61-435: The Rambler Tarpon was a concept car , a compact -sized sporty youth-oriented 2+2 hardtop coupé developed in 1963 by American Motors Corporation (AMC). The bright red with black roof design study made its public debut at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show . The car served to foretell the fastback design elements of the larger Rambler Marlin that was introduced in 1965. The Tarpon was an "aquatically named" design study for
122-430: A "Big Two" (GM and Ford) as opposed to a "Big Three". Chrysler has become part of multinational auto giant Stellantis after FCA Group merged with the largely pan-European PSA Group ) in 2021. In more recent times California-based Tesla has been included, thus the expression "big four" has been used. Tesla as of 2021 ranked as the fourth-largest American automobile manufacturer by production output while being by far
183-478: A T, and the pretty well-proportioned fastback looked a natural for showroom sale." The upward line that was at the bottom of the rear-quarter windows to apparently break up their visual mass has been viewed as the "single weirdest quirk of the Tarpon". The show car also had no trunk lid or outside hatch to access the cargo area. This would be addressed before production. The Tarpon concept "generated much excitement at
244-499: A cost advantage of $ 350 US to $ 500 US per vehicle over American manufacturers. The UAW agreed to a two-tier wage in recent 2007 negotiations, something which the CAW has so far refused. Delphi , which was spun off from GM in 1999, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the UAW refused to cut their wages and GM is expected to be liable for a $ 7 billion shortfall. In order to improve profits,
305-577: A full year. Ignoring all other reasons for The Big Three's decline, and beginning with a fixed ideological/political premise that efficiency is best achieved by reducing the wages and working conditions of the lowest ranked employees, advocates of the neoclassical economic viewpoint argue that Union labor can result in higher labor costs than other multinational automakers, including those with plants in North America. The 2005 Harbour Report estimated that Toyota's lead in labor productivity amounted to
366-572: A small rear-wheel drive two-door monocoque pillarless hardtop . Characteristic was its sleek, sloping fastback roof that narrowed as it met the rear bumper. The Tarpon featured two large, deep taillights flowing from the rear fender's shoulders. The show car was finished in red with a black vinyl roof accenting its clean shape from the windshield back to almost the rear bumper. The long roof portion design incorporated extended and sizeable rear quarter windows that ensured rear seat passengers in this 2+2 interior avoid claustrophobia. The smooth roofline
427-578: A small fastback, the Javelin , that was aimed directly at the market segment created by Ford's Mustang. Dick Teague headed the design team at AMC. Stuart Vance was the Manager of Engineering, and this included the body development, as well as the prototype shop. Others involved with the Tarpon were Teague's right-hand man Fred Hudson (who later contributed to the Javelin), Vince Geraci (who contributed to
488-596: A stagnant and declining economy and an overall tense market situation due to the subprime mortgage crisis , the Big Three were re-strategizing and adapting their operations idling or converting light truck plants to passenger vehicle cars. Due to the declining residual value of its vehicles, Chrysler has stopped offering leases on its vehicles. In 2009, General Motors and Chrysler filed for and eventually successfully emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring in order to restructure and liquidate burdensome corporate assets in
549-556: A title Ford had held since 1931. However, by 2010, because of Toyota's controversy surrounding their unintended acceleration recall, Toyota fell back to fourth place in U.S. sales in the 2010s, and allowed G.M., Ford and Chrysler to reclaim their title as the Big Three . Toyota, however, overtook GM as the best-selling automaker in the United States in 2021, marking the first time a non-American automaker has led US auto sales for
610-422: A working drivetrain and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, and some cannot move safely at speeds above 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Inoperative " mock-ups " are usually made of wax, clay, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or a combination thereof. If drivable,
671-665: Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company ), and are largely Germany based and carry out much of their research and development in the nation. Volkswagen Group has long been the largest automaker in Europe. In the late- 2000s , it edged out Ford , and later in mid-2010s also General Motors, to become the world's second largest automaker, after Toyota . It is also the parent group of Audi, Porsche , SEAT , Škoda , Bugatti , Lamborghini and Bentley . Daimler AG holds major stakes in other automakers including Mitsubishi Fuso . BMW also produces Mini branded vehicles, and has been
SECTION 10
#1732801834257732-994: Is generally credited with inventing the concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s. Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times, all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety , regulatory compliance , and cost. A "production-intent" prototype , as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. Concept cars are often radical in engine or design . Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to carbon fiber to refined alloys . Others have unique layouts , such as gullwing doors , three or five (or more) wheels , or special abilities not usually found on cars. Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models or even drawings in computer design . Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with
793-469: The Big Three , although Chrysler has been surpassed as the third-largest U.S. automaker by Toyota of America . G.M., Ford and Chrysler were for a time the three largest automakers in the world, with G.M. and Ford remaining as the world's two largest until mid- 2000s when they both were surpassed by Toyota (and later the Volkswagen Group ), although Ford was in 1999 expected to surpass G.M. as
854-552: The Detroit area. The majority of their operations are unionized with the United Auto Workers and Unifor . Toyota , which surpassed G.M. as the world's largest automaker in 2006 , became that year for the first time one of the Big Three of the U.S. when surpassing Chrysler . After surpassing Ford as the world's second-largest automaker by 2005, Toyota surpassed Ford in 2007 as the second-largest U.S. automaker,
915-622: The Ford Falcon . However, AMC's market research indicated that offering only a six-cylinder power plant would not satisfy the intended target market segment. The new V8 engine was introduced in 1966 in the sporty hardtop model of the Rambler American called Rogue. Moreover, AMC's CEO, Roy Abernethy , wanted the company to move away from the marketing image of Ramblers as being only small, economical, and conservative automobiles and designs. According to Abernethy, AMC's "main problem
976-489: The Ford Mustang II (concept car) , a design shown shortly before the production version was unveiled. Both concepts were targeting the increasing interest in small, sporty cars, and the purchasing power of younger customers. The automobile marketplace was changing in the early 1960s "when many young, first-time drivers entered the market ... and bought cars with flair." Early in 1963, American Motors' management began
1037-611: The German imports like Audi , BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which by the time of Infiniti's release had overtaken Cadillac and Lincoln in dominating the luxury segment of the American market. In 1990, four years after the debut of the Legend and Integra, Acura introduced the NSX , a midship V6 powered, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was billed as
1098-700: The Lexus name with the LS 400 which debuted at $ 38,000 in the US, in some markets being priced against mid-sized six cylinder Mercedes-Benz and BMW models, and was rated by Car and Driver magazine as better than both the $ 63,000 Mercedes-Benz W126 and the $ 55,000 BMW E32 in terms of ride, handling and performance. It was generally regarded as a major shock to the European marques. BMW and Mercedes-Benz's US sales figures dropped 29 percent and 19 percent, respectively, with
1159-552: The notchback models, followed the pattern set by Chevrolet's distinctive 1942 Fleetline two-door fastback body style called the Aerosedan and Nash's own Airflyte . Teague knew that his design team had to work with considerably smaller budgets than their counterparts at Detroit's Big Three ( General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler ). For example, Ford developed a handmade fastback roofline for its first-generation compact Falcon two-door sedan, named "Falcon Challenger III". The car
1220-472: The pony cars , the decision at AMC was to build its sporty fastback "image" model on the company's mid-sized or intermediate Classic platform. Teague recalled that "Abernethy had decided that instead of a 2+2 we would build a 3+3 sports-type car." The transformation from the 2+2 Tarpon into a six-passenger coupe was influenced by offering AMC's existing V8 engines and repositioning the car for "young married" couples. The new production model, called Marlin ,
1281-595: The "SUV Craze". Since the late 1990s, over half of their profits have come from Sport utility vehicles , while they often could not break even on compact cars unless the buyer chose options. Ron Harbour, in releasing the Oliver Wyman ’s 2008 Harbour Report, stated that many small “ econoboxes ” of the past acted as loss leaders, but were designed to bring customers to the brand in the hopes they would stay loyal and move up to more profitable models. The report estimated that an automaker needed to sell ten small cars to make
SECTION 20
#17328018342571342-627: The 1964 version used for the concept car. The replica was built using a Rabler American convertible to which the roof from a 1965 Marlin was added. This clone Tarpon version is powered by AMC's 343 cu in (5.6 L) four-barrel "GEN-2" V8 engine with a manual four-speed transmission. Concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle ) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be produced . General Motors designer Harley Earl
1403-557: The AMC Marlin featuring the Tarpon's rear-end. For example, Rob Rothwell wrote: "My first glimpse of the rear lines of the Chrysler Crossfire instantly brought back memories of one of my favorite cars, the 1965 Rambler Marlin" The original Tarpon concept was destroyed. A tribute car to replicate the Tarpon has been built. The reproduction is based on a 1966 American which provides a bigger engine compartment compared to
1464-531: The Detroit automakers made deals with unions to reduce wages while making pension and health care commitments. GM, for instance, at one time picked up the entire cost of funding health insurance premiums of its employees, their survivors and GM retirees, as the US did not have a universal health care system. With most of these plans underfunded in the late 1990s, the companies offered and provided retirement packages to its elder senior workers, and made agreements with
1525-594: The Mustang... Instead, AMC built the Marlin, which, on the larger Classic chassis, was too big to be a pony car, too slow to be a muscle car, and cursed with ungainly proportions due to the Classic's stubby hood." The automaker was niche marketing , offering a larger-sized product that wasn't offered by its much larger competitors. Although the Tarpon show car pointed the way, AMC waited until the 1968 model year to introduce
1586-588: The Society of Automotive Engineers ( SAE International ) convention in January 1964." The concept was shown with the designers worked on a cutaway profile of the car on stage. The Tarpon then generated broad public interest as it toured the auto show circuit starting in January 1964. Its semi-boat tail roof design was accented with black vinyl first appeared at the Chicago Auto Show . The sales pitch for
1647-516: The UAW to transfer pension obligations to an independent trust. In 2009, the CBC reported that the non-unionized Japanese automakers, with their younger American workforces, lower wages and fewer retirees would continue to enjoy a cost advantage over the Big Three. Despite the history of their marques, several long-running cars have been discontinued or relegated to fleet sales, as the Big Three shifted away resources from midsize and compact cars to lead
1708-540: The United States, where General Motors was the first to form a large, multi-brand, motor-vehicle corporation (in the 1910s), followed by the Ford Motor Company , and the Chrysler Corporation , all before World War II . The term Big Three has since been sometimes used to refer to the following automakers: General Motors , the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler are often referred to as
1769-588: The actual major automobile manufacturers are the Volkswagen Group (majority owner of Audi AG), the Mercedes-Benz Group , and BMW. Other major German manufacturers are Opel and American-owned Ford-Werke (subsidiary of Ford Motor Company), but are not considered as part of this grouping, although they are among the top selling brands in Europe - they are both foreign-owned (Opel is a subsidiary of Stellantis since 2021 and had been owned by PSA Group and General Motors before that, whilst Ford Werke
1830-401: The aftermath of the energy crisis, contributed to their American counterparts losing market share in the late 1970s due to a lack of comparable vehicles in their respective portfolios of vehicles marketed. Unions and lobbyists in both North America and Europe, which was likewise affected, consequently put pressure on their governments to regulate and restrict imports to offset market imbalances at
1891-711: The automaker to 53 percent. On January 21, 2014, Fiat bought out the remaining stake in Chrysler Group that it did not already hold from the United Auto Workers' employee medical benefit retirement trust. Due to the corporate structure of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles , which is headquartered in the United Kingdom for taxation purposes and the Italian Agnelli family as the major shareholders, some media sources now list Detroit as having
AMC Rambler Tarpon - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-408: The company's disappointments. After his retirement as Vice President at AMC, Teague described the development of the fastback design: Teague was also responsible for the designs of AMC's compact Javelin that successfully targeted the market envisioned by the Tarpon, as well as the two-seat AMX . The Tarpon was the direct fastback design influence for the 1965 through 1967 AMC Marlin. Much later,
2013-422: The concept was "A new car with sports flair." It was well received at automobile shows before the so-called " pony car " market segment was established. Some show attendees wanted to place orders, AMC dealers asked about production plans, and "Over 60% said they'd like to own a model with the Tarpon's fastback styling." The Rambler Tarpon was also on display at the 1964 New York International Auto Show , as well as
2074-408: The development of "a new car with a sports flair" to modify its image. Dick Teague 's styling team devised an entirely new concept for AMC - a fastback design. He had a passion for pre- World War II automobiles and had a "passion for taking old styling and making it new again." He observed the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette spit-window coupe design and the 1963 Ford Galaxie Sports Hardtop, which outsold
2135-565: The drivetrain is often borrowed from a production vehicle from the same company or may have defects and imperfections in design. They can also be quite refined, such as General Motors ' Cadillac Sixteen concept. Big Three (automobile manufacturers) In the United States automotive industry , the term Big Three is used for the country's three largest motor vehicle manufacturers, especially indicating companies that sell under multiple brand names. The term originated in
2196-419: The fastest growing as well as being the most valuable in terms of its market valuation measured by market capitalization. In 2021 Tesla was worth more than all of Japan‘s and Germany‘s largest automakers combined. Japanese automakers Toyota , Nissan and Honda , among many others, have long been considered the leaders in the segment of small fuel-efficient cars. A major contributing factor to their success
2257-488: The final look of the Marlin), Chuck Mashigan (Advanced Studio manager), Robert Nixon, Jack Kenitz, Donald Stumpf, Neil Brown Jr., Bill St. Clair, Jim Pappas, as well as Jim Alexander (who designed the interior). Teague selected the names for both the Tarpon show car and the production Marlin. Teague worked at AMC for 26 years. He was responsible for some of AMC's timelessly beautiful and advanced vehicles, as well as for some of
2318-645: The first Japanese car capable of competing with Ferrari and Porsche. This vehicle served as a halo car for the Acura brand. The NSX was the world's first all-aluminum production car, and was also marketed and viewed by some as the "Everyday Supercar" thanks in part to its ease of use, quality and reliability, traits that were unheard of in the supercar segment at the time. The success of the Japanese automakers, which specialized primarily in more compact and fuel efficient budget friendly economical vehicles, especially in
2379-428: The image of Japanese car-makers beyond their econobox successes, as well as being credited as a catalyst for the import performance parts industry. Before Honda unveiled Acura in 1986, Japanese automobiles exports were primarily economical in design and largely targeted at low-cost consumers. The Japanese big three created their luxury marques to challenge the established brands. Following Honda's lead, Toyota launched
2440-598: The late 1990s caused it to lose its place to Honda before. Nissan is Japan’s second largest automaker and was the sixth largest in the world in 2005 and later 2010 to 2017 . Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are in a distant fourth, fifth, and sixth place compared to the Japanese Big Three. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are all in the BusinessWeek magazine's "100 Top Global Brands" by dollar value, as ranked by leading brand consultancy Interbrand. The Toyota marque
2501-431: The most aggressive of Japan's companies when it came to expanding into light trucks and luxury vehicles, this proved largely successful. Their high-end brand Lexus became the top-selling luxury marque worldwide in 2000, despite being only started up in 1989. Consequently, Toyota's stock price has traded at a much higher premium than other automakers. Nissan regained its position on second place, financial difficulties in
AMC Rambler Tarpon - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-413: The new Rambler Tarpon was made of reinforced plastic. The windshield was described as "bulbous" and the fastback roofline featuring a "skylight" rear window. The swept back, double-compound curved windshield further enhanced the Tarpon's low appearance. The Tarpon also featured polished 13-inch aluminum wheels. The standard production road wheels on Rambler Americans were 14-inch, so the smaller versions made
2623-428: The plummeting popularity of best-selling trucks and SUVs, led automakers to continue offering heavy incentives to help clear excess inventory. The Big Three filed a lawsuit against California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger because of an earmarked impending tailpipe emissions requirement. In response, Governor Schwarzenegger told the Big Three to "get off [their] butt". In 2008, with relatively high energy prices,
2684-577: The risk of strikes. The VER was lifted in 1994 upon agreement of all members of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Establishing US production facilities was also a significant step in improving public relations, along with philanthropy, lobbying efforts, and sharing technology. Europe has still largely maintained its protectionism policies against Japanese cars, though theirs varies considerably. Toyota has always been by far Japan's largest automaker, and it recently overtook perennial world leader GM in both production and sales by early 2008. As
2745-416: The same profit as one big vehicle, and that they had to produce small and mid-size cars profitably to succeed, something that the Detroit three had trouble doing. Falling sales and market share at times have resulted in the Big Three's plants operating below capacity leading to production cuts, plant reductions, closures and layoffs. Market incentives and subsidized leases were implemented to help sales which
2806-551: The same year. General Motors of Canada did not file for bankruptcy. The United States and Canadian government control are reported as temporary. On June 10, 2009, Chrysler Group LLC emerged from a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy and its stake was subsequently bought by the Italian automaker Fiat . On June 3, 2011, Fiat bought out the remaining US Treasury's stake in Chrysler for $ 500 million, increasing its ownership of
2867-524: The show car lower. The interior had a complete set of dial-type gauges under a padded dash , a deep-dish aluminum steering wheel rimmed in walnut, and custom bucket seats . The Tarpon seemed to aim Plymouth's new Valiant-based Barracuda and the soon-to-be-announced Ford Mustang . Shown before the introduction of Ford's compact Falcon-based Mustang, AMC's Tarpon was "an instant success" as evidenced by surveyed potential buyers stating 60% would buy one. The Tarpon did not go into production. At that time, AMC
2928-474: The styling components of the original Tarpon design returned to a production car in 2004 in a fastback coupe with a distinctive design "that reminds more than one observer of the old Rambler Marlin." The principal appearance statements of the small two-seat Chrysler Crossfire include its "provocative boattail theme" in its fastback and rear end design. Automotive journalists noted the Crossfire's resemblance to
2989-438: The then-BMW chairman Eberhard von Kuenheim accusing Lexus of dumping in that market. Nissan's Infiniti became a player on the luxury market mostly thanks to its popular Q45 . The vehicle included a class-leading (at the time) 278 hp (207 kW ) V8 engine, four wheel steering , the first active suspension system offered on a motor vehicle, and numerous interior luxury appointments. These made it competitive against
3050-506: The time. In 1981, Japan agreed to Voluntary Export Restraints in order to preempt protectionism measures that the US may have taken, where it be tariffs or import quotas . Consequently, Japanese companies responded by investing heavily in US production facilities, as they were not subject to the VER. Unlike the plants of domestic automakers, Japanese plants are non-unionized (save for NUMMI ), so they have lower wage expenses and do not face
3111-434: The world's largest automaker by 2005, by increasing its production from around 7.77 million vehicles a year (of which about 1 million produced by Mazda in which Ford then owned a 33.4 % controlling interest) by 1999 to 9.15 million by 2005 (when G.M. was expected to produce 9.10 million). The Big Three are distinguished not just by their size and geography, but by their business model. All three have their headquarters in
SECTION 50
#17328018342573172-410: Was a much larger car, the Marlin had more pronounced shoulders extending laterally behind the rear wheels than those on the Tarpon. In 1965, three years before AMC's production pony car was unveiled, press reports described the compact-sized design as a "Tarpon-like fastback" built on the Rambler American's platform. The Tarpon "was the car that AMC could have, should have, but didn't make in response to
3233-723: Was crucial to keeping the plants operating at capacity, which in turn drove a significant portion of the Michigan economy. These promotional strategies, including rebates, employee pricing and 0 percent financing, have boosted sales but have also cut into profits. More importantly such promotions drain the automaker's cash reserves in the near term while in the long run the company suffers the stigma of selling vehicles because of low price instead of technical merit. Automakers have since been reduced and scaled back on incentives and raise prices, while cutting production. The subprime mortgage crisis and inflated higher crude prices in 2008 resulted in
3294-530: Was entered in the 1962 Nassau Speed Weeks and also displayed during the 1962 New York International Automobile Show. Ford also introduced semi-fastback designs for midyear 1963 featuring a lowered, sloping roofline along with a rear window to enhance aerodynamics. On the other hand, AMC did not have the corporate resources to undertake the significant investment that would require all-new tooling, so Teague's design team had to make imaginative use of existing tooling to create spin-offs from existing products. The Tarpon
3355-486: Was introduced in mid-year 1965. It added more "sport" to AMC's car line-up. However, the Marlin had a six-passenger capacity and was equipped with features as a personal luxury car like the Ford Thunderbird or Buick Riviera , rather than a competitor in the pony-car segment. Nevertheless, the production Marlin incorporated many of the design features that were the trademarks of the Tarpon show car. Because it
3416-491: Was its image lag — the fact that too many people still thought of American Motors as the builder of plain Jane compacts." Under Abernethy's leadership, the company was introducing larger cars that had more options, prestige, and luxury. For example, the new convertibles and more upscale Ambassador potentially offered higher profits. Although the small four-passenger Tarpon anticipated a new market segment that later became known as
3477-472: Was made on the compact -sized Rambler American 's new design and platform already set for the 1964 model year. A convertible chassis was used 106 in (2,692 mm) wheelbase ), but the Tarpon was slightly longer, 180 in (4,572 mm) compared to 177.25 in (4,502 mm) for the production Rambler American. The Tarpon's roof was lowered two inches making it only 52.5 in (1,334 mm) high for an even more dynamic look. The top section of
3538-528: Was still developing its "GEN-2" lightweight V8 engine to fit the small Rambler American chassis. If produced, the Tarpon would have been a competitor to the Plymouth Barracuda , a fastback derivative of the second-generation compact Valiant . Utilizing an existing compact platform would have paralleled the Mustang's design approach, where the chassis, suspension, and drive train were derived from
3599-493: Was unbroken by the nearly horizontal rear window. Tarpon’s fastback design "was on the cutting edge of a Motor City styling trend that soon included the Plymouth Barracuda , the Mustang 2+2 , and the Dodge Charger ." In a 1991 book about collectible cars, automotive historian Richard M. Langworth described the Tarpon's sweeping roofline and "roughly elliptical side window openings suited the American's handsome lines to
3660-520: Was valued at US$ 22.67 billion, ranking it ninth among all global brand names - automotive or non-automotive, edging out that of Mercedes-Benz. 2010 end of year production figures from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers shows that Toyota holds the number 1 spot, Nissan number 6, and Honda number 7. The German trio Audi , Mercedes-Benz and BMW are often referred to as "Germany's Big Three", although
3721-675: Was when their vehicles benefitted from the 1973 oil crisis which at the time drastically changed market situations and had a major impact on the automotive industry . For instance, the Honda Civic was the best-selling car in its segment in Canada for 22 years in a row. As well, the Nissan 240Z was introduced at a relatively low price compared to other foreign sports cars of the time ( Jaguar , BMW , Porsche , etc.), while providing performance, reliability, and good looks. This broadened
SECTION 60
#1732801834257#256743