL”, which I think makes it an ’80s model. It was in decent shape.
A Gremlin? Haven’t seen one in a long time, but I’m about to go out now and with the CC effect I’m sure I’ll see 2 or 3.
Last Gremlin I saw was in February 2001 at Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas.
Great picture! The faded paint on that Gremlin blends in nicely with the scenery.
And no one here says a word about that Chevy pickup. I’m a die-hard Ford guy and I think that generation Chevy/GMC pickup were by far the best built, most durable pickups ever made. My long gone ’77 Silverado 1500 certainly was a tank.
+1. GREAT trucks and very nicely styled inside and out! That one looks clean too and I love the color.
Of course I noticed it. But it’s one of those vehicles like a late 70s F-150, that you saw so often when they were new, that you have a calm reaction to them now. These were the Model T Fords of the 70s.
I was wondering when someone was going to mention the Chevy truck….
Haven’t seen an Aerostar in ages. Michigan snow, ice and road salt polished them off. Last ones I recall were in the early 90s, usually with the rocker panels completely rusted away.
Saw road worthy Gremlins last summer, along with Pacers, Javelins, AMXs, Rebels, Ambassadors, and one totally off the wall Rambler American with a 401 and dual carbs, at the local AMC owner’s meet.
AMC’s headquarters and engineering were in metro Detroit, so some of the former AMC styling department guys show up for the meet. I asked one of them, and he confirmed, when Chrysler bought AMC in 87, the old AMC parts inventory was sold for scrap, so it’s a challenge to keep an AMC on the road. The stuff vendors bring to the meet is about 95% culled from junkyards.
Gremlins were never sold here and Aerostars even less I see a couple of Chevs and Toyota liteace.
In your country and other Commonwealth countries a gremlin is something that is blamed when stuff breaks down. In the USA they drove them.
Well lets give it a try
The Blue Areostar is a 1994-1997(It has the 3rd brake light and all trucks and vans were required to have them by 1994)
The two tone parked Aerostar is a 86-1993(since it has no 3rd brake light) Most likely a 1988-1991 as that is the time period that nasty two tone paint scheme was popular.
Behind the AMC is the following:
Pre 1980 Chevy C/K pickup(aka the firebomb due to unprotected saddle bag fuel tanks). 1980 got square lights and a slightly rounded appearance.
Chevy Astro(ether a converted passenger van or a van with a ladder on top for the day and not a true Astro commercial van and those retained silver painted grills and single seal beam headlights until it was thankfully killed off in 2005.
1987-1996 Chevy Corsica(with the headlights on)(At first I thought it a Chevy Beretta(as they look the same in the front) but the Beretta has strip of bumper in the middle of the front turn signal lights giving it the appearance of a split turn signal light while the Corsica has nothing in front of the light giving it an unbroken look(which can be seen in the pic) )
To round it off there is a red/clad Subby Outback and Hyundai Elantra in the far corner
Firebomb? Only if one was ordered with the optional chassis-mounted Estes model rocket engines…
Thank you Katie Couric, but no thank you, Dateline was canceled, didn’t you hear?
“unprotected saddle bag fuel tanks”
Look at where the fuel tanks are on every big truck.
Since I live in the salt-free Northwest, I yawn with theatrical indifference when I see an Aerostar or a 70’s Chevy Pickup, but I can’t recall the last time I saw a Gremlin in the metal, unless you count the Matchbox-sized one that I bought at a second-hand store. Here we see it in in hot pursuit of a Toyota AE86 on Mt. Akina.
when I was kid in 80s my neighbor had a 79 Datsun 210&amc gremlin(1976).his wife was driving the sunny(210)&he was driving the gremlin.i do not remember seeing Datsun’s hood ever been up&on the other hand the poor guy spent more time being under the gremlin than being in it driving.ugly&unreliable,not a good combination.
Aerostars – Very few, but they were never that popular to begin with. If I see one a month it’s a lot. I always forget that Ford kept making them until 1997, they’re purely an 80s-mobile in my mind… which I guess is unfair since I think they came out around the same time as the Astro/Safari and lived a long life as well.
Gremlins – I’ll see them at car shows or on Sunday drives occasionally, but I’ve only stumbled across one daily driver version over the last few years. Hopefully the picture works but it’s a ’74 base model 232/auto – one of those cars that only gets moved twice a week for street cleaning. It lives in a pretty swank neighborhood, too, and I always imagine some eccentric mad scientist who got rich off inventing sticky notes or Doritos or something like that owns it. It always brightens my day when I see it, especially because I’m sure it infuriates it’s wealthy neighbors!
…and here’s it’s cousin living the easy life in the suburbs. All last summer I meant to get more pictures of this car but always forgot. One of the few 4-speed Gremlins I’ve ever seen (and behind a six no less!) plus it appears to have every option available that year.
Aerostars never that popular? For a number of years they were the best selling minivan. Sure when you combined the Caravan a Voyager they outsold the Aerostar in those years but the Aerostar was the single best selling name in Minivans for a couple of years. When they were selling the Villager, Windstar and Aerostar simultaneously they sold more minivans than Chrysler or GM.
I’m guessing those years the Aerostar sold well were early on? I was born in ’83 and if they were ever that common at one point, I can’t remember it.
“But as I was looking at it, I suddenly remembered someone’s comment here in the past few days saying that they never saw Ford Aerostars anymore. Well, how about two, side by side?”
🙂
I have a just retired former co-worker whose daily driver is an Aerostar van. It is actually her second one!
My dad still has his stripper 78 Chevy p/u like the one in the picture; which inpired me to get my 87 Silverado, which I still have!! 🙂
Nice! My late lamented ’77 Silverado was a very similar shade of bronze.
Here’s one. Kid brother to my camper.
Kid Brother can be camped in too.
I have to add that i was the proud owner of a 93 Aerostar that was a great vehicle ,until its untimely demise after being broadsided by a Nissan Maxima.
It was a bit unusual Aerostar (or so I was told by a buddy who worked Ford Parts at a local dealership) in that it was standard wheelbase, but it had the dual air and heat option.
That Aerostar could freeze you on the hottest Minnesota day or have you unzipping your coat on a subzero Minnesota Morning.
I miss its high bus like seating,and slightly bus like though very comfortable ride..
I had a 76 Chevy Cheyenne (3/4 ton) for a few years as my DD. At the time it served my purposes but I always wanted Rocky’s (Rockford Files) 4×4 GMC truck.
Gremlin – SIL had a 76 fairly simple except for a/c and auto. A very reliable car but very uncomfortable on long drives.