American Motors Corporation, like Studebaker, like Packard, like so many other long-gone automobile companies, breaks your heart. Sometimes I drive myself crazy with what-ifs: What if Roy Abernethy never became president of AMC? What if Packard never got tangled up with Studebaker? What if Studebaker hadn’t rolled over for the union over and over? But for this, but for that, could any of these marques have survived? By the same token, if different decisions had been made, would they have disappeared even earlier? If AMC hadn’t purchased Kaiser Jeep in 1970, would they have gone out of business in 1971-72? If Studebaker hadn’t suckered Packard into bailing them out, would they have been toast by 1955? Who knows?
But one thing is clear in AMC history: The 1974 Matador coupe was a costly mistake.
Before the 1974 Matador coupe, there was the 1971 Matador coupe, a hippy restyle of the 1967-69 AMC Rebel, which itself replaced the former Rambler/AMC Classic midsizer. Though the Coke-bottle flanks made the sedan look rather lard-assed, the coupe was attractive, if perhaps a bit derivative. In fact, during this time AMC rhetorically asked “What’s a Matador?” in their advertising. At a glance it could have been a Mopar or some other Detroit product. But that all changed for model year ’74.
With this!
Now, keep in mind that back in 1969, GM revolutionized the mid-size coupe market with their downsized Grand Prix. A new era in formal-roof intermediate coupes had arrived, and it was followed quickly by the 1970 Monte Carlo.
Old applied the same formal roof to their non-extended-front A-body coupe, the Cutlass Supreme, and that set it on a trajectory to become the number one best selling car in America within a few years. This was the template for success in the mid-size coupe arena, and Ford followed suit, with a formal roof version of their new 1972 Torino and Mercury Montego.
Yes, the new 1973 GM A-bodies did offer a semi-fastback coupe roof, but it sold modestly compared to the ho formal-roof versions.
An opera-roof version soon eclipsed the original style. It seems even GM knew it had made a minor mistake. but they could well afford it.
But the new Matador was a genuine fastback, and there was no formal roof version. I mean, look at it. Does this say ’70s personal luxury coupe? Here’s another what-if for you: What if AMC had introduced this car in 1967 as a Rebel? With slim, not-yet-Federalized bumpers, it would have suggested the coming 1968 Javelin and AMX while bearing a family resemblance to the 1963-69 Rambler American. And it might well have even sold.
Oh, the press made all the right noises upon its introduction, but despite the newness and, ahem, unique styling, only 31,169 base coupes, 21,026 Brougham coupes, and 10,074 X coupes were built in 1974. Some 62k units. The Monte Carlo sold over 300k units in ’74, and the Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe over 170k, and it was just getting started.
But for the few and the bold, a Matador coupe was certainly an interesting set of wheels, if you could get past the styling. I find these cars interesting, but my mother considers this the ugliest car ever built. I can see where she’s coming from! But it certainly isn’t bland, is it?
I actually rather like the nose, and this Cassini I found looks even better without the big, ungainly bumpers. The rusty chrome Pep Boys wheels would have to go, though.
Yes, this is a genuine 1974 Oleg Cassini edition, one of 6,165 Cassinis built in 1974. Cassini Matadors beat the Designer Series Mark IVs by two model years and featured multiple copper accents on the wheel covers, grille, rear cove, and headlight buckets.
Inside, black cloth 50/50 divided seats were standard, with copper buttons and copper carpeting. Cassini crests adorned the headrests. These special editions were only available in A1 Snow White, P1 Classic Black or F9 Copper Metallic. As I recall, the standard “Bravado” grain vinyl roof was likewise only available in white, black and copper, but you could mix and match any of the colors–all white, all black, or, in today’s CC’s case, black with a copper roof. I like this car’s combination.
Unlike the GM Colonnade coupes, the rear windows did roll down, though I have no idea how far. The back seat reminds me of a fastback Barracuda; it looks like Matador’s rear seat should fold down–like the Plymouth–but it doesn’t. And since it doesn’t, where is the middle rear seat passenger supposed to put his or her head? If one was on the short side, their head might just bonk against that courtesy light on a regular basis. Not fun.
Here you can see the heavily faded copper trim on the steering wheel boss and the instrument panel. The gauges themselves even have copper faces–on other Matadors the gauge faces were woodgrained, I kid you not.
A lot of the details are attractive, especially the way the vinyl roof and window trim create a knife-edge contrast on the C-pillar.
The rear quarter was attractive too, and just like up front, looks better without the giant 5-mph bumper. I repeat: this car should have been a ’67, or ’69 at the latest. Other than the Aunt Mildred’s parlor seating, this car SCREAMS 1967! Could it have been the ’67 Marlin?
Those bumpers might have looked bad, but they were there for a reason–just look at that knock around the outboard taillight. These taillights were my least favorite feature, and have always reminded me of, well, a botched boob job. Sorry!
Honestly, I think a full width taillight panel, not unlike the 1970 Challenger, would have looked worlds better. The factory units look like something that would have been tacked onto a Les Dunham-modified Eldorado or Toronado.
Seeing any Matador coupe these days is extremely rare–before spotting this one in Bettendorf shortly before Thanksgiving, I hadn’t seen one in 25 years or more–but finding a Cassini is a stroke of CC luck! Produced only in 1974-75, it was replaced in 1976 with the Barcelona model, which took Brougham to a whole other level.
Look, even Herb Tarlek approved! I imagine part of the name change was so AMC didn’t have to pay a fee to use “Barcelona” while they almost certainly did to use Cassini’s name. Plus, since the whole Matador coupe lineup was clearly tanking even by late ’75, I imagine the AMC execs thought it silly to pay a royalty on a model that did not even sell 2,000 units for MY 1975 (1,817, to be precise). Total production of Matador coupes in 1975 of all stripes was 22,368, down a whopping 65%!
Instead of button-tufted brocade, the 1976 Barcelona gained velveteen crushed Barcelona (natch) velour. Quite the mini-Mark IV, but with none of the prestige.
The 1977-78 Barcelona IIs are the gaudiest things to ever come out of Kenosha, with the possible exception of the Golden Eagle Jeep CJs and J-10 Honcho pickups. Well, what else could they do? The Great Brougham Epoch was in full swing, and they had about twelve cents to dress up their midsize failure. This car most certainly should not have a stand-up hood ornament! Or opera windows. Or a padded landau top…
Seriously, who would have looked at a 1978 Cutlass Supreme or Buick Regal and decided on a Matador coupe? AMC dealers were so screwed! At least the 1978 Concord finally gave them a nice car to sell, even if it was just a Hornet with heavy makeup and thicker carpeting.
I first spotted this CC while on my way to the gas station. It was already dark, but I knew I had to go back and get pictures. These things are just not seen anymore, except maybe at a car show. So I made a little detour and came back to shoot this rare bird in the wild.
While not perfect, it was in very nice shape, and I saw no rust on it! Quite a feat for a NW Illinois/NE Iowa car. I would have preferred the deluxe “pot pie” full wheel covers, whitewalls and the bumpers though–for originality’s sake. Still, an amazing find, and it looked pretty good, for such an ugly car.
Here’s the view form the rear.
Now someone is almost inevitably going to say that this car was designed and created to be very aerodynamic for NASCAR, which AMC was getting into. Sorry, but that just doesn’t add up, given the very significant investment in a whole new body. As it is, the Matador was not really a success on the NASCAR circuit, despite a few wins. In any case, the “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” maxim certainly wasn’t working, even on the days that the Matador did win.
The Matador coupe just never took off. Indeed, it didn’t even have a very good first year–unlike its Pacer sibling that debuted in 1975. 1978 sales–the car’s swan-song–were a pathetic 2,006 units. So, AMC shot itself in the foot not once, but twice. The one-two punch of the Matador coupe and Pacer wiped out any future investment for new AMC products, and resulted in Renault’s essential buyout of the Kenosha-based company. Other than the moderate success of the 1978 Concord and related 1980 Eagle, there would be no future successes in their car line.
(a revised and updated version of a post first posted in 2014)
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1974 Matador X Coupe – Great X-pectations by E. Stembridge
Curbside Classic: 1978 AMC Matador Barcelona – The Bullfighter Dies in Full Costume by JPCavanaugh
CCCCC Part 5: 1970 Cutlass Supreme Coupe – A New Supreme Era Begins by PN
Curbside Classic: 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo – A Modest Beginning To A Huge Hit (and Hips)
Curbside Classic: 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix – Who’s The Fairest Pontiac Of Them All? PN
The finest Rambler in all of Ramblerdom. Never mind that the quickly evaporating pool of Rambler fans weren’t in the market for a new king.
I guess I am not Herb since my first thought when seeing it in 1974 was “ugh, that is strange looking.”
I saw a Matador coupe just the other day.
On television. An Adam-12 rerun. Officer Pete Malloy (the late Martin Milner) was driving to work in his new yellow Matador coupe. The Adam-12 patrol car from 1972 on was an AMC Matador, as were real LAPD cars, and AMC saw an opportunity for product placement, no doubt in return for supplying the black-and-white Matadors to Jack Webb’s production company.
“And it might well have even sold.”
Not with THAT googly-eyed front end… oh the humanity!
What the hell was Dick Teague thinking? To blow AMC’s limited budget on this monstrosity was malpractice in the first degree. There were some grille revisions posted here some while back that actually made it look like a pretty attractive coupe… but honestly I could have done better. This was doomed to fail, “styling sells”, on not. Sheesh!
Don’t know why automakers try to compete in all segments of the market. It’s all about volume, try to focus on where you sell the most products.
I always thought the Matador fastback was one of AMCs best looking cars
I love this monstrosity. Then again, I also have a thing for ’61 Plymouths, Edsels, and bullet-nose Studebakers. I had an idea for the front end. Give it hidden headlights, a lá ’68 Camaro, put the turn blinkers in the grille squares, make the bumpers form-fitting, and give it a Challenger-style taillight bar! I think it would be pretty slick. The front photo made it look as if someone photoshopped another car’s lights onto the AMC.
It’s an interesting car to be sure, I think I can see what they were trying to achieve but it doesn’t work, it’s all just slightly off and as pointed out about five years late to begin with. No idea who Oleg Cassini is, president of the Copper Marketing Association maybe? Back in the nineties a girlfriend had a Ford Fiesta Festival, the same as a normal Fiesta except for a sticker on the rear hatch that said Festival in a jaunty ‘exciting’ font and horrible lurid seat upholstery. The front seats we could live with because you couldn’t see them if you were sitting on them, the back seat she covered with a woven blanket.
I agree with your mother. It’s just ugly. AMC already had decent sporty coupes in all three sizes, and the ’73 Hornet hatchback was graceful and pretty. They didn’t need another sporty coupe. Especially since it required entirely new tooling and couldn’t be expanded into a sedan or wagon to reuse the tooling.
It seems like AMC had decided that they could only survive via a Hail Mary pass. And they made two of them about the same time – this and the Pacer. Both of them tried to hide their ho-hum mechanicals by attempting to be styling leaders. Both failed. It’s somewhat similar to Studebaker and the 1953 coupes, in that all the work was done on the coupe with no (or poor, in Studebakers case) crossover to the sedan. Of course in Studebaker’s case at least the 1953 coupes were “a hit” in some sense. Not so much here. But that’s the thing with Hail Mary’s – they have a low chance of success, you only try it if you think it’s your only choice.
Roy Abernethy gets the blame for AMC’s ill-fated attempt to go model-for-model with the Big 3 in the sixties but, c’mon, is what they did in the seventies any better?
AMC was trying to break into that lucrative PLC market, but their limited funds meant they had to try it by way of copying the 1971 Chrysler B-body coupe method by one car that covered both dwindling musclecar sales with brougham, luxury type options. In effect, the 1974 Matador coupe was a reincarnated 1971-74 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus. And, as one might expect, the AMC fared no better. If AMC hadn’t gotten themselves into such dire financial straits, one wonders if they wouldn’t at least have had a true PLC success like Chrysler would eventually have with the 1975 Cordoba.
One interesting factoid is AMC’s involvement with NASCAR from 1972-75, right when everyone else (including Chrysler) had gotten out of factory sponsorship. AMC’s efforts were okay, winning a few races with the 1972-73 Matador ‘brick’, then a few more with the 1974-75 coupe, but probably not worth the effort.
I think you’re being WAY too harsh on the car. First off, no matter how good or attractive a product AMC could hatch, even if they could approach Big 3 sales volumes I doubt they had the production capability to make those sales.
But second, if there’s a place where the Matador’s look fall down it’s a front ¾ resemblance suspiciously close to… a Pinto. Slightly bugged out single-round headlights. Fastback roofline all the way to the tail. I see it.
The Citroen 2CV was ugly but functional. The ’74 Matador coupe is ugly and garish.