1978 AMC Matador Coupe. Barcelona Edition!

[@braddietzmusic2429]

Some of the details on this design are truly amazing. The paint and pin striping detail is impressive, and dual but also color-keyed wheels is really attractive.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

AMC had some strange and crazy designs. I love them

[@klavers]

Fantastic!🎉love these cars!

[@royalerathcliff5703]

the 2nd generation AMC matador was an odd amalgam of 1973 amc hornet sst,1973 amc javelin and one of the big 3 intermediates...

[@dansmusic5749]

I didn’t like these much back in the day but now I think they are gorgeous. AM styling had a number of exceptional beauties most notably the Javelin. Some may be surprised at this but the coveted Road Runner and Super Bee designs of ‘68 are actually heavily influence by AM's all new ’67 Rebel SST. They even used the same wheels.

[@8corymix8]

It's all yours. It's the ugliest thing ever built

[@winthropthurlow3020]

"It's a Matador!" A great '70s time capsule.

[@joeseeking3572]

If I remember right the AMC tag line was actually "What's a Matador?"

[@buffdelcampo]

@@joeseeking3572 "It's a Matador!" is what I remember, but that was fifty years ago. Maybe the memory is a little foggy.

[@georgiahoosier]

@@joeseeking3572 yep, you got it right. One of the commercials featured a parking lot and a couple comes to fetch their car and the attendant keeps asking "What's a Matador?"

[@JeffMiletich]

...but was it a "Barcelona"? they were speial.

[@craigford4641]

The Car is Gorgeous ! Those bumpers, Ughh ! 😮😮😮😮😮.

[@stevetaxpayer6664]

It's the Joy Behar of automobiles!

[@haljohnson5729]

I had a 74. Bought it to use between cars because it was cheap.(around 1980) It was a company lease turn in. I only drove it for a few years but it was actually a good car. The interior was VERY cheap.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Very cool!!!!! 🤜🤛

[@andy41417]

1:48 Looks like a personal luxury car. Like Monte etc. 2 doors.

[@buffdelcampo]

I bought a new Matador in 1974, the first year for this body. It was red and it had the 258 6-cylinder engine. I miss that car, shouldn't have sold it. This one looks great.

[@larryfromwisconsin9970]

In 1974 or 75 an Army buddy's parents gave him a new Matador Coupe. It was a rather radically designed car for those times. His example looked cheaply manufactured with inconsistent body panel gaps and dashboard pieces that didn't line up well. A brand new car but the glove box would pop open anytime he drove over a bump.

[@stevekrupey3611]

I love it! As others have mentioned, saw them as fugly when they came out, now I think it's so beautiful.

[@jamesmisener3006]

These were always a car that required a certain buyer and this Barcelona Matador will fulfill that buyers desire if you can find one. The 360 engine is a plus. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@albertcarello619]

@jamesmisener: I had a 1972 AMC MATADOR WITH THE 360 cubic inch V8 2 barrel. It performed like a rocket!

[@albertcarello619]

These cars in the early to late 1970s were very popular with car thieves in Chicago! My car had two attempts at being stolen. I saw pry marks between the drivers window and door handle. Fortunately the would be thieves were thwarted and scared off. This happened both time at the O'Hare Airport Parking Garage in Chicago!!!

[@libertyjustice2703]

My mother owned this exact model, same color combo etc. It had a skunky smell inside right off the lot. She liked it, but it was a weird looking car to me. The clock never worked from day one.

[@mattskustomkreations]

Well the clock was right twice a day anyway…

[@J.W.W.]

The older I get, the more I can appreciate the designs I used to think were terrible.

[@ambientstereorecordings3528]

A lot of AMC's designs were awful... but now I think they were "awful great"!

[@TerriYoung-m4c]

Pretty cars , do I really care about the color it's how the car drives City color

[@TerriYoung-m4c]

I like the windows

[@jonathanabbott8579]

It's beautiful. Great original condition. I've always wanted one of these; you've done a great job preserving it👍

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Lovely looking car. I find later Matador front end appearance like this more attractive than the first (1974-75) model years.

[@gabriel.954]

Lovely Barcelona! These are very unique and I haven't seen one at shows I've been to. Thanks for sharing!

[@klavers]

Yes very rare! unique could be had in two-tone red too.

[@frankgiaquinto1571]

This 2 door coupe has an interesting and unique style, IMHO. The 4 door models were rather homely

[@juancenteno8550]

Yes we miss your videos ❤

[@2W3X4YZ5]

Competitor to Cordoba in this trim. Drawn by Cassini iirc. Good luck with the sale and thanks for the video. This was the time when they tried to turn the matador into the spirit. Not a good effort but it is nostalgic. Cheers.

[@mattskustomkreations]

I first saw one of the in the 80’s when a HS classmate drove one to school. We all laughed our butts off. Completely homely car, I almost couldn’t believe an auto manufacturer released this. Anyway, it would actually be fun to have a survivor like this just to see people flip out in puzzlement over it.

[@nitcat1]

Really pretty amazing to see one of these still looking this good. My price guess before you said it was $99 higher. I also remember the TV ad catch phrase “It’s a Matador!” (Some copywriter phoned that in). I’ve watched a few of your videos and you do a very nice job of highlighting the plusses and minuses.

[@davidkastin4240]

OMG I love it! What a beautiful time capsule. It's a love it or hate it design. When the Coupe came out I instantly fell in love with it. I wish I had the $ , I'd jump on it John.

[@christopherlaflam6383]

Oh a dream car of mine! Glad I found your channel. Great info on this car. Great info!

[@orphancargarage5746]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@bobross9321]

I bought a '77 just like this in 1978! I wish I had kept it! Very comfortable car with those plush seats. I wonder where this car went!

[@scottthomas7870]

Excellent vid. My dad purchased a 72 Matador station wagon, but after one year, he traded it in for reasons I cannot recall. Most likely, it was because of build quality. On your car, the sticker says it has a 25-gallon gas tank. That's more than my mini-van!

[@joeseeking3572]

This car certainly had all the luxury cliches needed to succeed as a mid sized luxo coupe (though this style just did not wear the opea window, vinyl roof well - the original design was too clean / functional for that). Except ... not only couldn't you get power windows, no power locks or seat. All the other mid-late 70's coupes offered those, so if you wanted to pimp in style, the Matador was lacking - super plush seats notwithstanding. I give AMC props for the bumper solution on the coupes; you still get the original design intent.

[@lifewithjosef]

I think this would be a great Sunday Car, you'd most likely be the only one you see out and about.

[@manofthehour6856]

Very impressive condition! As a car spotter from age four, yes, I certainly remember these. Despite being from a diehard GM family, I think I had the most respect for AMC because in the 1970s, they tried to be and were different in designs, unlike Chrysler especially, which seemed to be turning out inferior copies of GM styling trying to match model per model. In some ways, I think the shoestring budget at AMC benefitted the company in that it was an impetus for the creativity birthing this design and the Pacer, but also likely improved build quality and durability because the cars weren't constantly updated year-to-year unnecessarily. I remember the American logo and font very well from this era, and again, very forward thinking and bold. AMC was ahead of its time in many ways, especially with the stillborn minivan it was considering, but really the gentrification of the JEEP, the SUV trend by decades, and one I think is also brilliantly ahead of its time: the AMC Eagle 4 x 4 wagon. The focus on ruggedness and practicality wasn't as good a fit for the times as in recent years, and had the Eagle been developed beyond the Chrysler purchase, it would likely be a solid competitor to the now very mainstream Subaru Outback seen in US suburbia. Style and practicality were what AMC was about, and I salute it for this. I never laughed at anything they turned out; it was the mindset of the buying public created by borderline-monopoly GM of what a car should look like, featurs it should have, etc. To me, although AMC may have been the fourth US automaker in sales, it was at least second in terms of interesting product.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

I've always liked these since the day they came out - especially the Barcelona! I don't remember seeing a lot of these on the road but when I would see one it always "stood out" in a good way and still does today, it's definitely a "love it/hate it" situation here. Also thought it odd not to have the bumper fillers but you really don't notice it from "head on" - might've been a good decision since those fillers end up rotting and are expensive/frustrating to replace - trust me, I know! I really like the plush interior and looks like it would be comfortable but surprised it didn't have center armrests.

[@fearsomebeard4290]

Stunning car! Thank you so much for sharing it as I’ve always adored these.

[@mattg8369]

I love these!

[@JeffMiletich]

When I worked in Houston in early 1978 our office manager had one of them. Rode in it to lunch a couple of times.

[@jwelchon2416]

The Matador fell into the same category as Virgil Exner designed Chrysler's. Thought to be so odd looking when new but looks fantastic today.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Right. You could only get power windows on the sedans and wagon. Still, for this car I would relearn to crank up windows.

[@roberthargis4237]

I had one it was very unique my favorite AMC was my 71 javelin it could take a corner like glue

[@KennethAlexander-mj2zt]

Hello how are you doing today? I love this car my aunt owned one like this & also owned a 4 door 😉🙂🙃 thank you for showing this!

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thank you too!

[@blockcl]

IMO AMC's problem was perception. They were seen as entry level cars, regardless of the model and/or available options. AMC couldn't crack the upscale market with it's greater per unit profits. It's too bad. They did some interesting things.

[@timkis64]

i have to give it to AMC.they most definately thought outside of the box.i guess when your a decendant of hudson & nash.neither were shy about their oddities either.

[@OsbornTramain]

Excellent video and car. Great on the facts too. One issue, the Barcelona first was introduced in 1976 replacing the Oleg Cassini editions, The original Barcelona came in more color combinations and didn't have the padded roof standard. It changed in 77 or 78 and was known as the Barcelona II.

[@ernielaw]

I'll also add that 1976 was the year for a grill and turn signal light change.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thanks for the info!

[@bextar6365]

Would be a great cars and coffee car....not another to be seen!

[@SA-bq1us]

I like it

[@vinnyp3351]

It looks like a Plymouth Volare coupe. When I was a kid my aunt had a 1978 two-door Volare with the same looking opera windows.

[@masterskrain2630]

I happen to think this is a GREAT LOOKING car!!

[@dave3657]

I had a black 1975 Oleg Cassini Edition Matador. I was thinking of doing some mods, but due to its rarity I decided to sell it. I figured at almost any car show that I went too, I would have the only one there.

[@caribman10]

Wonderful home for a 400hp AMC crate motor here.

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Nice 😀

[@landiahillfarm6590]

So beautiful on the inside... but SO FUGLY on the outside!!! LOL Someone is gonna love this one.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

Dream car for me.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Wish I still had it!

[@Dbodell8000]

Looks similar to the one used in James Bond Man with the golden gun.

[@grand73am]

It was a red AMC Hornet in that movie

[@Dbodell8000]

@@grand73am I'm referring to the gold and tan car driven by Christopher Lee. not the red Hornet driven by Roger Moore.

[@currier207]

I’ve never seen a car that could dance “The Disco Duck”

[@ManiaMusicChannel]

I believe the Grand Wagoneers of the time had electric windows? Aside from this, good video, good information but you should include images of the other cars you are mentioning so we can have a better idea of what you are talking about, overall good stuff

[@dickbiggerstaff5729]

His comment in regard to electric windows was, Not on this model. He didn't say overall.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Yes, and on the Matador sedan and wagon. Just not available on the coupe, oddly.

[@GoodbyeKamala2024]

Those were some homely cars for sure.

[@graciemaemarie11jones16]

always liked the matador

[@dennisleporte2327]

Sort of like AMC Pacer. Lots of good intentions and random opinions ! lol I really don't know much about them though I remember them.

[@georgewilson1184]

From a distance the front looks like a Ford Maverick

[@jasoncarpp7742]

My parents had a 1974 Matador when I was an infant. I don't know what it was like for *all* owners of the AMC Matador, but my mother hated the car. Apparently the car she drove had all sorts of quality problems. It wouldn't accelerate uphill when she hit the accelerator pedals.

[@CarsandCats]

I would drill the bumper struts to drain the oil out and then kick in the bumpers. It would look so much better then.

[@mattwillman10]

I heard AMC originally wanted the Matador coupe to be on a smaller chassis when it was introduced me n 1974?

[@phantomblott1]

The Matador coup was a very different car of the times in 1974, 60,000 people liked it's style and bought one. but by 1978, four years later, only a little over 2,000 Matadors were sold. AMC invested around $50 million into it's development, as well as the Pacer program. It only took another ten years, and AMC ceased as a company. The companies 1971 saying for it's new cars came back to haunt them. " If you were to compete against G.M., Ford and Chrysler, what would you do? And they did just that. It's too bad, bad timing or poor decisions, they were really good cars of the day.

[@johnandersonjjr]

AMC dropped the (styling)ball for model year 1974 (all models)it had only picked up in 67 ish for model year 1968.(all models 67 Rebels looked OK)

[@vettezeppelin]

AMC didn't even bother with fillers for the huge bumpers and the gaps they have between them and the body! 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@orphancargarage5746]

Agreed! I mention that as well in the video.

[@BELCAN57]

I bought a 1978 Concord D/L new. I believe it cost me a touch over $5,000.00.

[@marial8235]

I had a friend who swore he couldn’t get any dates in HS because he had inherited a poop colored Matador coupe.

[@KevinBarry-j8w]

It looks like a grown up Ford Pinto

[@billbright1755]

They missed out by not extending the bumpers out a bit further from the body.

[@arthurmccarron4379]

Six million Dollar. Man. Drove a red. One in the. Series.

[@JamesCrane]

I always thought the AMC designers must have gone to a different school. Not only round headlights in the age of rectangular, but over emphasized round headlights. It's like they were 10 years behind.

[@wilsonle61]

Same front grill turn signals as used on the Hornet & Gremlin from the early 70s. That interior (the seats) looked like they were designed by a pimp!

[@dennisleporte2327]

HAHA Abington I'm 5 miles from there

[@jamessouthworth1699]

I see a diamond in the rough. With the right wheels, the right paint, and with the bumpers tucked in, I can see this being a decent little car to drive around. A lot of those AMC's were very reliable even if the looks were subjective.

[@neilouellette3004]

Car was way overpriced $7,301 for an AMC in 1978. You could buy a 78 Chevy Caprice Classic Brougham Coupe for under $6,000. By 1978 AMC was going down the tubes and had no money when they went into agreement w/Renault. Hence the big markup in price to try to save the company financials.

[@IcelanderUSer]

Would have looked much better if the headlamps weren’t recessed. If they curved outward from the end of the “tube” on each side it’d be so much richer.

[@kultursender6507]

Real 70s!

[@craig0769]

$338 for the radio?!

[@r.w.b.7683]

Such a shame they were forced to add the mandated 5mph bumpers... Replace them and it's such a distinct a style

[@killerontheloose80]

1 of 369 Barcelona 2 coupes made in 1978

[@roderickwhite979]

When I was working as an ironworker, we were walking through a parking lot after work, and there was a brand new matador like this one sitting there, and I started commenting to a couple of ironworker friends how it was the ugliest car ever made yada yada yada only to find out one of my friends had just bought it.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

lol....

[@craigroberts3982]

I would take that rear bumper off and throw it away. It's a really good looking car sans bumpers.

[@mattskustomkreations]

Let’s just say it would be “better” looking…

[@datsun210]

7:58 Adjusted for inflation, $7301 = $34,000 in 2024 money. Not too bad

[@michaeldilorenzo8464]

Isn't it crazy that a radio or A/C cost more than a V8 engine

[@anthonybarnett6828]

The bug eye look didn't work. It was in a James Bond film with a jump.

[@grand73am]

That was a red Hornet in the film

[@becconvideo]

Why did they call a car "Killer" - a couple of years later Nissan brought out the Pajero which in Spanish sounds like "the wanker". Why is it always the Spanish language where these kinds of mishaps occur? In the US it is the most prevalent foreign language.

[@jaydee4009]

The protruding bumpers are grotesque. They appear to not be originals, leading me to question whether the car has been in an accident...?

[@JohnnyAloha69]

Some cars make you realize the word ugly is insufficient. That being said it’s so ugly I kind of like it…

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Beautiful architecture, but ruined by a malaise-era park-bench of a bumper, vinyl tops, and malaise-era brown colour schemes.

[@richardzmiejko3285]

From the side it looks like an oversized Ford Pinto. Sad that AMC wasted big bucks putting this car into production when the Hornet and Gremlin badly needed updating.

[@chuckoaks6756]

Scaramonga

[@milfordcivic6755]

The Barcelona Matador was the definition of lipstick on a pig. It was also the last year of the model.

[@kevinsmith9875]

I’m from Kenosha and my father worked for AMC this car has to be the ugliest car that AMC EVER BUILT!

[@robcemento9605]

Sry... not Matador on adam 12... It was a Monaco

[@orphancargarage5746]

I recall them using Matador sedans then switched to Plymouth Satellite sedans. I could be wrong.

[@AintScaredGarage]

Whats Matador! LOL

[@Federalwaywebbs]

I’m guessing that car is worth $500 in that excellent condition

[@ernielaw]

More like $5000.00

[@Chris-n8j1o]

Funny who designed these old car a thought man that a good looking car?

[@orphancargarage5746]

It’s an acquired taste but I like it!

[@BOGATA9]

Compared to the brutally ugly 77 Caprice Classic, this baby is a beauty!

[@ultraviolettp3446]

I generally like AMC products but I never understood the wasted resources on the Matador coupe - and adding that padded roof and those putrid seats is even more mind-boggling. The car is an oddity without purpose - even more clueless than the Pacer which at least was going to be innovative until the Wankel engine was pulled at the last minute by GM.

[@fearsomebeard4290]

I disagree. I adored these when they came out and still do. Truly beautiful car.

[@davidlane9138]

So ugly it's beautiful🤣