3. AMC EAGLE
It’s often interesting to see how some car manufacturers were ahead of their time. One of those manufacturers is the American Motors Company (AMC). One of their models was the Eagle, a passenger car lineup with a Jeep-derived all-wheel drive (via Silodrome). Also, it had great off-road capabilities in the form of a regular sedan, wagon or even a coupe. AMC conceived it in the late ’70s as their answer to the rising popularity of AWD vehicles and SUVs.
AMC wanted to combine their compact sedan and wagon lineup with the tough and proven Jeep AWD system. The result was a surprisingly capable vehicle with the comfort and luxury of a sedan. It had compact dimensions, a relatively low weight, and rugged off-road characteristics. The Eagle was one of the first crossover models in the world. It’s only today that people can see how important and influential this car was. AMC produced the Eagle with standard AWD.