AMC Matador

AMC Matador
1976 AMC Matador coupe
Overview
Manufacturer	American Motors Corporation
Also called	American Motors Matador Rambler Matador (export markets) VAM Classic (Mexico)
Production	1970–1978
Assembly	Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA Port Melbourne, Australia (AMI) Mexico City, Mexico (VAM) Thames, New Zealand (CMI)
Designer	Richard A. Teague
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size (1971–1973 and coupes) Full-size (1974–1978 sedans and wagons) personal luxury (Oleg Cassini and Barcelona)
Layout	FR layout
Related	AMC Ambassador
Chronology
Predecessor	AMC Rebel
Successor	AMC Concord Eagle Premier

First generation
1972 AMC Matador station wagon
Overview
Model years	1971–1973
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Powertrain
Engine	232 cu in (3.8 L) I6 258 cu in (4.2 L) I6 252 cu in (4.1 L) I6 (Mexico only) 282 cu in (4.6 L) I6 (Mexico only) 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8 401 cu in (6.6 L) V8
Transmission	3-speed manual 4-speed manual (1971 only) 3-speed Shift-Command auto (1971 only) 3-speed Torque-Command automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	118 in (2,997 mm)
Length	206.1 in (5,235 mm) hardtop and sedan 205 in (5,207 mm) wagon
Height	53.8 in (1,367 mm) hardtop and sedan 56.4 in (1,433 mm) wagon

Second generation
1975 Matador base model sedan
Overview
Model years	1974–1978
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop coupe 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Powertrain
Engine	232 cu in (3.8 L) I6 (1974 only) 258 cu in (4.2 L) I6 252 cu in (4.1 L) I6 (Mexico only) 282 cu in (4.6 L) I6 (Mexico only) 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8 401 cu in (6.6 L) V8 (1974 only)
Transmission	3-speed manual (1974–1976) 3-speed Torque-Command automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	114 in (2,896 mm) coupe 118 in (2,997 mm) hardtop, sedan, and wagon
Length	209.3 in (5,316 mm) coupe 216 in (5,486 mm) sedan 215 in (5,461 mm) wagon
Height	51.8 in (1,316 mm) coupe 53.8 in (1,367 mm) sedan 56.4 in (1,433 mm) wagon

The AMC Matador is a mid-size car built and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1971 to 1978. The Matador came in two generations: 1971 to 1973, and a major redesign from 1974 to 1978. The second-generation four-door sedan and station wagon models were classified as full-size cars and did not share the distinctive styling featured by the Matador coupe that was introduced in 1974.

Factory-backed AMC Matador hardtops and coupes competed in NASCAR with drivers that included Mark Donohue and Bobby Allison winning several races. The new Matador coupe was featured in The Man with the Golden Gun, a James Bond film released in 1974. Matadors were a popular vehicle for the police, as it outperformed most other police cars. It was also featured in many television shows and movies during the 1970s.

The Matador became AMC's largest automobile following the discontinuation of its flagship, the AMC Ambassador, built on the same platform. Premium trim level "Oleg Cassini" and "Barcelona" versions of the Matador coupe were positioned in the personal luxury car market segment. Matadors were also marketed under the Rambler marque in foreign markets, as well as assembled under license agreements with AMC that included Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM), as well as built in right-hand-drive versions by Australian Motor Industries (AMI).

The Matador replaced the AMC Rebel, which had been marketed since 1967. With a facelift and a new name, the AMC Matadors were available as a two-door hardtop as well as a four-door sedan and station wagon. The Matador was based on AMC's "senior" automobile platform shared with the full-size Ambassador line.