Many of us know the history of AMC, and for those who don’t — or who do but want a refresher — an upcoming PBS documentary that Corey screened will be of interest.
I don’t really remember AMC, despite the fact that the first few years of my existence overlapped with the last of the company’s. I do recall my family briefly owning an AMC Eagle wagon that was mostly used to support their auto-parts store.
Anyway, I’ve been wondering all day if another car company like AMC could come along in this day and age. Based in America, small, but offering models across many major segments.
My first thought was “nah, no way.” That may be a cognitive bias or blind spot on my part — until Tesla came along I didn’t think any new car company could succeed.* And even now that Tesla has become an established player and a few other startups are chugging along, it still seems unlikely. After all, Tesla and Rivian and Lucid are all small companies selling only EVs covering only a few segments.
*Yes, I know AMC wasn’t a startup, it was formed from Nash and Hudson merging. So it’s not apples to oranges, I know. But I can’t imagine a comparable scenario in today’s world. Also, when I said “new car company” I wasn’t counting brands like Genesis that spun off from established players.
Anyway, if the stars aligned, could a modern AMC be created? Would it survive?
Sound off below.
[Image: ahmad16firdaus/Shutterstock.com]
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