AMC Pacer X
The Pacer was short like a small car but almost as wide as a bigger American sedan. Its huge curved glass and longer passenger-side door made it look—and work—unlike anything else in a 1975 parking lot.
Amc pacer x.jpg · Spantax · CC BY-SA 3.0
More than a set of wheels.
American Motors launched the Pacer for 1975 as a new kind of compact, designed from the passenger space outward. The sporty X package added bucket seats, a sports steering wheel, floor shifter, styled wheels and identifying stripes and decals. This profile follows the 258-cu-in automatic combination documented by the Savoy Automobile Museum, not the standard 232-cu-in engine or later V8.
Look a little closer.
The passenger door was about four inches longer than the driver's door, making the rear seat easier to reach from the curb side in right-driving countries such as the United States.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Small in length, big in width
At roughly 172 inches long, the Pacer occupied little more road length than other 1970s compacts, yet its 77-inch width created a roomy, big-car feeling. AMC's own launch literature called it the first wide small car. The 100-inch wheelbase and wheels pushed near the corners helped keep the overhangs short.
Source: 1975 AMC Pacer sales literature archive ↗What made an X
The X was an appearance-and-handling package rather than a unique engine model. It brought vinyl bucket seats, a sports steering wheel, floor shift, front anti-roll bar, styled road wheels, custom trim and Pacer X identification. Engine and transmission still had to be specified separately, which is why this profile names the museum-backed 258/automatic combination.
Source: 1975 AMC Pacer sales literature archive ↗A museum car anchors the numbers
Savoy Automobile Museum identifies its 1975 Pacer with the 258-cu-in six, 110 hp, automatic transmission, 100-inch wheelbase, 172-inch length and 3,190-pound weight. Those values belong to that documented configuration; lighter 232-engine cars and differently equipped road-test cars should not be silently mixed into it.
Source: Savoy Automobile Museum — 1975 AMC Pacer ↗Where these facts come from
- Savoy Automobile Museum — 1975 AMC Pacer
- The Old Car Manual Project — 1975 AMC brochure archive
- Car and Driver archive — 1975 AMC Pacer tested
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.