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American Motors Corp.

Wikipedia: Christopher Ziemnowicz

American Motors Corp.

Active: 1954–1987
Based: Southfield, Mich.
Notable models: Gremlin, Pacer, Javelin, Matador

Formed out of the ashes of the Nash-Kelvinator Corp. and the Hudson Motor Car Co., AMC was conceived as a rival to the Big Three Detroit carmakers: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Unfortunately, despite some bold models in the 1970s such as the Gremlin and Pacer, the company’s poor product planning led to its being sold to Chrysler, primarily because then-Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca coveted its Jeep division.