The Pacer and Matador Coupe were AMC’s Hail Mary passes. We all know how those turned out. So now what? AMC’s passenger car business was kaput, the company was essentially broke, and the development fund kitty might have just bought enough rounds of Leinenkugel at one of Kenosha’s watering holes for the executive team to thoroughly drown their sorrows. But somebody in the back shop was still coming up with ideas, and pretty radical ones at that.
Freed from having to worry about more pressing matters, a few AMC engineers led by Roy Lunn cobbled up a jacked-up Concord with a Jeep full-time AWD system. When AMC Chairman Gerry Meyers first saw it, his reaction was, “what the hell is this?” Pretty rich, coming from the guy who green-lighted the Gremlin and Pacer. But why the hell not? It’s not like we have anything else other than the Jeep Grand Wagoneer that we don’t have to practically give away. What have we got to lose? We’re as good as dead anyway.
The Eagle was green-lighted for production without any sort of proper market analysis or consumer clinics. Once the AMC brass figured out that it was something they desperately needed, they just rushed it into production.
From today’s vantage point, it’s pretty hard to imagine how different the automotive landscape was in and before 1980. No minivans, no CUVs, and SUVs were big heavy truck-based rigs with rough rides and abysmal fuel economy. Four wheel drive was something ranchers ordered on their pickups out west, except the Jeeps, of course. Audis were strictly FWD.
The Subaru wagon, which came out five years before the Eagle, was the pioneer in offering a four wheel drive passenger car, but that was still a part-time affair that could only be engaged in non-paved roads or snow, since there was no center differential. Not that this really hindered its exceptional versatility. There’s no doubt the 4WD Subaru must have been the key inspiration on those back-room AMC engineers. They already had the perfect AWD system, it was just a matter of placing under the right vehicle.
Jeep had introduced Quadra-Trac in 1973, a full-time system based on Borg-Warner’s innovative BW1339 transfer case and central locking differential. It was inspired by the revolutionary AWD system developed by Ferguson for the Jensen FF. As utilized in the Eagle, the system used an inter-axle differential pack utilizing a multi-clutch pack encased in silicone fluid to provide automatic limited slip function between the axles. It all worked like a charm.
shot by Dave Saunders
The Eagle was truly a revolutionary car. It may have looked more than a bit silly, a Concord all jacked up and with plastic fender flares. And of course, the Eagle was a transitional vehicle leading to much more civilized small SUVs like Jeep’s own XJ Cherokee. Although the Cherokee and other SUVs were instantly “hot”, there were plenty of folks who weren’t yet ready to embrace that new fad. Plus, the S-10 Blazer, Cherokee and Bronco II were still a few years away in 1980. The Eagle created and owned a small but real market for itself, especially in snow and mountain country. It didn’t do much for AMC dealers hurting in Texas or Florida.
That’s not to say that the Eagle didn’t have its limitations. It was still an elderly Concord body sitting on stilts, and everything that implied. Meaning, mediocre space utilization and ergonomics. The Eagle really wanted something new and bold sitting on its new and bold underpinnings, but that’s what there was, and it kept the lights on in Kenosha long enough until Renault started paying for the bills.
And the other limitation was under the hood. Like the Pacer, the Eagle, which gained 300 lbs along with its AWD, suffered from the smog-strangled 258 (4.2 L) six during those pre-fuel injection years. Performance was modest at best, and the thirst was great. AMC offered fours; first the GM Iron Duke, then their own 2.5 L four beginning in 1983. In truth, hardly any were actually built with the four; they were there to allow some half-way decent EPA numbers in the ads. The Eagle was just too big and heavy for the fours, especially since the AWD system typically backed up a Chrysler automatic.
Not surprisingly, the wagon version was by far the biggest seller over the Eagles’ fairly long life from 1980 through 1987. Over 100k wagons were sold during that time. The Gremlin-derived Spirit got the Eagle treatment too, and the odd little hatchback SX/4 (CC here) was the second biggest seller in its first year, followed by the four-door sedan, two-door sedan, and the other Spiritual oddity, the Kammback.
Undoubtedly, numerous folks have transplanted the Cherokee’s fuel injected 4.0 six into Eagles. Had that been available in the Eagle’s time, it would have really made an impact, not that the Eagle didn’t. It gave rise to the whole genre of AWD wagons and the Eagle can certainly be called the mother of all CUVs, depending on your personal definition of that rather vaguely defined acronym. Yes indeed; desperate times can be creative times, and Roy Lunn and his engineers deserve a pat on the back for their creative adaptation of what they had at hand.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
These cars are derivatives of the 69 Hornet and produced in some form through the 80’s. That’s impressive with so little money.
I might have taken the Eagles more seriously if they didn’t look ridiculous due to the massive ground clearance. The Audi Quattro didn’t have that flaw, and the Subarus didn’t appear to be pumped up as high. The other problem was that they were glossed-over Hornets and Gremlins. In 1970, we could still have respect for AMC but by 1980 they were as pitiful as Chrysler today. My parents owned both a Hornet and Concord wagon but the area was too status conscious for most to adopt an AMC.
The Eagles were a good idea from a failing company and deserve recognition as the forerunners of today’s soccer-mom Canyoneros. But back then, I didn’t see any situation where I would need 4-wheel drive. I lived in snow country then, but did just fine with snow tires on my Chrysler New Yorker. In fact, I drove a snow-tired Miata for fifteen years and it was more stable than most SUVs.
I own an Outback now because I wanted a wagon and didn’t like the dynamics of a tall SUV. Ironically, it rarely snows where I now live and I still have no need or desire for all-wheel drive. Nor do I like the MPG hit and added complexity. Now that Outbacks have been turned into SUVs, my next car will be an older wagon. No annoying touchscreens is an added benefit.
The Eagle was very popular with rural mail carriers here in the Midwest. Many of them switched to Cherokees in later years
We purchased a new 1980 Eagle Limited wagon when they first came out. Great idea. Horrible execution. It was very underpowered and very thirsty. It drove OK as long as you were not in a hurry, the ride was good, the seats were comfortable. The redeaming virtue was it’s strong performance in the snow and the mud. The build quality was atrocious and the quality control inspectors apparently had not returned to the plant after their lunch break in the bars across the street when our car was built. There was a 2 inch square hole in the front carpet, a 6 inch curved gash in the padded dash cover, one of the arm rests had somehow been installed upside down, the cruise control did not work and when we arrived at home from the dealership the radiator was steaming from a crack. Over time, things got worse. The cruise control system was (allegedly) repaired four times and completely replaced once. It still did not work without massive surging. AMC finally gave me the cost of the cruise control option back, I bought an aftermarket cruise and it worked perfectly. The brakes took longer and longer to stop the car until they would not lock up on wet pavement or even gravel! New brakes did not help. By 80,000 miles, It was using one quart of oil every 300 miles. I did a compression check which showed 90% to 100% of factory specs in each cylinder. The cause was a crack in the head. We got rid of the car. We actually sold it to a mail carrier!
I think we have to remember that American made vehicles in those years were pretty much all dogs…poor quality, not many were good performers, and not so economical. Also, the national speed limit was 55mph, so performance wasn’t such a big deal. AMC put up a fight, and put out an interesting product. The Jeep Cherokee to come would be the real game-changer. Certainly you must have gotten a bum engine, because the AMC 258 was basically bullet proof, and that design stayed in production until 2006 as the powerful, reliable 4.0, many of which would see 200-300K. My brother owned 2 different SX4’s, which the Iron Puke 4 cylinder. Cute cars. Crappy motors!
Looking back, the Eagle Wagon could be considered the original Crossover
It depends on the definition of the term. The one most commonly accepted one (and one I stick to) is for a vehicle that has a unique (taller, generally) body but based on a passenger car platform. The Eagle was just a sedan or wagon with AWD and higher ground clearance.
The Subaru AWD wagon came out five years before the Eagle and had all the same features, but it’s not considered a crossover either.
I’m not a huge AMC fan but these could have been huge sells with little effort, likely too much $ for AMC to invest at the time .
I’m always unclear on how the American vehicle makers all said “it can’t be done” but the imports knew they had to be better to crack the North American market and managed to do so easily by making better vehicles .
-Nate
The market was in the toilet thru 1982 because of the economy and interest rates. Even desirable expensive cars just couldn’t sell. Big Wagoneer production dropped from near 30k to low teens. The 1983 S10 Blazer and 1984 XJ Cherokee closed the door on the Eagle as a volume opportunity. These proper small SUVs had the right style and plenty of utility to match the mechanical promise.
You’re all forgetting the GAZ-M72 produced in the mid-fifties .Not produced in large quantities, but still the first of its kind. https://www.youtube.com/live/LpGj2u67E00
I turned 16 in 1981 and I really wanted a Spirit or better yet, an SX/4. Ideally the inline six and manual transmission. It wasn’t to be but I still like the design of the SX/4
The picture of this Eagle was taken last December in downtown Milan, Italy. Interestingly Eagles were brisky sellers in nearby Switzerland, but in Milan in the 80s the Jeep Renegade CJ7 was the car to have for young yuppies.