Here are your Auto Factoids for the week of April 20, 2014;
Only 3 major hits this week.
The first is that the American Motor Corporation (AMC) was formed by the merger of Nash and Hudson that happened on 4/22/1954. It was actually Nash-Kalvinator and Hudson. Cars were still produced under the Hudson name until 1957.
Hudson Hornet Hollywood.
You know that AMC brought you some pretty out of the ordinary cars (Gremblin, Pacer) as well as some class muscle, (AMX, Javelin, Rebel).
There is great article on a Rebel in the May 2014 Hemmings Muscle Machine on a 1970 AMC Rebel.
Next up Chrysler purchases Lamborghini on 4/23/1987. What? Yes….funny now Chrysler is owned by an Italian car company (Fiat). Oh it was a smoking deal, only $25 million dollars. That lasted until 1994 when Chrysler sold Lamborghini to an Indonesianan company. In 1998 Volkswagen took over Lamborghini.
Finally this week back on 4/25/1970 Mazda’s first cars show up on U.S. shores.
Mazda’s 1970 RX-2
Thanks for reading.
Tim
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Lee Iacocca purchased Lambo on April 23, 1987 (not 2014).
Ol’Lee finallt admnitted years later that it was a mistake.
Yup – Typo on the purchase date.
I seriously doubt that most of the purchases of overseas car companies by U.S. car manufactures were – “…because we wanted to boost our…luxury line. They were failing here in the U.S. a either wanted to grab a larger share of the world market to scrap some profits and/or (more likely) the benefits of having operations overseas (taxes, debit share, etc.) You didn’t see them trying to buy Honda, or Mazda or Toyota.