1973 AMC Gremlin

Compact performance powered by 1973 AMC Gremlin engine family.

Exact-year, stock-presenting Gremlin X retained as the family baseline for the 96-inch-wheelbase profile, body, grille, lamps, bumpers, lift-up glass, X stripe, slot-style wheels, roof rack, and stance; this documented special-paint car's finish and equipment remain car-specific.

Body Four-passenger two-door with folding rear seat and lift-up rear glass

Engines 232 six standard; 258 six or 304 V8 optional

Packages Gremlin X and Levi's Custom Trim

Brakes Four-wheel drums; optional manual or power front discs

Production 122,844 reported total; selected engine rows account for 85,181

Story

1973 AMC Gremlin

The 1973 Gremlin remained one four-passenger, two-door subcompact family with three factory engine paths. Gremlin X and the new Levi's Custom Trim package changed appearance and cabin equipment, not the underlying public car identity. This page keeps those choices together and leaves the dealer-converted Randall 401-XR outside the factory family.

Three factory power teams

The standard 232 one-barrel six made 100 SAE net horsepower. The optional 258 one-barrel six made 110, and the optional 304 two-barrel V8 made 150. Each supported a floor-shift three-speed manual or Torque-Command automatic with application-specific axle ratios. Engine, induction, emissions hardware, transmission, axle, cooling, exhaust, dates, and records must reconcile to one car.

Chassis, brakes, and bumpers

Twin-ball-joint independent front suspension used coil springs, while semi-elliptic leaves carried the live rear axle. Four-wheel drums were standard; manual or power front discs were optional. Six-cylinder handling equipment and the V8's standard front anti-roll bar followed the ordered power team. A recoverable five-mile-per-hour front bumper and strengthened rear bumper were model-year changes, not evidence of a particular engine or package.

X, Levi's, colors, and proof

Gremlin X bundled the spear stripe, painted grille, slot-style 14-inch wheels, D70 tires, custom bucket-seat cabin, cargo carpeting, sports steering wheel, and related trim. Levi's Custom Trim used blue denim-look nylon upholstery, branded buttons and labels, coordinated door panels, headlining, visors, and a fender decal. The factory chart identifies 14 regular Gremlin colors; one documented special-paint Cordoba Brown car is not evidence that D4 was a regular Gremlin color.

Production and price boundaries

One reference reports 122,844 model-year Gremlins, while another source's selected engine rows total only 85,181. Both are retained and the difference is not silently allocated to a package, market, or drivetrain. One exact-car sticker documents a $2,021 base amount and selected option prices, but it does not establish every effective-date or configuration price. Current guide values remain excluded.

Exact-year front view retained for the recoverable bumper, grille, lamps, hood stamping and script, windshield, roof rack, and wheel-track context; restoration and current tires remain subject-specific.Christopher Ziemnowicz via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Specs

Car type: Compact performance
Seats: 4
Body: Two-door, four-passenger subcompact with folding rear seat and lift-up rear window
Engine: 1973 AMC Gremlin engine family
Horsepower: 100 or 110 SAE net hp with an inline-six; 150 SAE net hp with the optional 304 V8
Torque: Configuration-specific factory rating follows engine, induction, emissions equipment, and transmission
Carburetion: One-barrel induction on the 232 and 258; two-barrel induction on the 304 V8

Equipment

96-inch wheelbase and four-passenger folding-rear-seat body
Standard 232, optional 258, or optional 304 V8
Gremlin X appearance and cabin package
New Levi's Custom Trim package
Five-mile-per-hour recoverable front bumper and strengthened rear bumper

Linked Parts

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Base MSRP $2,021

1973 Gremlin two-door sedan (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker base amount including applicable dealer delivery and handling; a separate data-book-derived reference reports $2,059, so effective-date and scope differences remain unresolved.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $51

258-cubic-inch one-barrel inline-six (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $300

Air-conditioning package (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $66

AM push-button radio (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $320

Special Gremlin X package (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount for the listed package equipment.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $38

Special paint (1973)
Exact-car charge for D4 Cordoba Brown, which the regular factory chart does not list for Gremlin.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $20

Tailgate air deflector (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg
Option price $220

Torque-Command floor-shift automatic (1973)
Exact-car window-sticker amount.
1973 AMC Gremlin X package 258 auto in Cordoba brown at 2021 AMO 6of7.jpg

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

Exact-year 258 one-barrel engine bay retained for inline-six architecture, induction, air conditioning, cooling, power-brake hardware, emissions labels, firewall, and service context; exact components and restoration remain car-specific.Christopher Ziemnowicz via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

232 inline-six 232 cu in; 8.0:1; one-barrel; 100 SAE net hp at 3,600 rpm and 185 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm · Standard with three-speed manual or Torque-Command automatic · engine assembly / specification
258 inline-six 258 cu in; 8.0:1; one-barrel; 110 SAE net hp at 3,500 rpm and 195 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm · Optional with three-speed manual or Torque-Command automatic · engine assembly / specification
304 V8 304 cu in; 8.4:1; two-barrel; 150 SAE net hp at 4,200 rpm and 245 lb-ft at 2,500 rpm · Optional with heavy-duty three-speed manual or Torque-Command automatic · engine assembly / specification

Transmission

Factory transmission Fully synchronized three-speed manual with floor shift; standard with the 232 and optional with the 258 or 304
Factory transmission Torque-Command three-speed automatic with floor selector; optional with the 232, 258, or 304
Factory transmission Heavy-duty 10-inch clutch with the 304 manual path

Options

Exact-car window sticker retained for the $2,021 base amount and listed 258, Torque-Command, Gremlin X, air-conditioning, air-deflector, radio, and special-paint amounts. It prices this car, not every 1973 Gremlin configuration.Christopher Ziemnowicz via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

258 258-cubic-inch one-barrel inline-six factory · performance · Engine, induction, emissions equipment, transmission, axle, cooling, dates, and records must agree.
304-V8 304-cubic-inch two-barrel V8 factory · performance · V8, transmission, axle, anti-roll bar, cooling, exhaust, wheels, brakes, dates, and records must reconcile; a swap alone is not factory V8 proof.
GREMLIN-X Gremlin X package factory · appearance · Spear stripe, painted grille, slot-style wheels, D70 tires, custom bucket-seat cabin, cargo trim, sports wheel, decals, and records define the package.
LEVIS Levi's Custom Trim package factory · comfort · Blue denim-look nylon seats, branded buttons and labels, door panels, litter container, headlining, visors, fender decal, tag, and records must agree.
HANDLING Handling package factory · performance · Application-correct heavy-duty springs, dampers, front anti-roll bar, drivetrain, and order evidence must agree.
TWIN-GRIP Twin-Grip differential factory · performance · Carrier, housing, ratio, lubricant, drivetrain application, dates, and records define one installation.
FRONT-DISC Manual or power front disc brakes factory · safety · Disc hardware, hydraulics, assist, wheels, drivetrain application, dates, and records must agree.
CUSTOM-TRIM Custom interior trim package factory · comfort · Seat form, vinyl trim, carpeting, cargo insulation, steering wheel, moldings, codes, and records must agree.

Paint

Opposite-side profile retained for door, quarter glass, X graphics, drip and wheel-opening moldings, roof rack, wheels, tires, and stance; each item remains specific to this documented car.Christopher Ziemnowicz via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A1 Snow White factory · solid
E1 Diamond Blue Metallic factory · metallic
E2 Olympic Blue Metallic factory · metallic
F2 Maxi Blue factory · solid
C8 Grasshopper Green Metallic factory · metallic
E3 Fairway Green Metallic factory · metallic
E4 Tallyho Green Metallic factory · metallic
F1 Blarney Green factory · solid
E5 Pewter Silver Metallic factory · metallic
E6 Fawn Beige factory · solid
E7 Copper Tan Metallic factory · metallic
E9 Mellow Yellow factory · solid
D7 Trans-Am Red factory · solid
F3 Fresh Plum Metallic factory · metallic

Production

Engines and Induction summarized from reviewed factory and marque references.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

1973 AMC Gremlin model 7346-5 total · 122,844 · reported
232 inline-six selected row by engine · 44,225 · reported
258 inline-six selected row by engine · 32,122 · reported
304 V8 selected row by engine · 8,834 · reported

Authenticity

Transmissions summarized from reviewed factory and marque references.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

VIN, body, and model-year identity 1973 model 7346-5 Gremlin VIN, title, four-passenger shell, lift-up rear-glass structure, sequence, and ownership history that agree · Dashboard VIN and derivatives, title, body structure, rear-glass hinges and latch, labels, build evidence, and ownership records · fraud detection
Engine, transmission, and axle path 232, 258, or 304 factory engine reconciled to permitted floor manual or Torque-Command application, axle ratio, chassis equipment, emissions hardware, dates, and records · VIN and build evidence, engine stamps and castings, induction, transmission case and controls, axle housing and ratio, emissions labels, cooling, exhaust, and component dates · numbers matching
Gremlin X and Levi's packages Record-supported X graphics, grille, wheels, tires, cabin, cargo trim and sports wheel, with complete Levi's material, labels, buttons, door trim, headlining, visors, and decal when separately ordered · Build or sales records, body tag, protected finish and graphics, grille, wheels, tires, seats, upholstery, labels, door panels, headlining, visors, decals, and dated hardware · trim correctness
Paint, cabin, chassis, and options Tag- and record-supported regular or documented special paint, stripe, seating, upholstery, steering, brakes, suspension, roof and cargo equipment, accessories, and component dates · Body tag, protected paint and upholstery, stripe layers, cabin, brake and suspension hardware, invoice or window sticker, build evidence, and dated components · date correctness

Still Researching

production One reviewed reference reports 122,844 model-year Gremlins, while another source's selected 232, 258, and 304 rows total 85,181. No audited public ledger resolves the 37,663-car difference or production by transmission, axle, Gremlin X, Levi's, brakes, paint, trim, plant, date, export, or survivor status.
paint colors The factory chart resolves 14 regular Gremlin colors and X restrictions, while one exact sticker documents extra-cost D4 Cordoba Brown outside regular Gremlin availability. No reviewed special-order ledger resolves every stripe, trim, plant, supplier, formula, and build-date application.
interior Factory literature documents standard, Custom Trim, Gremlin X, and Levi's cabin content but not every upholstery code, color, paint, package, supplier, and running-change combination.
authenticity markers Public model-year references cannot establish one survivor's born-with body, engine, transmission, axle, chassis equipment, regular or special paint, trim, packages, options, component dates, or ownership history.