A subcompact hatchback built from 1970 from 1978, the AMC Gremlin is one of the weirdest cars of its time. Not only because American-built subcompacts were rare back in the day, but it also featured a somewhat weird design. With a long, muscle car-style front end and a V-shaped rear fascia, the Gremlin was unlike anything else in showrooms at the time. Perhaps not as weird-looking as AMC's other hatchback, the Pacer, but an oddity nonetheless.
It's been 50 years since AMC rolled out the Gremlin, and it's a proper classic now. It's not as expensive as other cars from the era, but the Gremlin enjoys a solid following and prices are going up. But while seeing restored Gremlins hit car events is not unusual, you won't find too many dragsters out there.
Yes, the Gremlin's underpowered engines do not inspire such a build, but a guy name Mike Orlando went ahead and created one anyway. And it's downright spectacular.
Dubbed "The Animal" and finished in an almost nuclear green, this drag-ready Gremlin looks like a funny car without being one. But that long front end and boxy rear section perched on top of massive Hoosier tires gives it that specific funny car stance. It's worth noting that Mike altered the wheelbase of the 1974 Gremlin, making it almost 30 inches (762 mm) longer than the stock car.
But does it run as quick as a funny car? Well, it won't do the quarter-mile in five seconds, but it sure looks impressively quick in the video below. Unfortunately, there's no benchmark to talk about it as Mike has yet to run his first sprints at the track.
He brought "The Animal" to Texas Motorplex hoping to give it a proper testing back in March, but some barrel valve issues held him back from making his maiden run in this car. We also don't know how powerful it is, but that small-block Dodge V8 with a 6-71 blower on top is powerful enough to send the Gremlin flying front wheels up.
Hopefully Mike will be able to give this green animal a proper rundown soon, because it's one of the coolest builds I've seen in a long time. I'm a big fan of the Gremlin (and the Pacer, too) and I'd love to see this weird hatchback burn some rubber during a proper event. And maybe smoke some Mustangs and Camaros.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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