With the Gremlin G-II Concept in 1974, American Motors foreshadowed the Gremlin’s successor, the 1979 AMC Spirit. 

In 1974, the quirky but clever Gremlin from American Motors scored its best sales year in history with a total volume of more than 132,000 cars. Still, the AMC design team, ably led by vice president Richard A. Teague, knew the sawed-off subcompact would soon be in need of a replacement—one with more orthodox styling, they must have been thinking.  A number of updates and successors were developed for consideration, including the one we’re featuring here: the Gremlin G-II concept. The G-II, we’re guessing, translated to Gremlin, Generation II.

The G-II was based on the Gremlin platform, but with the smoother doghouse from the ’73-on Hornet grafted to the front end. At the rear, the Gremlin’s original chopped-off greenhouse was replaced by a graceful fastback roofline with a hatchback rear glass. The large, obround tail lamps look they could have been taken straight from the ’73-’74 Javelin parts bin. A blacked-out grille and rear valance panel, body-color bumpers, and slotted aluminum wheels completed the visual package.

When the Gremlin was discontinued for 1979, its reskinned replacement, the Spirit, was offered in two body styles: a squared-off two-door Sedan not unlike like the original Gremlin but with conventional quarter windows, and a two-door Liftback. When we compare the fastback roofline of the G-II concept (just above) with that of the Spirit Liftback (below), we find they are nearly (but not quite) identical.

Though many will say the styling was an improvement, the Spirit never sold in quite the same numbers as the Gremlin. However, by then the total volume at American Motors was in decline. The Spirit would be offered for four more years, and for its final two seasons in 1982-83, the fastback body shell was shared with the Eagle SX/4 Liftback, AMC’s unique four-wheel drive subcompact.