No doubt the Eagle SX/4 is a joke; the only question being whether it’s a good one or a bad one, or whether the joke is on us. Did I have to ask?
In mythology, the trickster appears in many forms, a real shape-shifter. The SX/4 is the final variation of that all-time clown-mobile, the Gremlin. Designed on an air-sickness bag, the Gremlin created a whole new category of car: the problem is finding the right words to describe it. Tricky indeed. A big six cylinder up front, no room in the back; effectively a two seater; and the worst overall packaging of the modern era. Just call it the Gremlin class; of one.
But the troublesome little troll wouldn’t go away; it morphed into the Spirit, which saliently asks the question: “Why horse around?” Good question indeed.
The ill-fated Kammback version was a much less ambitious effort at horsing around, being that it was just a Gremlin with a bigger side window. As if anyone would actually sit back there to take advantage of the views.
When AMC unleashed the all-wheel drive Eagles (CC here) on the world in 1980, the body choices were sedans and the popular wagon. AMC Chairman Gerry Meyers was quoted as “what the hell is this”, when first confronted with the jacked up Concord. What he must have said a year later when the Spirit and Kammback were propsed for the same treatment has been politely left out of recorded history. “The joke’s on you, Gerry. We were just kidding; we didn’t really mean to suggest that you put these in production!”
And not only the Spirit, which became the SX/4, but also the Kammback. Sadly, the odds of finding an Eagle Kammback anymore are not good at all: only some 6k were ever built in 1981 and 1982. I was happy enough to find this SX/4, which actually was the best selling Eagle in the lineup the year it first appeared, 1981.
Like so many desperate AMC products in its dementia declining years, the SX/4 had a one-year sales pop, and then also crashed, and lasted only a year longer than the Kammback. The joke got around pretty quickly. But it was a good one: I vividly remember my aching sides when I first saw a picture of one. Holy Toledo; what will they pull off next; oh right, the Pacer. (Update: oops, that came earlier; Renault came next). Yes, laughing was a good remedy to offset the pain of watching the last American independent go down the drain.
I’ve been a bit harsh on the poor SX/4, I know. It had its redeeming qualities, as long as you didn’t mind 14 mpg from its giant 258 CID six and the interior room of an MGB-GT. Everything has its trade-offs, and the Eagles Selec-trac full-time AWD system was a gem. The SX/4 was the forerunner of a whole raft of AWD/sports car imitators:
Did I miss someone? (Update: Oh yes…a couple of more recent ones; which at least have the interior space problem licked, sort of)
They were all equally successful, that’s for sure. It’s a niche that’s just irresistible, at least to certain makers of cars whose business, or at least certain models are/were heading for hospice care. That’s how the trickster works…”follow me!”
The SX/4 is fun to drive, the owner of this one told me. Undoubtedly. More smiles per mile; from the inside or from those watching it go by on the outside. I forgot to ask.
Ok, we’ve had our laughs with the SX/4. Obviously, Subaru ended the joke quickly, offering well-made four wheel drive wagons, sedans, hatchbacks and even coupes that had twice the interior space and got at least twice the mileage. But they’re not nearly as amusing all these years later; well, with a few exceptions.
The SX/4 has carved out a special place in the automotive mythology indeed; the only thing wrong was its name. It should have been the Eagle Coyote.
I would love to find a Suzuki X-90 but you can keep the jacked-up AMCs. I had a Hornet wagon and would not want want on stilts. I thought the Eagles had a very niche audience and am not surprised that it didn’t work. I compliment AMC for moving outside the box though. They had a lot of unique ideas in the later years that America just was not ready for. We’re still not ready for most but the Eagles would go over well now.
I don’t think these were bad, just not what Americans wanted .
-Nate
There are still a few Suzuki X-90’s tooling around Los Angeles, they look like museum pieces and none ever come up for sale .
Truly cult cars, I ignored them when new but now own and love beyond all reason a different “CAMI” car .
-Nate
Were the fender flares removed intentionally, custom-by-crash or by trees on a narrow trail? Given the only slightly aggressive knobby tires and the implication of how the owner used this I vote for the latter.
Haven’t seen one of these in a very long time, whether Concord or Gremlin based. As for the Suzuki X90, I was watching some YouTube videos of a British observed trials and there was more than on X90 at an event. I’m pretty sure it was just FWD.
The Gremlin should have had those rear side windows used on the Kammback from the start, looks so much better.
I was thinking the same thing; it’s amazing how normal the Gremlin looks with just a simple change of the rear side window size/shape. Dick Teague seemed to really like the Gremlin roller-skate shape though, having drawn a more stylized version as the AMX GT for 1968. I don’t think he considered it just an awkward work-around to make a smaller car from the Hornet; rather, he liked that look better than a more “normal” profile. I think though that the Spirit hatchback shape would have sold well back in 1970, better than it did in 1979.
The trick with these, well at least those that had the 258 4sp is to swap in the 4.0, 5sp and 2sp transfer case from a Cherokee. Improves pretty much everything, driveablity, mpg, power, off road. Literally no real downside.
Years ago near my old house someone had one of these for the longest time. It was originally usually parked curbside and but did come and go. Then it moved to the driveway for a bit and then into the yard where it collected needles for 5-6 years. I should have knocked on the door before it went away as they are my favorite Hornet derivative.
I remember seeing that ad trying to pitch the Spirit as an alternative to a a Mustang. I’m sorry but I just didn’t think it would steal any Mustang buyers.
I guess the idea was to sell AMC buyers that it was in the same class as the Mustang.
I love the looks of these. To me they look like like a Citation X-11 on steroids, with a 84-85 Celebrity Eurosport nose swapped on. Never seen one for real. The Eagle wagons used to be popular here in rural northern Michigan. A few years ago there was one parked alongside a pole barn a few miles away. Now I’m curious if it’s still there.
All I know about AMC was
1) my dad rented a Gremlin one time and said he’d never own any of their products
2) my father in law traded in an oil leaking one year old Lancia Zagato for an AMC Spirit that he said was a good, trouble free car. But as with all of his cars, he only kept it one and a half years. See he was known for trading cars in a few as 3 months and kept the longest one, an 05 Pacifica for 4 years!
I thought the company did a remarkable job given the lack of money and resources they had.
Great article
The author is just over the smarmy comments line. With precious few resources AMC brought all wheel drive to America’s auto marketplace. Renault damaged it and then Chrysler drove the final stake through AMC’s heart.