This RARE Offroad Sports Car Confused Everyone - The AMC Eagle SX4

In this Rare Cars documentary, we are going over what is possibly one of the wackiest cars of the 1980s - The AMC Eagle SX/4. A car built by AMC at the tail end of its life to essentially spearhead a new market segment that the world had never seen before. The Eagle SX4 was the 2 door "sporty" version of the 4-wheel drive Eagle that was meant to be an offroad capable commuter car for the masses.

Although the Eagle SX/4 is pretty rare and wasn't a commercial success per se, it did help invent a new class of vehicles that is one of the most popular today.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:22 Background & Engineering
6:04 Engine
7:00 Performance Numbers
9:08 Sales & Impact

*Note, we are not historians. If you see an error in our research then please mention it in the comments!

Sources:

The visuals or audio herein may not be utilized to train a machine-learning algorithm of any kind without explicit permission

[SodiumWage]

Honestly, the AMC Eagle wagon is pretty much the perfect car. It had tons of interior room, was capable in bad weather, but easy to drive around town in nice weather. You could load up the family, or fill up the rear with whatever you bought, and it had decent enough gas mileage (at the time). Also it just looked cool - it's a design that's aged really well.

[ShopKatIndustries]

I had one of these! 258/auto, 1982. Lots of fun in the winter! Then I sold it to a fella from Saskatchewan. Later I saw it had been restored, and for sale in Saskatoon. I messaged the guy that it used to be mine. He's like, "Nope, couldn't be, blah blah blah." I'm like "See those little blue fog lights? They're from WalMart, I put them on. And the driver's seat you gripe about that's from a Ford Ranger? Wrong again. 80's Charger." Lol!!

[Bobbyboom]

My grandparents had an AMC Eagle that had the coldest AC ever installed in a vehicle. It was literally like being in a refrigerated food delivery truck. Absolutely unreal. That Eagle refused to die.

[chrislj]

I remember back in the '80s we had about a foot of snow, and I was behind several cars waiting for the one in front to make a left turn. This was on a country road with deep ditches on either side. All of a sudden a car flew around my right side into the ditch and I thought he lost control. Nope, it was one of those wagons and that maniac just barreled through it and passed all of us. I was flabbergasted but very impressed.

[warkal]

Most underrated and under appreciated vehcle ever. Great looking with two worlds in one package. It's what new cars are based on. People are slow to catch on, unless it's some flashy, stupid new trend. I'd drive this anyday, over any modern crap that copied this. I really love these. Even bought myself a Matchbox model. If I can get one here in the Caribbean, it'll be the most cool and badass machine, more capable than any 4WD out there.

[EricJohnson-xu]

I had an '83 SX4 Sport, 258 six, 4-speed manual, limited slip rear, rear louvers, fog lamps, sport caps, bucket seats, console and gauge cluster. It was a fun car!

[cuddlepoo]

Cool car way ahead of its time. AMC was a hard working company with some great ideas.

[badbiker]

My mother was in the market for a new car around the early 80s, so I encouraged her to buy one of these. Instead, she bought an AMC Spirit. That turned out to be a great car for her. She took good care of it and it lasted a long time and got great fuel mileage. Say what you will about AMC, but I knew lots of people who owned their cars and they all loved them.

[bokesnmokes]

I loved AMC so much! My mom had an SX-4, she's 91 now but that was still her favorite car ever! I had 2 AMCs myself, a 79 Jeep J-10 pickup truck and a 74 AMC Hornet Sportabout

[stevenheise]

I had an ‘81 Kamback…. 258 automatic with the shift on the fly 4wd. 28 mpg high way in 2wd, 22 in 4 wd! I absolutely loved that car! Mom had an ‘81 sedan and both would go anywhere in the snow!!!!

[keithc.]

When i first got my license...my Dad had an Eagle. 1981 ish. In Massachusetts, being able to get thru snow this car ruled. Really good. I ventured into a local graveyard with literally 2 feet of snow, with a girlfriend....got laid and knew nobody was gonna show up and ruin it. Heat worked too.

[paul]

My brother bought an sx4, new with the red paint job and the rear window louver. Four wheel drive was awesome when everything else we had was rear wheel drive. Still it didn't have abs and I learned a lesson in my young life that four wheel drive cars don't stop any better than anything else. One time we went out for a drive after a snow storm, the roads were still crap but we were hauling ass around town. We come over the top of a hill in town and maybe the change in the inertia sent the car a little loose. My brother Glenn hits the brakes and we spun a 360 right down the middle of the road. I don't think mom and dad ever heard about it. Glenn drove the wheels off of his sx4, in wisconsin everything dies from rust.

[jasonglisson]

I really liked the station wagon version

[babalui]

In the mid 80's I worked for a Jeep, GMC, Pontiac, Buick dealership in Glenwood Springs Colorado. Every winter we ordered up to 200 vehicles not only for our inventory gut for 4 different rental companies for ski season. One of my responsibilities was to check in all vehicles that were delivered to us. Eagle wagons, Jeep Cherokee's and Grand Wagoneer's and the Wrangler were the most popular vehicles in the area. I couldn't tell you how many of these vehicles I drove working for them but it was several. It was one of the coolest jobs that I ever had and I loved the AMC/Jeep products. Good memories!

[seththomas]

Gimmie the Eagle wagon with the I-6 and a manual transmission. I want it.

[adamzeppelin]

I hated these cars growing up in Maine in the late 80s early 90s. But now, the comment " I'd rather be seen in one of these than a current crossover" is so true. Fun video! Thanks

[tigrjax]

My friend had one in high school. It was one of the most popular cars in school.

[dmansfers]

I still remember the TV commercial....THE EAGLE HAS LANDED, ON ALL FOURS!!! love it 👍😎💯

[phantom]

The choir lady at my church had a wagon version of one of these back in the early/mid 90’s… when I was a kid I thought it looked goofy, but as an adult I love it. I really wish AMC had managed to stick around.

[clintpross]

Thank you so much! Love my SX/4, and can’t go any in a hurry because everyone wants to ask about it.
It now has a modern 4.0 power plant, which truly does make it a sport machine.
I have 5 Eagles total, actually.
Again THANK YOU for recognizing my pioneering car!