# The Legend of American Motors: The Full History of America's Most Innovative Automaker - Hardcover

by **Marc Cranswick** (Author)

American Motors was the little automotive company that made a big impact. Makers of the Rambler family car, Kenosha offered an antidote to the excess of Detroit's Big 3. But when America decided it wanted sporty, rather than econocars, AMC got groovy with the Javelin, AMX, Scrambler and Rebel Machine. American Motors was a proven performer in showrooms and on the track, with success in drag and road course racing. However, through it all came solid Rambler value, and a different approach from Detroit: An accent on consumer protection, along with brand label special editions. And when it came to blue sky thinking, AMC surpassed all with their Gremlin and Pacer small cars. Off road, Kenosha truly made Jeep 'The One & Only, ' popularizing the brand and making it the sales success it is today. Beyond that, AMC created America's first crossover, the Eagle. It all proved that America's smallest ... was its biggest surprise!

### Author Biography

**Marc Cranswick** has had a lifelong interest in cars and all things mechanical, and has written about and drawn the cars that he loves for many years; these include a variety of European, Japanese and American marques. Formal study of the postwar American car market has led to a series of books about the cars and trucks of the Big 3 and independent automakers. He writes enthusiast-directed model history books, and has involvement with many specialist car clubs. His reference book _The Cars of American Motors - An Illustrated History_, was featured on NBC's business channel CNBC. His other books include _Ford Mustang II & Pinto_ (as seen on channel PBS' _MotorWeek_); _Ford Midsize Muscle - Fairlane, Torino & Ranchero_; _BMW Classic 5 Series 1972 to 2003_; _MOPAR Muscle - Barracuda, Dart & Valiant 1960-1980_; _Mazda Rotary-Engined Cars_, and _Pontiac Firebird - The Auto-Biography_.

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 10.08 x 8.27 IN

**Publication Date:** April 13, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 80.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 80.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Legend of American Motors: The Full History of America's Most Innovative Automaker - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23