Rare Rides: This AMC From 1981 is Pure Brougham and Very Targa

Corey Lewis
by Corey Lewis
rare rides this amc from 1981 is pure brougham and very targa

Today’s Rare Ride is fairly old compared to the rest of the cars in this series, and it’s the first look at quirky and long-expired manufacturer American Motors Corporation (AMC).

A few years before being swallowed up by Chrysler in its desire to own Jeep, AMC produced this very unique PLC-TC, or Personal Luxury Coupe Targa Convertible.

Come and have a look.

For the 1981 and 1982 model years, you could buy two different convertibles from AMC. The Eagle Sundancer had four-wheel drive, like the other Eagle models. The other option was the Concord Sundancer we have here today. The standard Concord and Eagle were sent to Griffith for this factory-authorized conversion.

This particular brown beast is a well-equipped and brougham Limited trim, which makes it all the more special. According to Wikipedia, AMC ordered less than 200 total Eagle and Concord Sundancers. The ad for today’s ride says fewer than 100 of them were Concords.

This example has done 110,000 miles, which any owner of a Malaise-era mobile will tell you is quite a few. And it shows.

But the matching brown on brown color scheme still shines through in the finest of brougham traditions. The ultra-realistic plood will still greet you every time you fire up that old 4.2-liter inline-six engine.

You’ll spend roughly 10 minutes removing the roof panel, peeling away the rear tarp, and stowing the pieces. But behold, an open air PLC! Not even Porsche could replicate something this [s]cool[/s] unusual and interesting.

And there’s space for four full-figured Americans in here, relaxing in ruched comfort.

The Sundancer is listed out of Ballwin, Missouri, and the seller is asking just $2,358. Pair it with the value-priced Daihatsu Charade from our last Rare Rides, and you’re ready for any economical or luxurious outing you may desire.

[Photos via seller]

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  • JimC2 JimC2 on Jun 04, 2017

    Ah, looking back on the twilight of AMC seems sad. Practically all of their cars were some weird looking body style or other with a 258 straight six, driving some or all of the wheels through a torqueflite (which wasn't a bad thing), and drinking a lot of gas while for not much forward progress. In a sense, their styling is timeless. The cartoonish wheels and excessive ground clearance look just as odd today as they did almost forty years ago.

  • 427Cobra 427Cobra on Jun 05, 2017

    what do you say when your don't know what to say... Covfefe????

  • Kat Laneaux What's the benefits of this as opposed to the Ford or Nissan. Will the mileage be better than the 19 city, 24 hwy? Will it cost less than the average of $60,000? Will it be a hybrid?
  • Johnster Minor quibble. The down-sized full-sized 1980-only Continental (which was available with Town Car and Town Coupe trims) gave up its name in 1981 and became the Town Car. The name "Town Coupe" was never used after the 1980 model year. The 1981 Lincoln Town Car was available with a 2-door body style, but the 2-door Lincoln Town Car was discontinued and not offered for the 1982 model year and never returned to the Lincoln lineup.
  • Zipper69 Some discreet dwebadging and this will pass for a $95k Lucid Air...
  • Zipper69 Does it REALLY have to be a four door?Surely a truly compact vehicle could stick with the half-door access with jump seats for short term passengers.
  • ToolGuy See kids, you can keep your old car in good condition.
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