The AMC Pacer was a strange looking automobile, I remember the first one I laid eyes on, a neighbor had bought it new. Everybody wanted to sit in it, and look out that big windshield. I also remember the neighbor calling my father to help him get the thing cranked. It was still a new car, just not a very good one.

AMC made a bold, innovative move in designing the Pacer, they were ahead of their time, but forced to use old technology. The original plan was to use the Wankel ROTARY engine, and this was to be built by General Motors. But GM scrapped the plan due to the fuel crisis and pending emissions legislation. So AMC was left without a motor, and had to redesign the engine compartment to accept their I-6 motor, an underpowered car was the result.

In 1976 they replaced this engine with a high output 258, but the added power came at a cost, this being higher gas mileage. The sales plummeted, people weren't happy with Pacer, the touted fuel efficiency was now gone, and without that draw, Americans were content with their big comfortable autos.

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