1979 AMC Concord Wagon Wears Rebel Machine Suit, Hides a Surprise Under the Hood

As a Malaise-era car, the Concord was far from spectacular performance-wise. Engine options included a variety of four- and six-cylinder mills, but AMC also offered a 304-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V8. At 125 horsepower, the latter was only marginally more powerful than the 110-horsepower, 258-cubic-inch (4.2-liter) inline-six. It was the late 1970s, so what did you expect?

Well, here's a 1979 Concord Wagon that's definitely faster than your grandma's grocery getter. And it looks quite different too.

AMC aficionados will quickly recognize the white, red, and blue livery, which harkens back to the AMC Rebel Machine. If you're not familiar with it, I'm talking about a limited-edition, 1970-only version of the AMC Rebel. A successor to the 1969 SC/Rambler, the Rebel Machine (also known as The Machine) featured a beefed-up V8 engine and visual package that included red accents across the beltline and blue stripes on the hood and side skirts.

The owner of this Concord aimed for a similar livery, even though the red stripes are too thick and the wheels are black instead of chrome. The car is also missing the Rebel Machine-specific air box, but it proudly displays "The Machine" decals on the front fenders. Interestingly enough, the owner also went with side-exiting exhaust pipes. While I love this layout, it looks a bit strange on a station wagon.

So is this Concord an "all show and no go" type of car? Fortunately, the upgrades go beyond the visuals. The car was originally fitted with the 304 V8 (1979 was the last year for the V8-powered Concord), but that mill was ditched to make room for a larger one. The wagon now draws juice from a 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 augmented by an Edelbrock intake and a Holley carburetor.

There's no word as to how much oomph hits the rear wheels, but it's safe to say that the wagon now packs significantly more than when it left the factory. I'm willing to bet output exceeds 300 horsepower. And based on the video below, it sounds muscular too.

For the car to handle the extra oomph, the owner rebuilt the suspension and upgraded the bushings. Granted, the Concord rides a bit high in the rear, but that might come in handy with a full trunk. The Concord comes with a foldable second-row bench, so it provides plenty of luggage room. Speaking of which, the tan interior looks nice. and it includes a new A/C system and headliner.

The AMC Concord isn't the most appealing late 1970s wagon you can buy, but the "Machine" livery and the upgraded engine bay make it an interesting choice; one that will grab a lot of attention at the local AMC cars and coffee.

If you can see yourself driving this fake Rebel Machine grocery-getter, the wagon is currently being auctioned off by eBay seller "motorhead25." The bidding is at $6,600 with two more days to go, but the reserve hasn't been met.