“AMC noted the use of the bustleback to promote a pseudo classic look on certain American luxury marques, and realized that little expense would be incurred in adding an extra 18″ of trunk space to the posterior of the Gremlin, effectively stealing the thunder of the Cadillac Cimarron, which it predated by four years.”
“The new model was introduced as the, “Greville”, and despite cornering the market for poorly styled, pretentious sub compacts, it failed to find buyers. Undaunted, AMC veered toward Highland Park, redesigning the striping to include a crown rented from a margarine company, and rechristening it, “Gremperial”. When a deal struck with a lounge singer marketing phenomenon to offer the “Peter Lemongello Signature Edition” surprisingly fell flat, the Gremperial was allowed to quietly slip from the scene in 19– something or other.”
Gremlordoba
(featuring Ricardo Montalban)
The market for pretentious, poorly styled subcompacts was simply not mature yet. In 2011 it was ready to welcome this shining example:
Needs a darker paint color and a cabriolet top…enclose that quarter glass into more of a formal opera window and you’re good-to-go.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Very well done Barry but, “Please pass the mental floss.” 😉
Gag!
Meh, I’d prefer a two foot bumper extension and a continental kit, if you could do that please.
The Gremtinental would balance the long nose better.
Its failure can be described with three words: No Padded Vinyl.
I was just about to suggest that you seek professional help when this thing started to look slightly attractive to me. Perhaps someone in the mental health field is offering a BOGO that we can take advantage of. 🙂
Wait . . . fender skirts?
+1!
LMAO
I’m imagining this with the gremmy hump in radioactive Unsafe Orange, a 230 inch impstar, I present to you the Grem Marquis. Someone with dem photochop skills: assist me!
This Grem Marquis?
Nice! Looks like a Brat
Hey; that’s my picture! 🙂 Where did you get that? From the other site, or?
From Google, originally. This was the photo that brought me to Curbside Classic in the first place! I read the article, looked about, and decided this felt like home. I’m a fairly young, down to earth chick into heavy metal and old cars, whereas most car enthusiast sites I’d gone to are dudebro-tastic. Your article changed my mind, Paul. Thank you for that.
Looks like this hemorrhoid red Gremlin needs to schedule an appointment with a proctologist asap.
if you turn it into a convertible would it presage the nissan cross-cabriolet?
Hahahahahahah! Like your sense of humour Barry! This thing just looks so ridiculous.
Well now it would certainly be easier to get your golf clubs into the Greville… 😛
The Gremperial driven by the Grem Reaper, not related to the Brothers Grem.
AMC did a concept car with a similar look, except it was convertible. The lower part of the back end could be pulled out like a drawer to serve as a camp kitchen. Considering that some owners actually lived in their Gremlins, this would have been a good feature.
AMC called that feature the…Grem-Bin.
I don’t think it looks any worse than the 80 Seville.
+1
Now THAT’S going too far – literally!
A real bustle back should look more like this LINK
Just when you thought the Gremlin couldn’t uglier… Congrats.
That car actually makes the Cadillac Cimarron look like a Ferrari Daytona, in eye appeal.
Although, I do applaud your PS skills. The Greville would probably work if you lengthen it into a 4 door.
What if AMC worked with Ford in 1977, and made the Gremnada? Then we would never have the Lincoln Versailles.
Uh, this is actually a Gremlin WITH a trunk.
Lest we forget, the Gremlin was a Hornet, sans trunk and hatch added. 😉
Um, no. The Gremlin was different from the B pillar back, with a substantially shorter wheelbase. It’s not as simple as you make it out to be.
yeah, I thought when you extended a Gremlin you got a Hornet….:)
Or (no apologies for lacking software at the office) the Grem-back.
Now come on, people! April Fools’ is still a month away! [Suggested feature: The extremely-rare Gremlada 4-door sedan, only built for one year.]
That’s almost long enough for hearse service. AMC could have had the lucrative sub-compact hearse market all to themselves. Another lost opportunity.
Ugh. No. Should have saved this one for April 1st!
OW, MY FREAKIN’ EYES!
Been done- meet the Allegro Van den Plas !http://classiccars.brightwells.com/viewdetails.php?id=889
Make the rear seats face rearwards and the Gremlin’s lack of rear legroom
disappears.
Genius!
this is the Stutz Bearcub!
The Roadkill guys made a video to show an old Gremlin can be more economical than a Prius. At the end, they run over the looser Prius with a tank.
As they say: Prius, the car Hot Rodders love to hate.
Now they are dropping a Hemi V8 on the same Gremlin. I can hardly wait to see that.
There’s a photo of the hemi hanging in front of the Gremlin on the RoadKill facebook page.
I can’t believe how giddy I am about this. Several people had suggested I try watching RoadKill but I figured it for an Orange County Choppers / Gas Monkey Garage idiotic fake drama but those guys are for real.
BTW they also said they were glad the Prius existed because that meant there was more fuel for them to burn. It wasn’t a total hater deal.
Roadkill and Petrolicious are the only car shows I spend time watching. The Roadkill guys are real gearheads and on top of that they are kinda funny.
This looks like it would have been on the showroom floor next to one of these:
Looks like something the UK Royal Mail would use, just need to add some lettering.
This is the typ of Auto fiction I like ! =8-) .
-Nate
Needs a faux spare tire on the back…