It doesn’t have an engine, and the frame is made from wood. However, it’s unbelievably cool.
Fact: Your sideburns will double if you stare at the 1977 AMC AM Van Concept for longer than 30 seconds. A third fact is that three pairs of bellbottom jeans will magically appear in your closet if you publicly admit this motorless concept’s awesomeness. This is how 1970s-esque this ride is. And you know what? That’s okay with us.
This is the story of this unusual concept. It was built by American Motors Corporation to serve as a design experiment. In the late 1970s, it toured the autoshow scene along with other AMC concepts. Its combination of futuristic styling, meaty tires and side-pipe exhaust made it the most popular vehicle according to duPont Registry. We see a lot of AMC Pacer influence in the large windows. However, the front slopes downward, not unlike the minivans that would come a few years later. Is there a better combination to represent 1970s than orange and red?
It’s just a shell, no matter how much you would love to troll Cars & Coffee using this rig. The frame is made of wood and topped off with a fiberglass body. Side pipes are connected to nothing so there is no turbocharged engine for the turbo stickers. Even though there are no functioning doors, it’s OK because there is barely an inside.
The AM Van was designed to seat six people in two rows of very wide seats. The four-wheel drive option was another feature. It would be available on the AMC Eagle stationwagon in 1980. The concept, which features shades of minivan styling, was certainly a good idea.
It is believed that this AM Van was the first to be built as a concept. It has been part of a collection of concept cars for 35 years and is up for auction at RM Sotheby’s Sand Lots, which runs May 25 to June 1.