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Although no one knew about it when the car made its debut in the fall of 1979, AMC’s eccentric Eagle crossover would influence the look of millions of vehicles built decades later.
But it’s only now that crossovers like the new Toyota Crown have evolved from sportier SUVs to high-rise versions of regular sedans that we can really see how influential it was. And if this 1981 Eagle Sundancer Convertible has anything to offer, the proto-crossover has some more influence to do.
If you think about it, a crossover convertible is the next logical niche for the auto industry to dive into. Admittedly, we’ve seen a lot of convertible SUVs before, and we’re not just talking about old Land Rover Defenders. Road-loving SUVs have also lost their heads. Nissan launched the Murano convertible in 2011, Land Rover chopped off the top of the Range Rover Evoque in 2015, and you can currently buy a Volkswagen T-Roc convertible in Europe. But those cars are SUV-style convertibles, while the Sundancer was a convertible that looked like a regular car. Just higher.
Related: Check Out Jeep Designer Mark Allen’s Stunning AMC Javelin AMX
Like many convertible versions of mainstream cars, especially those from smaller automakers who were either unwilling to build a convertible or lacked the skills to do the conversion in-house, the Sundancer could be ordered through an official AMC dealer, but the build process was outsourced to a third party. In the case of the Eagle, that meant shipping two-door coupes all the way from Kenosha, Washington, to Florida for decapitation, after which the finished cars would be shipped to the upstream dealers.
Like Volkswagen’s modern Golf ragtop, the Sundancer has a central roll bar, although the AMC’s is much more stylish, the angled back of the hoop gives it a sort of powerboat-esque vibe. The roll bar to the windshield is joined by a fold-out fiberglass targa panel, while the section behind it is a conventional folding soft-top.
New for 1981, the Sundancer wasn’t a huge success, with only two model years (although the Eagle range would last through 1988), and you can bet there aren’t a ton left. But a gleaming beige reminder of AMC’s inventiveness is this 82,000km currently up for grabs Bring-a-Trailer.
Powered by AMC’s trusty 258 cu-in (4.2-liter) straight-six, common to Jeeps of the era, the Eagle delivers a pitiful 110 horsepower (112 horsepower), but a more bearable 210 lb-ft (285 horsepower) torque. Nm), by sending it through a three-speed automatic transmission to a permanent four-wheel drive system.
The body has a few battle scars, but overall this is a wonderfully kitschy piece of open-top fun, and the toffee-colored interior, complete with carpeting around the lower parts of the seat (presumably matching the carpeting around your bathtub at home ) and the proud “quartz” label under the dashboard clock, looks in good condition.
Do you like old cars and still want to lead the way? Submit your bids before September 21.
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