Introduced in showrooms on 28 February 1975, the Pacer was designed to attract buyers of traditional large cars to a smaller package during a time when gasoline prices were projected to rise dramatically.
In its first year of production, the Pacer sold well, with 145,528 units.
There was little competition from other American manufacturers, most of whom had been blindsided by the oil crisis.
The increased demand for compact, economy vehicles was growing rapidly.
However, Pacer sales fell after the first two years, though the car continued to be built through the 1980 model year.
Similar to its mid-year introduction, on 3 December 1979, production of the Pacer ended at the Kenosha, Wisconsin assembly plant where it had begun five years earlier.
A total of 280,000 cars were built.
Increasing competition from the Big Three U.S. automakers and the rapid consumer shift to imported cars during the late 1970s are cited as the reasons for this outcome.
Automobile buyers in the U.S. became adjusted to smaller and lighter cars, particularly the imports that offered better gas mileage presented, the AMC Pacer could not match the German and Japanese cars.
Also the large glass areas increased the car's weight.
With 22 miles per gallon the Pacer was unattractive for customers in the 1979 energy crisis.
AMCs partnership with Renault brought the Renault 5 named "Le Car" to the AMC dealers.
The design of the Pacer gave a little touch to the restyling of the Renault 5 to meet wishes and requirements of the American Market.

The Pacer's unconventional styling was commonly cited in its lack of success.
Other concerns included a lack of cargo space when carrying a full load of passengers (because of its short wheelbase).
Cargo space could be increased to 29.5 cubic feet (0.84 m³) by folding down the back of the rear seat to form a flat floor.
Drivers also cited a lack of power.
The Pacer was heavy; Car & Driver wrote, "American Motors had already quoted a curb weight of 2990 lb.
for the basic Pacer when we first wrote about the car, and that already seemed quite heavy; but when we weighed the test car (whose air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering and so forth would not account for the full difference) it registered an astounding 3425 lb.",
and the standard 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6, with a single-barrel carburetor and optimized for low emissions (all vehicles at the time carried emissions-reducing devices, including exhaust gas recirculation); was relatively low-powered ("The Pacer comes with either of two AMC inline six-cylinder engines, both producing 100 bhp, but the larger 258-cu-in.
unit delivering better mid-range torque").
In 1976, a "High Output" version of the 258 cu in (4.2 L) engine was offered, which helped performance at the cost of higher fuel consumption.
By the time a 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 was offered in 1978, the company had introduced a successful line of "luxury-compact" models (the AMC Concord).
Additionally, gasoline prices remained high, limiting demand for V8-powered vehicles.

For increased cargo capacity, a station wagon body style was offered from 1977.
The wagon version was only five inches longer (127 mm) and weighed only 76 pounds (34 kg) more than the coupe.
It was also a less unusual-looking design with a squared-off back and straight, almost upright, rear side windows.
Although front vent windows were optional on all Pacers, the wagon's rear side glass featured vent windows as standard.
The broad and rear liftgate opened to a wide, flat cargo area with 47.8 cubic feet (1.35 m³) of space, significantly easing the task of loading cargo.
The rear seat also folded flat to form a continuation of the cargo floor.
Some wagon models featured simulated woodgrain trim on the lower body sides and the liftgate.
Introduced in showrooms on 28 February 1975, the Pacer was designed to attract buyers of traditional large cars to a smaller package during a time when gasoline prices were projected to rise dramatically. In its first year of production, the Pacer sold well, with 145,528 units. There was little competition from other American manufacturers, most of whom had been blindsided by the oil crisis. The increased demand for compact, economy vehicles was growing rapidly. However, Pacer sales fell after the first two years, though the car continued to be built through the 1980 model year. Similar to its mid-year introduction, on 3 December 1979, production of the Pacer ended at the Kenosha, Wisconsin assembly plant where it had begun five years earlier. A total of 280,000 cars were built. Increasing competition from the Big Three U.S. automakers and the rapid consumer shift to imported cars during the late 1970s are cited as the reasons for this outcome. Automobile buyers in the U.S. became adjusted to smaller and lighter cars, particularly the imports that offered better gas mileage presented, the AMC Pacer could not match the German and Japanese cars. Also the large glass areas increased the car's weight. With 22 miles per gallon the Pacer was unattractive for customers in the 1979 energy crisis. AMCs partnership with Renault brought the Renault 5 named "Le Car" to the AMC dealers. The design of the Pacer gave a little touch to the restyling of the Renault 5 to meet wishes and requirements of the American Market.
The Pacer's unconventional styling was commonly cited in its lack of success. Other concerns included a lack of cargo space when carrying a full load of passengers (because of its short wheelbase). Cargo space could be increased to 29.5 cubic feet (0.84 m³) by folding down the back of the rear seat to form a flat floor. Drivers also cited a lack of power. The Pacer was heavy; Car & Driver wrote, "American Motors had already quoted a curb weight of 2990 lb. for the basic Pacer when we first wrote about the car, and that already seemed quite heavy; but when we weighed the test car (whose air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering and so forth would not account for the full difference) it registered an astounding 3425 lb.", and the standard 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6, with a single-barrel carburetor and optimized for low emissions (all vehicles at the time carried emissions-reducing devices, including exhaust gas recirculation); was relatively low-powered ("The Pacer comes with either of two AMC inline six-cylinder engines, both producing 100 bhp, but the larger 258-cu-in. unit delivering better mid-range torque"). In 1976, a "High Output" version of the 258 cu in (4.2 L) engine was offered, which helped performance at the cost of higher fuel consumption. By the time a 304 cu in (5.0 L) V8 was offered in 1978, the company had introduced a successful line of "luxury-compact" models (the AMC Concord). Additionally, gasoline prices remained high, limiting demand for V8-powered vehicles.
For increased cargo capacity, a station wagon body style was offered from 1977. The wagon version was only five inches longer (127 mm) and weighed only 76 pounds (34 kg) more than the coupe. It was also a less unusual-looking design with a squared-off back and straight, almost upright, rear side windows. Although front vent windows were optional on all Pacers, the wagon's rear side glass featured vent windows as standard. The broad and rear liftgate opened to a wide, flat cargo area with 47.8 cubic feet (1.35 m³) of space, significantly easing the task of loading cargo. The rear seat also folded flat to form a continuation of the cargo floor. Some wagon models featured simulated woodgrain trim on the lower body sides and the liftgate.
AMC Pacer