page_title: AMC Matador
section_title: Matador Coupe
hierarchical_section_title: AMC Matador / International markets / Australia / Matador Coupe
caption_attribution_description: Rambler Matador X
context_page_description: The AMC Matador is a car model line manufactured and marketed by American Motors Corporation across two generations, 1971–1973 and 1974–1978, in two-door hardtop, coupe, four-door sedan and station wagon body styles.
  With its second generation, the Matador became AMC's largest automobile after the 1974 discontinuation of the Ambassador that shared the same platform. Premium trim levels of the second generation Matador coupe were marketed as the Barcelona and Oleg Cassini positioning the coupe in the personal luxury segment.
  Abroad, Matadors were also marketed under the Rambler marque and were assembled under license, including in Mexico by Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos and in Australia with right-hand-drive by Australian Motor Industries.
context_section_description: A fully imported AMC Matador X Coupe was presented at the Melbourne International Motor Show in 1974 to gauge interest. The evaluation car was converted from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive by an outside company for the show. AMI dealers announced that there would only be 80 assembled. One media outlet reporting on the show stated that "As an indication that U.S cars are now very passe, most showgoers drifted by with hardly a glance for the car, preferring to paw over the bread-and-butter Toyota range." Other media reports were more positive stating that they expected the model to sell out quick. 
  Although AMI received 160 knock-down kits for the all new Matador Coupe in 1974, AMI did not assemble them until late 1976, and by that time 70 were intentionally destroyed leaving 80 still able to be assembled, with another 10 held as parts. Priced at $11,986.00 the model was marketed through 1977, sold for the one year only. Australian models came with AMC's 360 cu-in V-8 with three-speed automatic transmission, the U.S Matador X sports steering wheel, and bucket seats. Air conditioning, electric antenna, and AM-FM radio were all standard. Because of the low production numbers (under 100) AMI were able to avoid having to re-engineer the left hand drive wiper sweep to right hand drive as they had done on the Matador sedans and wagons after 1974. All Australian models were badged as the sportier Matador X.
  As with all factory RHD export and kit-assembled RHD Rebel and Matador sedans and wagons, the Australian Matador coupe used the dash of the 1967 Rambler Ambassador, although the instrument dials, center column, and steering wheel were from the U.S. 1974 model. Again, to satisfy Australian design rules, the red rear turn signal lenses were replaced with an off-the-shelf round orange lens replacing the inner tail light and rewired to flash amber, leaving the outer lens as tail light and brake light.
caption: Australian Matador X Coupe. Generic orange lenses replaced the original red lenses for the turn signals
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