This is so cool, the name on the inspection sheet is my father Vernon Rawlins. He was mechanic at a local AMC dealership when I was a kid.

My Mother had a 72 when I was a kid growing up in Ohio . During the blizzard of 1978 , My dad loaded sand bags in the back and delivered groceries to people who couldnt get out .

I bought my powder blue Gremlin in Nov 1974, it was my first car. It cost $2,800 new, it wasn't an "X". It had no carpet and no cigarette lighter but it had FM stereo plus, my dad talked them into giving me white walled tires. I had that car 10 years and put 127,000 miles on it. It moved me, at least twice, halfway across the country. It died when my hotrod loving, drag racer boyfriend gunned the motor leaving a gas station. I forget what part got thrown and where it went in the engine. We found a replacement engine from a Hornet but could not match the transmission up and was unable to find a Hornet trans. Sadly I gave it up for parts and scrapped the rest. I would have paid anything to keep it going, I swore it would be a classic! That coming from a girl who cut her teeth on her brother's 1964 GTO convertible. P.S. Jay, I bought the car from Templin Motors in NJ whose father originally opened as an Edsel dealership. My car had a/c with a setting called "Dessert Only". To prove your theory regarding owners, I just retired from insurance. Haha you got me, boring!

Most of my friends in high school during the late 70's had Gremlins - even several of them. I had a Pinto, being a Ford family. These cars were generally driven by the sons and daughters of families needing a third car. Practical and reasonable gas mileage (for the 70's) during a time when gas prices were rising. It always brings a smile to me when I see either a Gremlin, Pinto, or Vega today... not too many survived...

This is one of the episodes where Jay is less host and more going for a drive with a buddy. Good dynamic. Thanks for taking us along.

Am I the only one who like the looks of this car?

I worked in an AMC dealership in 1973. I loved these cars. I've thought about getting another one.

Was actually my first car....gifted to me by my Parents, when I first got my Driver's license....bought for $600. I think it was a 1972 or '73 model....was a used car for me, getting it in '77. My Dad and I had to make a few repairs to the engine....a couple required...the rest were good prevantative measures. Working on it was easy enough. Once we did that, it was very reliable transportation from there on. Had a 6-cylinder model and was economical on gas consumption. The hatchback, with fold-down rear seat was handy to have. I had a lot of great times in this car. There were many Rock concert trips with friends to a nearby city, and Drive-In movies with my then girlfriend at the time. We were "Wayne's World" LONG before the movie ever came out. I drove my AMC Gremlin from 1977 until 1981.

Had one. Dual exhaust,4 barrel,and intake. Smoked the Nova's and Mustang's in our circle. Dead reliable. Great car. Also had a Pacer.

I had a 1976 Gremlin X. It was a $300 used car. Drove it for 9 years. Never broke down.

Buddy of mine I grew up with still has his to this day. His parents bought him that car in 1976 for a high school graduation present. Car has about seventy something thousand miles on it now. He keeps it in his garage and it looks as nice today as it did in 1976.

I believe the gremlin was one of my favorite cars. I took the 304 out and put up well modified 360 in place of it. I used a switch pitch turbo 400 guts into the AMC jeep housing, well modified to stall at 2000 and at the flip of a switch, 3000. It was a lot of fun being so light

My first car was a '75 Gremlin X with the 5 liter 304 v8 and a 3 speed bought in june of '75, when i was 19. As of to today that car sits in my driveway and I'm 63 now lol.. AMC might be dead but not forgotton

So, here's my Gremlin story! I got one in 1979, when I was living in Louisville, Kentucky. It had 60K miles on it & it had some issues, nothing major. I got married in July, 1980 & we moved to Meade County, KY. I commuted to Louisville to classes for my Master's degree, about 50 miles each way. All of those miles led to some bigger issues. I couldn't afford to pay anyone to work on my Gremlin, so I learned to do it myself! I changed the oil & filter, I installed new heater hose & gas hose, and I even installed new plugs & plug wires. In 1982, I drove that Gremlin to Brewton, Alabama, where I took a job. Driving on the Gulf Coast during the summer with no a/c was quite an experience! The Gremlin had 130K miles on it when I sold it in Brewton for $350. The lessons learned from my DIY auto maintenance on that Gremlin were priceless!

I love when this car broke down, the image of you two blocking traffic in that jewel was quite funny.

My favorite memory of this gremlin was my uncle used to race quarter mile and he had one tubbed out bored out punched over and that thing would do a wheel stand from the very start all the way down a quarter mile. Everyone laughed when he first showed up at the track with it but no one was laughing when he got to the end. That car was so much fun and I will never forget all the times at the track with him

My grandfather owned a 1972 Gremlin X, bought it new. It had a 304 V8 and I rebuilt it once with him. Memories.

The genius of American Motors is that the Hornet was developed for just $40 million dollars and the Gremlin designed for just $6 million more. From 1970 until 1988, AMC marketed either the Hornet, Gremlin, Concord, Spirit, Concord AMX, Spirit AMX or Eagle models based off this car platform which was an incredible use of limited resources. Compare this to many car models that cost $1 billion to develop and may only last for four model years by many other modern brands. Add to this the fact that for 30 model years , AMC or Nash were able to market a car for $1,880 or less. The 1950 Nash Rambler sold for a mere $1,880. The 1960 Rambler American sold for only $1,880 and the 1970 1/2 Gremlin sold for just $1,879. The company was a master at developing simple, yet durable automobiles that returned decent economy for some of the lowest prices of any U.S. automaker.

I don't know why Jay keeps crapping on the Gremlin. IMO, it's a solid, little American classic. It was affordable, reliable, & had pretty good power. I'd love one!

In the mid 70’s I was a high school student. I took autos 1 & 2 then Voc autos 1 & 2(2hr classes). In 1974 a train derailed by the HS and one of the car carriers lost a Gremlin and a Valiant. The Valiant was totaled but the engine was fine and donated to the auto shop. The Gremlin was damaged on one of the rear roof corners. One of the auto shop teachers brought out at a discount. The back window was blown out and it would have taken substantial work to make it so a factory window could be installed. So like so many of us have done the teacher went with tape and plastic. 3-4 years after graduating a friend and I were out getting some exercise on our “10 speeds” and saw the Gremlin parked in a neighborhood driveway in an adjoining city. Lo and behold there was the auto shop teacher MR Finney outside puttering in his yard. We chatted for some time, that was the last time I saw him.

My grandfather built these two cars!! He was a plant foreman at the amc plant in Kenosha

I'm 21 and just bought my first car and it's a 73 Gremlin. I love it to death. It's my favorite car of all time.

What I loved with the Gremlin (I had one), was that they called the heater control "WeatherEye" and the automatic shifter called "Torque Command".

I absolutely love these videos with Jay. Gotta be the coolest guy on the planet.

Couple of fact checks: > AMC used a "Unit Body" design all the way back to the Rambler days not a "chassis on frame" as mentioned > You could get the stock 304 V8 with a manual trans (add the optional twin grip 3.54 rear end and it was a lot of fun!) > As far as the rear being "truncated and effected handling" the rear overhang and wheelbase (96" to 98") was similar to the AMX and Corvette (not that it competed with those) there were other aspects of the car that compromised handling > Gremlin and Hornet were introduced the same year > The body style is honestly prevalent today . Look at most modern 3 door hatchbacks and you will see a similar design. I really enjoy your show and the fact that you are willing to show the awkward moments, mistakes and reality of vehicular adventures... from the flipped "Hemi under Glass" to the painfully scratched Gullwing Mercedes... it's very raw and much appreciated. Keep up the good work, regardless of your disdain for AMC (of which I have way too many, including a 79 AMX with under 50K... same wheelbase and overhang as the Gremlin but a blast to drive!)

My first car - a 1971 green Gremlin bought in 1972 for $1700.00. My payments were $52.00 a month. Loved that car! It was like a little tank. Had to spring for the locking gas cap since the regular ones were “collector items”

I can't tell you how much happiness these videos bring me. I have to go back to old ones just to find the ones I missed. I started watching them in hospital about 8 or 9 years ago and I still watch them regularly when I have time. I like them all but I much prefer when jay reviews old cars like these rather than the new exotic cars manufacturers bring to him. They had more character and jay seems more excited talking about them. Thanks

I had a 1974 Gremlin X, 232, floor mounted 3 speed. I drove it for 13 years and it never let me down. Wish I'd kept it.

"A spy wouldn't have owned this car." Actually it would have been the perfect car for a spy. Because nobody would have guessed that it's being driven by a spy. Unlike when you saw someone rolling up in a DB5.

Ok, my story. I had the AMC Spirit, similar to the Gremlin. I was young and it was all I could afford, but I learned to drive standard on it. My girlfriend’s father tried to teach me. Finally, I got a feel for the clutch. So, once mastered, my girlfriend and I went parking to get a feel for each other. One steamy night, we had to drive her mother on an errand. As the windows fogged up, I kept my eyes forward. My girlfriend, sitting in the backseat turned bright red and hid her face in shame. Her mother, who didn’t say a word the whole trip, just sat there with a telltale grin as she stared, not through the windshield, but at our collection of footprints that the fog , in utter betrayal, had revealed to her. I loved that car.

Hey Jay, My Mom bought a gremlin in '72 in the color of "Tiajuana Tan". I was 12 at the time. We lived in a very small town in Indiana and my Mom was a school teacher. This must have been her midlife crisis car and probably the only new car she had ever bought in her life up to that point. I remember specifically the moment she brought it home and my step father looking out the window and saying "Jesus Christ". My sister and I loved it. When mom was gone from the house, my sister (19 at the time) would take it out and cruise with it....do wheelies and fish tails on the ice to show off to friends. Mom never found out. One day, a few weeks after it was purchased, the cheap little handle on the back window broke while she was putting groceries in. Her opinion of the experience that came out of her mouth would have made a sailor blush. I think there was a small quake in the parking lot. I am sure the salesman was never the same after that. It is interesting that she was a Lincoln girl for the rest of her life. Love your show, Thanks!

I'm a lil late to the game watching this... Im 52yrs old, My dad had a gremlin and I remember he'd flip the air cleaner lid upside down and swear it gave it 100 more hp..🤣 (it just sounded cool when you throttled it) Second when it was on its last leg, he wanted to put rotating van seats in it, have removal doors and make it into an ice fishing rig.. "if it fell through the ice, oh well...". I'm pretty sure it had the V8 and it was brown. I LOVE the green one y'all featured. Great memories of my PA, he passed in '17. This was a great trip down memory lane..

OK, Jay. I used to be a fan. After bashing my car for 25 minutes....not so much. While in college in Daytona Beach, I bought a Gremlin, brand new, in 1973. It cost $2098, with power steering, manual transmission, power brakes, and AC. It was metallic blue, probably the same as the '73 in your video. It is one of my favorite cars. It is well known to my family and friends that I wish I still had it, and yes, I have to put up with abuse from them, as well. It was, as you commented, a pretty cool car at the time. Mine was the straight 6, at as I recall, 102 HP. Easy to work on, and pretty zippy for a 6. I drove that thing everywhere. It's the car I met my wife in, and the car I drove 24 hours to upstate NY to see her in the summer of 1974. It carried us to Pensacola, for my first job out of college, and took us to the Florida Keys for diving in the late 70's. We were married in 1978 and bought our first house with the Gremlin parked in the driveway. It was rear ended in 1980, and the insurance company saw fit to total it. Broke my heart. I'm sure it's the memories of good times, and friendships long gone that keep me nostalgic for the old Gremlin. But, it was a great car for a poor college student in 1973.

I never understood why people made fun of these cars. I always thought they looked nice, were easy to work on, had a good price, and ran pretty good.

I had two Gremlins and also a Gremlin-esque Spirit. I don't know the model years on the Gremlins, but the Spirit was probably bought new sometime around 1983. My first car, bought when I was in college, was was an extremely worn out 1965 Oldsmobile F-85 wagon, burned oil like crazy, very hard to start in the winter, and so rusty around the front window that it was no fun at all driving in the rain. Bought that for $100 in 1976 and sold it a year later for what I paid for it. Replace the Olds with a rusty Gremlin, paid $300 for it in 1977, buying it from a teenager who was trading up. Very reliable car but after about three years bought a used Gremlin from a dealer, white one this time, no visible rust, and an aftermarket air conditioner that would stall the engine if I tried to turn it on. Traded that in on the Spirit when I finished college and got my first 'real' job. Both Gremlins were very reliable, and were the last cars I owned that I worked on myself. They had a lot if 'pick up', really overpowered for their weight (and they just had the single-inline 6 cylinder engines). Not really enough weight in the rear to keep the wheels from spinning during string acceleration. Both of those cars liked to swap ends without warning on roads if there was any ice, and each of them got towed out of ditches after spinning into them. From my Chicago home base, I took those cars on a couple long distance road trips every year, out to the extremes of the Pacific Northwest, southern California, Arizona, the eastern seaboard, and a circuit of then Great Lakes. These were the last cars I had with 'bias play' tires; the Spirit came with radials. I recall having to stick a screwdriver into the carb's air intake, to defeat the choke, when trying to start their engines at high altitude campgrounds in western mountain ranges and the Rockies. Poor sheet metal work on all three of those cars; apparently no galvanizing, sloppy fit of doors and hoods, runs in the paint jobs. Good basic cars, very respectable bang for the buck. I am glad that I had the experience of owning and driving them.

fond memories of gremlins. My grandmother had one that she loved and I remember he coming over all the time in that little car. This was when the gas shortages were starting but the demand for better fuel ecomomy had not hit it's peak where they went to 4 cylinders and front wheel drive. I miss the 70's cars... now, everything looks alike even in NASCAR... same car, different logos...

"Hey lady. Wheres the rest of your car" Will never forget that commercial.

Back in 1978 I had a used 73 Levi's gremlin and it was the only car that started when it was 20 below 0 in Minnesota

Had 232, 3 speed standard positive traction rear end ,fast little thing,myself and my friend would put bucket seat’s ahead and fold down backseat ,place to sleep,beautiful memories!

HERE'S MY COMMENT: JAAAYYYY! COME BACK TO THE TONIGHT SHOW! I miss watching Jay Leno! It used to be the way I ended my day. You used to cheer me up at the end of a stressful days work.

I was stuck behind some dude the other day who had his left turn signal on the whole time; I thought to myself, "Who is this guy, Jay Leno?"

The son of an auto mechanic and stock racer, I grew up in an AMC family. My dad, brother and uncle raced AMC Javelins, Hornets, and Gremlins on dirt and later paved NASCAR tracks from the seventies through the nineties. My brother still has his in his yard. Some interesting things you didn't mention about the Gremlin: 1) Gremlin had the front body panels of the Hornet, but it actually sat on the 96" wheelbase chassis originally used for the 1968-1970 AMX. 2) Designers of the A/C controls had a sense of humor. Maximum A/C was instead labeled "Desert Only," like it was a warning or something. And it was no joke. When activated, even in 100° weather, the vents would literally blow visible, misty ice clouds of air into the cabin. It was sight to behold. 3) The engine block used for AMC'S 199, 232, and 258 cubic inch engines was used in Jeeps as the same 258 until 1987, when it got multiport fuel injection and became known as the vaunted and still missed 4.0 liter straight six. It was retired after the 2006 Jeep Wrangler.

I didn't have one, but my dad owned one - a '73 Gremlin X. This car is the butt of many a joke, but I can remember being in the Gremlin as a kid and witnessing it dusting some Porsches and even a Corvette on the highway. The Gremlin X was really a crazy sleeper, but I suppose that'll happen when you drop a 304 V8 in a car the size of a roller skate.

I had one Gremlin 1975 and it was great, many adventures and fun as a teenager! I wish I had one now. Thank you Jay.

My Aunt had the V8, "Loaded". It was white with the dark blue stripe. Had dark blue interior. She drove this car for more than 250,000 miles! It looked like the day it was bought when it's life was over. I remember many trips in this car! I always wanted to turn the air-conditioning control to the "Desert Only" setting. As a kid I envisioned Ice Cubes shooting out of the vents. I loved my Aunt Judy, and I have so many fond memories in her Gremlin.

My oldest brother bought a used Gremlin back in 1973 -74 while he was stationed at Ft Hood . Had the straight 6. He drove it for several years and never had any problems with it. Really reliable car.

We had a Gremlin X when I was a kid. It was Diamond Blue, and my mom named it Gertrude Evelyn Gremlin. In this episode, Jeff called it the "poor man's Corvette". That was actually the nickname for the Opel GT, which was our other car! I always loved our Gremlin, and 4 years ago I bought an Opel GT. Fond memories of both! I am also an only child, and used to stretch out on the back seat on cross country trips. Learned to drive in the Gremlin, then learned to drive a stick in the Opel. Love these videos!

I had a couple of Gremlins in high school and college. Easy to work on. It was a fun car. Wish I had one today.

Just don't fill them up past Midnight, and don't drive it in the rain. 😂

My sister had one in the 70's that had a 258 inline 6. With a three on the tree. It had a lot of torque. It would actually take off in 3rd gear, on an uphill slope in our driveway. Spin the tires like a big V8. People forget about the powerful inline sixes that each brand had back then. The 300 Ford, 292 chevy, and even the slant six dodge. They all had twice the torque as they had horsepower. Like 120hp, 250 ft. Lbs torque. Does anyone else remember the wrangler jeans model Jeep? The counterpart to the Levis jeans rambler.

Mid 70's, my Aunt was a Rural travelling Nurse in New Hampshire. She had a Gremlin-X, 8 Cyl, loaded! Over mountains and dirt roads, Winter and Summer, back and forth. Well, it kept blowing engines, and rear ends, and brakes way too often... After many times to she dealership for free warrantee work, she got towed in with her 400lb+ patient (My Aunt came in at about 300Lbs herself...), they said she needed to upgrade, and refinanced her that day! saved money all around! Just remembered.. it was green inside and out, and had an 8-track! Maybe A/C but i was a kid then!

I had a '73 304 Gremlin X, black with gold stripes, jeep 3-speed, jeep rear dif, had the engine rebuilt, balanced, mild rv cam, headers into shot-gun pipes, and what a fun ol' rusty girl she was, and pretty quick up to about 85mph, anywhere near 100 the valves would float, but you could go for miles flat out. I put 10" TA's on the back, 8" TA's front, premium shocks etc., and there were few cars in the neighbourhood could stick with me on the back roads. The only real gripe I had was replacing the rear window a couple of times, kinda fragile. I loved that car, it sounded mean, and with the rocking Pioneer stereo whipping out 35 watts, it was ready to party all the time. I actually miss it 50+ years later, and still have a couple of up-right (as in alive) friends who occasionally remind me of our adventures in it.

I bought one and needed a car, it was cheap, so I drove it for years and it never broke down and I fell in love with it.

As a Gremlin owner he seems used to being quick with a comeback, and didn't take too much crap from Jay! I give the owner a "10." One of the best owners ever on the show.

I had a 1974 Gremlin X with the 304 v8 with a tow package. Had a big gas tank and a 4.~ rearend. Shot off the line (when the polyglass radials caught traction) but topped out at 96 mph. Taught my (then future) wife to drive in it. Oh, it was beige too!.

My first car! 1974 AMC Gremlin X. 3 speed shift. 5.0L V8. Bought a muscle car and didn't really know it! Sales guy had to drive it for me as I was new to the in and outs of a clutch!

My parents had a '74 V-8 Gremlin that they bought new from a dealer in Tulsa. There was a paperwork screwup, and the one they got had been a factory experimental model with a custom oversized radiator and I think an oil cooler. It wasn't supposed to go to a dealer, but someone at AMC screwed up. They actually offered to give my parents a different one, and then they offered to give them a new one and forgive the loan, too. My parents were into autocross, and the extra cooling helped. …for about two years, then the custom radiator fell apart, and they had to have a new one put in, which meant re-drilling a bunch of mounts and stuff. Anyway, my mom used to really piss off a bunch of hot rodders and sports car guys at autocross meets by always winning. As she said, "Look, they told me to not knock over any cones, so I didn't. I was the slowest, but after all the penalties, I still came in first place. It's not my fault the jerk in the Ferrari and the Porsche guys over-drove their cars." My dad's car was a Renault LeCar. He was a 6'4" ex-Marine all folded up in a tiny ice blue French hatchback. I don't think he ever out-raced my mom. We had that Gremlin until about 1986, when mom & dad agreed to sell it to some teenager, and he paid them half what they agreed upon, and never sent the other half. My mom's statement on it was, "Well he technically stole it, but now he has to deal with the stupid thing, so I call it even."

1974 Gremlin was my second car and first one I bought new. I was 17 at the time and drove it like I stole it. I beat the hell out of that car, sliding it around corners, revving it up and dropping the clutch. Those cars were tough as nails and very dependable. The only major repair I had was replacing the oil pan I busted grabbing some air over an extreme railroad crossing. It saw me through college and 2 years into my first "real" job. Great little car.

I had a 1976 Gremlin in High School. It was the same color as a smurf! It was a chick magnet! Had lots of fun in the car, but sucked in the snow. This show brought back some great memories. I put a lift kit on it and put 50's on the back and 60's on the front. Looked pretty cool!.

I had a 1973 Purple ("plum metallic") Gremlin in college (mid-80s) It has 11000 miles on it, a 232 Straight 6 with automatic transmission. It was very reliable, easy to fix and cheap to fix. All great assets for a college student. It had to let it go when it rusted out after too many Western NY winters. Got to about 108k miles, so it was a great car. And all my friends new where I was. ;-)

When Jeff's twins get old enough to drive, they'll each have their own Gremlin.

We had one in 74. It was my Moms car. My sister and I were 12 and 14 years old. We went everywhere in it. Ours was dark green with white stripes. We loved it and had great times in it. With the stripes, rally wheels and beauty rings, it was sporty and a cool cruiser.

This brings back memories. Growing up in the 70’s…. My parents had 2 cars. The Olds Custom station wagon as the family car and my dads daily driver was a Gremlin. One day my dad sat me in his lap and let me steer as we were going to the hardware store. It was glorious. One of the happiest days of my childhood. Don’t tell my mother…lol

I probably told my Gremlin story a year ago but here’s the short version: I was sent to get something in the garage at my uncle’s childhood home. There in the garage was an almost perfect condition ‘76 Gremlin w Levi’s interior. The car was bought by the dad shortly before he died, and the mom kept it in the garage since then. A total surprise to me & A real time capsule!

I have a soft spot for the Gremlemon. A guy I used pump gas with as a kid had one of these and he shoe-horned a 396 big block into it with a Muncie M21. The thing had so much twist that it would break windshields regularly. Fun fact, AMC used the same bumper stamping for both the front and rear bumpers on this car. That’s how cash strapped they were.

Am I the only one that noticed the Delorean at 18:15?

In 1973 my sweetheart bought one of these in red with black trim. One night we went to a drive-in theater in Miami, which amazingly had air conditioning. It worked really well and you clamped a big air tube to a window and rolled it up to hold the bracket on the end of the hose. After a bit we climbed into the back with the rear seat folded down and did the horizontal Mamba until we fogged up the windows. She had button-up blue jeans and when she put them back on we went to the concession stand and I realized she put them on inside-out. If that was not enough to add magic to the evening, on the way home she hit a possum and when we pulled into her parent's driveway the biggest possum I have ever seen was wedged head-first in the Gremlin's grill.

I dated a girl in high school whose father drove a Gremlin. Her mother drove a hornet. The cars had no problem making it through the extreme cold & snow winters of the late 1970's. They were good & fun cars.

*Wow, does this bring back some bittersweet memories! Not only did I own one of these godawful AMC Gremlins, I had a '72 with the straight-six cyl, which I paid $40.00 for. It was, of course my transportation, yet it was so much more than that... it was my home as well, no "lol" here. Back in the early 1980's I lost my family and was literally alone in the world, homeless as well. I still had my girlfriend/future wife , but, at the age of 17 neither of us had a clue how to survive in the real world, we quickly learned though. Looking back, I remember how well I got along with my girlfriends parents, that is until I became homeless. After that they wouldn't allow me in their home, they wouldn't even speak to me! From one day to the next I became leper-like to them, they treated me as if I had a contagious disease. Before I lost my family I would go to church with my girlfriend and her parents every Sunday, after I became homeless I was no longer even welcome to go to church with them. Now that's what I call a Good Christian Attitude! Sarcasm, of course. At night I would park my Gremlin in a hotel parking lot, which worked out fairly well because as the hotel guests began to come out and start their cars, which would awaken me, that was my alarm clock, so to speak and I made it to work on time. Other than the fact that it was a weak, ugly pile, I have to admit that it was quite reliable. I never had to repair anything, I couldn't have even if I wanted to, I could barely afford to eat, let alone make major car repairs, as I was saving my money for an apartment; which required a down payment and two months rent in advance. Since the car was so small I began to have severe muscle spasms in my back, so I traded it to a friend for a '73 Oldsmobile Delta 88. The interior room was so vast in that Olds that I could stretch out on either seat, eliminating the muscle spasms and allowed me to get a relatively good night sleep. Every now and then a police officer would tap on the window and inquire about why I was sleeping in my car, after explaining my situation the officers usually asked me to move the car, telling me that if I returned he wouldn't notice, nice cops! Jump forward to 2020 and I now own a home and several cars, no Gremlins though lol.*

No Gemlin here, but I have a '77 AMC Hornet with 20K original miles on it. 258-six cylinder, automatic, no A/C, no power brakes, not radio, etc. I would definitely drive it cross-country any time! It's dependable as a hammer, gets decent mileage, and is quite comfortable. AMC's Rock!

One of my Air Force buddies had a Gremlin with the 258ci inline 6 that he drag raced. Stuffed full of hi-po parts from Clifford Research, Mr. Gasket Verti-gate shifter, and he had a blast with it.

I had 3 Gremlins as a teen including the Levi's Gremlin. I loved the car.

This is one of my fav duos on this show. Jay comes across as a laid back, down to earth guy on this channel. Dunham much the same. Two regular guys just shooting the breeze. These episodes are fun to watch. Add in these incredible cars and you have a recipe for a great show. Thanks Jay!

“Homeless man’s Corvette “.... 💀💀💀😂😂😂 Thanks for reminding us why you’re a comedian 😂

My wife's sister had one in the early 70's. I used to see them advertised at $1799 at our local AMC dealer. I loved that it was a normal sized front interior in a shorter body.

Bought one in 1971. Paid $2200 with the big engine 258, 14 in. wheels, a red racing stripe and an AM radio. 150 hp., 240 ft. lbs of torque at 1800 RPM, 7 main barrings with a 3spd stick. I raced it, drove flat out on several occasions (4200 rpm and still pulling). I pulled a camper and a Uhaul full of furniture. It never broke down and I never broke anything with the exception of the stick of the shifter stick. I got $600 when I sold it in 1979 with 100,800 miles on it. It was the very definition of a good car.

When I was 12 we had an accident in our Gremlin X, we ran off an 18' cliff at 60mph. Took out an 18" birch 12 feet up. My brother and I had the back seat laid down because that's how you rode in the 80's, seatbelts where for survivors!To this day that slow motion moment in time flying upside down and seeing this stupid face on my brother is the most vivid memory in my mind, every piece of dirt, floating Doritos, toolbox, and tire iron. It still amazes me that when the car was drug to the road my dad readjusted the side view mirror and drove it home!

I had one of the 20 Gremlin X made with the 401, changed the carburetor, went with the AMX cam, it already had a turbo 400 transmission. It surprised a lot of supposedly faster cars.

I like what Jon Stewart said when introducing Springsteen at the Kennedy Center honors, describing himself working at a bar and going home... "I was driving... at the time, an off brown, 1977 Gremlin. The Gremlin was designed for two reasons. First - birth control for young males, and second, so that the Pinto wouldn't feel so bad about itself."

my brother had one with a 232 and he pulled a 16 ft stock trailer with his riding mower and push mower 15 miles to town on dirt roads every saturday to town for his lawn mowing business never missed a beat i loved that car

Jay, I just wanted to let you know that little Gremlin was a very good commuter car. It had good gas millage, decent interior, and rode nice. Now I have to tell you about MY AMC. We were stationed in West Germany, when I went to the PX and met a representative from AMC and we got talking about cars in general when he showed me a picture of a 1976 Hornet and I really liked the looks of it. So I asked him that I would buy it if it came in Black. He told me it wasn't available in that color. So I told I really liked the car and wasn't willing pay extra for the color. So he contacted the factory in Kenosha and asked if it was possible to get it in Black because the Matador was the only model you could get it in black. He came back and told me that they were willing to do it at no extra cost to Military Personnel. So the car was built to my specs. It had camel color interior with all lights when you opened the door. It had 6 coats of Black Pearl paint with gold stripe on the side with factory Mags and it also had a 232 V6 and it had the badge Hornet X. It was the nicest car I ever driven. The best part of it was that the Hornet X truly did not exist until I ordered it. The dealership was furious because all I paid was tax and licence which was around $400 at the time. To me AMC was the best around for the Military. I'm sorry that AMC is gone, because I would have at least 2 in my driveway right now!

Here's my quick Gremlin story that I will always remember(1978): My friend had a blue Gremlin with the 6 banger and we were road hunting in Nebraska and I accidentally shot a hole through the floorboard with a 22 rifle... lol

The Gremlin was unitized, not body on frame. The 258 I6 was rated at 110 HP after the emissions regulations strangled the engine. I think the 258 was rated at 155 HP, but there were aftermarket performance parts which improved power significantly. The 3 speed manual 258 was pretty darn torquey. Jeff Dunham is a great guest. Jay Leno is the best. Love cars, love Jay.

I learned to drive in one of these. It was perfect for a high school kid it handled well enough to be entertaining, just enough power to play and not get in to trouble. Played 🐈 & 🐁 with a classmate in the fresh ❄️🌨️ left the 🐈 in his V8 Fairlane spinning in an intersection. He's 😊 married to my sister now. Thank you Jay , you are the best at this, just a lotta fun and that's what it's all about. Steven

Hey Jay, I just showed this video to my great grandmother who owned a yellow gremlin for years. Her face just lit up, she absolutely loved the video. Thanks for the upload!

My dad was an AMC and Studebaker freak. We had Ramblers out the wazoo! The Rebel Station wagon was my favorite. Three speed in-line shifter with a separate overdrive stick. Felt like the Batmobile...

My Mom had a Gremlin ,cant remember what year ! But I paid $500. Bucks for it ! Brought back a nice memory !

I actually owned 2 of these. The first one was 74 with the six. I was 16 and it was 2 years old and in prime condition. The second one was the Levi version years later. I just happened to be walking past a car lot, saw it , and pulled out the checkbook. In spite of Jay's assessment, I thought they drove very well. The end of an era. Functional and affordable. After this cars got ugly, then expensive.

I had a 74 Gremlin X with the 304 V8. Loved it! It got 15 mpg in town and 21 mpg highway and I beat a corvette with it!

the guys at roadkill love this more than a Prius

Thanks for bringing back memories. My dad bought one in 73 and it's what I learned to drive in and passed my driver's test in. They were a quirky car but had enough room in the back to fit my entire drum set. The first car I actually bought was a 69 GTO, and have a 70 GTO now. But, now I want another Gremlin!! Nice video!

My second car was a ‘73 Gremlin which I bought from my aunt in 1983. It Had a leaking valve cover and she didn’t know why it needed oil all the time. Lol. Bought it for $400 and my dad and i changed the valve cover gasket. Mine wasn’t the X but was the same blue metallic with the white stripes like this one. The two upper stripes were painted white unlike the X version. Kept it for 3 years and got me through 3 years of college. Wound up selling it for $400 In 1986. Car was super reliable, had no issues at all. It had AC too.

I had a Gremlin in the early 70's. " I absolutely loved that car 😘 "

I grew up working with my father and uncle on cars from the early 60's through the mid 70's. I like all makes, but have always favored FoMoCo's and MOPAR's more than GM. AMC's were usually owned by the most frugal types, with the one exception being a friend's family which had a Jeep and Hornet wagon along with a 55' Nomad his father built (but mother drove) that they raced at the local Drag Strip. My friend drove a VW Beetle (they always had at least one of those too) and when his younger brother started driving he bought a 70' Javelin SST with a 360/4 spd that ran high 13's low 14's in the quarter mile. It was well worn and smoked quite a bit, but ran like hell until he blew it up one night. A girl I knew had a '76 Gremlin X with a 232 and a 3spd on the floor. Bare bones not a single option I can think of other than the "X" package with the styled steel wheels (Same wheels Jeff Dunham's 2 have). If I could turn back time I would have enjoyed life more back then. As I get older, time flies by so quickly. I tell all my nieces and nephews to take advantage of every opportunity they can while they're young and healthy. I tell them the best advice I can give is to treat people kindly, never risk their health, and to enjoy every moment and the people they encounter in their lives because life is much shorter than they can ever image it will be. Thanks Jay and Jeff.

First car my mom ever bought new was a 72 Gremlin in that same sea foam green color. Hers was the most basic model, 232 engine, 3 speed manual, AM radio, and that was it. I grew up in the back seat of that car in the 80's. Unfortunately it rusted away so bad, but my mom loved it.

Had a '73 in high school (75-77), purple with that same gold stripe. Did a little work to the 258 & tires. And of course the 8 track & CB radio, lol. Only problem was the drivers front adjuster kept falling out, got so good at fixing it, m took longer to get the jack out & back stored, then the actual repair! Had another one in college (was driving a 74 Duster) that a buddy & I made into a drag car. 401 with an 8:71 blower, Doug Nash 4 speed, team Strange quick change pig, Air heart/Hurst disc brakes, etc... Turned 9.2's ! Great fun, back when it was cheap to build cars. Thanx for the memories !!

Im 51, and when I was 4 or 5 back in N. Jersey my Aunt Rita had a green hornet, and I still have memories of driving around with her. Good times

I worked my first job at 16 over a summer and bought my "72 for $300! Total base model, not even carpet, and a suspicious axe shaped hole in the rear pillar. The 232 six was super reliable. Check for oil leaks from the valve cover gasket; replace every year or so. I put baby moon hub caps and Dodge trim rings on it for style. The rear bench seat was small but perfect for 2 6x9 speaker boxes held down by the seat belts and conveniently placed on the roof when summer party music was needed. I installed an Alpine underdash cassette player and an EQ/power amp and it was the most rockin' Gremlin in high school. Loved it.

I had a '73 Purple X, I bought it for a winter beater while my 76 Camaro was stored for the Wisconsin winter. Oh the adventures we had together. The rear hatch window hinges where spot welded to the body, I was driving down I-94 south of Milwaukee when all of a sudden I felt cold wind coming in.

I had a '72, blue with accent stripes. The Gremlin was cool, a guilty pleasure and lots of fun. The door levers and window crank knobs would fall apart. I could make many repairs myself. Fond memories. AMC.... AMERICAN!