Spend time thumbing through our domestic automotive history and you will note that small cars have always peppered the industry. American Bantam and Crosley are some of the earliest notables, along with King Midget. Rambler, Falcon and the Chevy II were the next wave of economy cars, long before oil embargoes made front-page headlines. By the mid-Sixties, market demand meant they were here to stay. Among those produced during the late Seventies, the AMC Pacer was an economical giant, in a manner of speaking.

Gracing this page is a 1977 edition, assembled with a standard-issue 232-cu.in. straight-six, the Pacer’s base engine since its 1975 introduction. Featuring a 3.75 x 3.50-inch bore and stroke, 8.0:1 compression ratio and a single-barrel carburetor, it was rated for a fuel-sipping 88hp. The downside to this engine was that it was essentially overtaxed, in part due to the Pacer’s 3,000-plus pounds, without options. By all accounts, however, the optional 258, which offered a better combination of power and economy, was the popular choice among customers. This engine had a longer 3.90-inch stroke that, along with a single-barrel carburetor, was rated for 98hp. By 1977, AMC had made available the two-barrel version that resulted in a horsepower rating of 114.

Party on Wayne? Party on Garth! (Ok, so that was a '72.)