May 11, 2022  •  For Sale  •  42 Comments

1 of 1: 1977 AMC AM Van Concept

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This has to be one of the rarest and coolest non-usable vehicles that I have ever seen and maybe one with the most potential value. We saw a Chrysler Turbine car here a year ago that was a usable vehicle, but this rare 1 of 1 1977 AMC AM Van concept is basically a shell for display only. It’ll be auctioned here on RM Sotheby’s Auctions and it’s located in Highland Park, Illinois. Value? Your guess is as good as mine.

In the era of disco and cheesy-but-fun TV detective and cop shows like CHiPs, Starsky & Hutch, and Charlie’s Angels, and looking forward to the future – i.e. 1980 – AMC went bonkers on something that they called Concept 80 and they came up with several concept vehicles, the most popular of which was the AM Van Concept. This one has been in a concept car collection for the last 35 years according to the auction site.

You’ll notice a few AMC production vehicle details on the AM Van or some that would make their way to production vehicles in the future. A small two-door “van” is unusual today with everyone needing a four-door pickup (but then complaining about old cars having two too many doors?) and the buzz is that this concept would have had a 4×4 drivetrain as in the AMC Eagle series.

Not to mention, being turbo-powered. AMC’s team, led by famed designer, Dick Teague, came up with several concepts for this exercise and an AMC poll of consumer preferences came up with 1/3 of them voting for the AM Van as being the one that they most wanted to see in production. Sadly, it never made it. This concept vehicle was for sale in 2017 on eBay with an asking price of $72,000 and I’d be surprised if it doesn’t sell for two or three times that now given the no-holds-barred vehicle market in 2022.

The next owner of this AM Van will have their crew of full-time vehicle caretakers push it around their warehouse from time to time to keep the wheels round because there is no drivetrain, and maybe no interior, at least that we see other than a couple of seatbacks in the photos. There are no interior photos of this wood-framed fiberglass buck concept. And no, we aren’t dropping an SBC or LS in it, or I hope that doesn’t happen to this rare 1 of 1 concept. Have any of you seen this AM Van?

 

Comments

  1. Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember
    May 11, 2022 at 2:06pm

    In the 2nd photo the interior appears to be a flat horizontal panel just below the window line, with just the tops of the seat backs sticking up!

    Like 6
  2. wuzjeepnowsaab
    May 11, 2022 at 2:19pm

    This is what the Pacer should have been. They would have beaten Iacocca to the minivan punch and the sad history of AMC’s demise could have been turned around

    Like 42
    • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember
      May 11, 2022 at 2:30pm

      I was thinking the same thing. Unlike the fishbowl Pacer, the high windows don’t feel out of place on this little van.

      Like 12
  3. David Sebben
    May 11, 2022 at 3:12pm

    They should have built it.

    Like 18
  4. PJ
    May 11, 2022 at 3:14pm

    if this goes for $72,000, I’ll be shocked. If it goes for 2-3 times that much…. I just wont know what to say. is there that big of a market for these unique concept shells that were never meant to run?
    It’s interesting and oddly cool, but this seems like it belongs in a museum.
    Indiana Jones?

    Like 11
    • Terrry
      May 11, 2022 at 3:54pm

      It’s believable. Look at what rusty Mopar shells are bringing.

      Like 9
  5. Anthony M.
    May 11, 2022 at 3:22pm

    finish it!

    Like 5
  6. Melton Mooney
    May 11, 2022 at 3:27pm

    Put an LS in it.

    Like 6
    • Steve Clinton
      May 12, 2022 at 9:29am

      “And no, we aren’t dropping an SBC or LS in it”
      It looks like Mister Mooney didn’t read the description.

      Like 5
  7. That AMC Guy
    May 11, 2022 at 3:46pm

    Originally this had portholes on the sides rather than the big side windows. I don’t know where you’d put an engine in this thing!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R48zlQW0Jnk

    Like 8
    • John A CoreyMember
      May 12, 2022 at 10:02am

      It, like the Pacer it evolved into, was intended to have a GM-sourced Wankel and front-wheel drive in it. When GM bailed on the Wankel, this became unbuildable at AMC.

      Like 4
      • JMB#7
        May 12, 2022 at 10:13am

        The original plan was to source the Wankel from Curtis Wright. Later AMC decided to piggy back on the development from GM. Then GM abandoned their Wankel development and left AMC without an option.

        Like 5
    • Paul T Root
      May 12, 2022 at 4:38pm

      It looks much better without those side windows.

      But the headlights are still odd.

      Like 0
  8. CadmanlsMember
    May 11, 2022 at 3:53pm

    Quite the concept, not to sure what drivetrain would have been packaged into such a short hood. Guess you would end up with a dog house inside. It is attractive in a strange way.

    Like 3
  9. Rw
    May 11, 2022 at 4:46pm

    No Melton!

    Like 4
  10. SirRaoulDuke
    May 11, 2022 at 6:57pm

    101/10 would daily.

    Like 7
  11. Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember
    May 11, 2022 at 7:39pm

    “Concept car collection”: Several (15?) years ago I had a car in a car show held at a large new car dealer. The dealer was known to have a significant car collection, housed elsewhere. I was killing time by wandering the back lot. I stumbled upon a couple vehicles which were former “concept/show cars” (back when the manufacturers did that, as styling or engineering exercises, or as long previews of upcoming models). I did kind of a double-take when I saw them, trying to figure out what they were. Oddly, they were under overhangs but were not being well-preserved. If I recall one was in good shape, the other not so good. I have no idea what did or didn’t happen to them. Maybe he had a “concept car collection” too.

    I think this AMC looks pretty cool. Thanks Scotty.

    Like 9
  12. Howard A Howard AMember
    May 11, 2022 at 11:25pm

    No, no, no, Cummins mill. Just another classic AMC “swing and a miss”. You can say what you want about AMC, but I’m proud to say, not many other car makers went as far out on a limb as AMC. I wonder if the “inspiration” came from it being in the “Beer City”. Would have had a snowballs chance in Hades anyway.

    Like 5
    • RGSmith1
      May 12, 2022 at 11:27am

      Seems like AMC really thought “outside the box” before that was a widespread idea. Loved their quirky designs.

      Like 6
  13. Fahrvergnugen FahrvergnugenMember
    May 12, 2022 at 9:06am

    Critter needs to be electrified. Anode on one leg, cathode on the other, and ZAP.

    Like 4
  14. JMB#7
    May 12, 2022 at 9:32am

    It needs the Curtis Wright Wankel that was being developed for the Pacer.

    Like 6
  15. chrlsful
    May 12, 2022 at 9:34am

    “…seen this AM Van?…”
    No, BUT have seen others from this same era (or a lill earlier) albeit small in production numbers. I’m pretty sure one was a gm production. Glad U mention the eagle. All these ‘ideas’ were pre-mini van invasion. (eagle summit, the mitsu, toy altrac, honda RT or vanagon, stanza, colt, etc, etc).

    Fella took the ‘concept’ from gm & went into small glass production. Seemed to look a lill like a pontiac frnt end stretched around (verticle and horrozontally). If I could remember the name I could link the site, may B still sellin them. This was an era where the passenger van was morphing into a smaller more airo design. Too bad the mini-van won out.

    Like 3
  16. DeeBee
    May 12, 2022 at 9:51am

    Can’t be more simple than this…Thank goodness there’s only one of these, and, it doesn’t run!

    Like 3
  17. Troy
    May 12, 2022 at 9:56am

    Front grill and headlights remind me of a customized Vega add says frame is wood but I can see getting this thing on the road running and driving

    Like 3
  18. Bill b
    May 12, 2022 at 10:53am

    Could you drop this shell on a vw or corvair frame? Rear engine?

    Like 0
  19. Howie
    May 12, 2022 at 11:28am

    I like it but not those wheels.

    Like 4
    • smokeymotors
      May 12, 2022 at 3:40pm

      turbine wheels were in style! some were better looking than others, corvettes (factory knock offs), vans, firebirds, full size fords, I tried buying some for my vette good luck on the pricing! I hated them along time ago, they have that period look of the seventies. 10 fin 15 fin 30 fin, it took me time to like them.

      Like 1
    • JMB#7
      May 12, 2022 at 6:50pm

      Yes buddy… The Dukes of Hazard had turbine wheels on their Charger. Turbine wheels are awesome. The can make a car fly!!!

      Like 3
  20. Ed Casala
    May 12, 2022 at 11:28am

    That thing is so ugly, its cool! I like it, but not at that price.

    Like 2
    • Howie
      May 12, 2022 at 4:07pm

      Ed what is the price? I thought this is a auction.

      Like 1
  21. ChiTownJeff
    May 12, 2022 at 11:45am

    This car probably came from Joe Bortz’s collection. He is fairly well known around here as a collector of concept cars. His collection is stored somewhere in Highland Park, IL. Here is a link to his website: https://www.bortzautocollection.com/. He has saved and restored many concept cars that he saved from being scrapped.

    Like 2
  22. carbuzzardMember
    May 12, 2022 at 12:02pm

    Curtis-Wright had no plans to produce a rotary engine. They bought the rights to the rotary engine in North America, which they would then license to anyone who made rotary engines. With the rotary looking like The Next Big Thing, C-W stood to make a lot of money from its development to the rotary. They made functioning rotary engines. I drove an engineering prototype Mustang with the C-W engine in it, but no, they weren’t going to build any.

    Like 1
    • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember
      May 12, 2022 at 1:12pm

      Here’s the low-down on the rotary Mustang. In 1965 that very Mustang 2+2 was obtained from Dockery Ford in Morristown, New Jersey, and registered in the name of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Wright Aeronautical Division on July 28, 1965. The red Mustang fastback was then delivered to the Curtiss-Wright facility located on Main Avenue and Passaic Street in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, just west of Teterboro Airport, where they were based.

      The engine installed in that Mustang is a Curtiss-Wright-designed Twin-Rotor RC2-60 rotary, displacing a mere 240 cubic inches and developing 185 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. It weighs only 237 pounds, yet its compact 18.5-inch length made it ideal for small cars; it stands at just 21.5 inches tall.

      Last time I saw it was at the National Auto and Truck Museum, located behind the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum in Auburn, Indiana.

      Like 3
    • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember
      May 12, 2022 at 1:34pm

      I’m familiar with the C-W rotary engine related history, as back in the 1980s I had not one, but two, NSU Wankel Spyder roadsters, and I was trying to find a place to obtain rotor side, apex, and corner ceramic seals [the comparable parts to piston rings]. C-W had leased out rotary engine development to John Deere, who was working on the design for a small & quiet electrical generator set for the military that could be carried by one man as a backpack. The JD people developing the seals actually sent me several sets of prototype seals, but they were so fragile they all fractured during assembly in an extra NSU rotary I was trying to build.

      Like 2
      • carbuzzardMember
        May 12, 2022 at 2:51pm

        I interviewed one of the lead engineers at C-W for an article I wrote for AuotWeek in the mid-80’s. C-W had sold the Mustang, the one that I drove and that was in several magazines in the ’60s, and the Mazda Cosmo of the ’60’s. I’ll be republishing both of those articles in RememberRoad.com sometime in the future. But regarding C-W, I’m just going by what the engineer told me.

        Like 2
  23. Rolls-Royce
    May 12, 2022 at 3:45pm

    WOW, this is a beauty of concept cars!

    Like 2
  24. Fireman DK
    May 12, 2022 at 11:20pm

    It’s neat , but hardly original. They could have put an airhose in a 1974 Vega wagon and blew it up like a beachball, and that is exactly what you would get !

    Like 0
  25. JMB#7
    May 13, 2022 at 6:37am

    I am a little surprised at the comments comparing the appearance to the Vega??? Beyond the headlight blisters which are not unique to the Vega??? If anything this would be a derivative of the Brubaker Box or the Automecca Sports Van. And a much better derivative at that!!!

    Like 1
  26. V8roller
    May 13, 2022 at 11:36am

    Well I like it.
    Headlamp pods n’all.
    Can imagine it going into production today.
    Would be really cool to find some underpinnings with the right wheelbase. If you have a separate chassis (frame) from the old days, UK law allows you to put a one-off on the road provided it complies with this n that. Bodyshell on a separate frame takes the identity of the frame.

    Like 0
  27. joenywf64
    May 13, 2022 at 5:03pm

    Hard to believe that this pushmobile still survives, made by a company long out of business.
    & yet all 3 of these from GM seen by millions at the fair were crushed in the 80’s …
    https://www.carstyling.ru/Static/SIMG/420_0_I_MC_jpg_W/resources/concept/1964-65_Futurama_GM_Runabout_Firebird-IV_Stilletto.jpg

    Like 0
  28. AnnasBigBananas
    May 14, 2022 at 9:29am

    Wonder if molds could be taken from the shell? Would be entertaining to say the least to have a drivable version similar to the Brubaker Box?

    Like 1
  29. George
    May 14, 2022 at 9:13pm

    I would take molds from the body and create a functional vehicle

    Like 0

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