Double ended Pacer (?) on the Tail of the Dragon

17:20 second mark of this video https://youtu.be/SxssEn54cCY

and 36:58

yet another lazy writer failed at the old "ugly and weird cars" list, and relied yet again on copying all the lists that have went before, the Pacer, Aztec, etc. But Slashgear.com was lazier than most, it called a Pacer a Gremlin

 

https://www.slashgear.com/1940973/ugliest-worst-looking-cars-ever/

the Mirth Machine, because even a 76 Pacer can be a Hollywood movie rock star

You'll want to "Schwing" over to the Gallery Nucleus booth at Comic Con for the 30th anniversary of Waynes World print from Nicholas Bannister

 https://sdccblog.com/2022/07/nucleus-san-diego-comic-con-2022-exclusives/

tgif

https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2015/05/woo-hoo-its-saturday.html

TIL that the State Farm Ins Co agents in Wisconsin had a dozen pacers outfitted with special bicentennial decals, and most likely this is the only one existing, and it's unrestored

Agent Dick Soens, Kenosha, Wis., proposed a unique way to mark this momentous occasion to a group of fellow Wisconsin agents.

“We contacted AMC” says Agent Joe Werwie, Kenosha. “We asked if we could spark enough interest to purchase a special order vehicle, could they create an exterior design for the car that would represent both the Bicentennial, and State Farm.”

Eleven agents and the group’s district manager, John Reindl, placed their orders for the car of choice, a 1976 AMC Pacer. The red, white and blue car would sport a Bicentennial emblem motif on the hood, and each agent’s name and State Farm logo on the side.

Joe drove the plucky Pacer up until 2005. “It was fun when all of us would drive our cars to district meetings,” he adds. “We would draw a lot of attention.”

 It's now featurered in the Kenosha History Center exhibit featuring red, white and blue cars.

https://newsroom.statefarm.com/celebrating-pacer-style/
http://www.kenoshahistorycenter.org/center.html
https://www.facebook.com/103339656424801/posts/when-the-us-celebrated-its-bicentennial-in-1976-several-wisconsin-agents-worked-/2282149515210460/
https://www.kenoshanews.com/get_out/kenosha-history-center-hosting-simmons-summer-kick-off-block-party/article_1e57a049-6a7a-5b87-b5e6-007784f7c0a8.html

Pacer X

Henri Breau, 1926-28 when velodrome racing was a rally big deal, and the French vs Italian contest for national bragging rights of bicyclists was mighty important.

Races of one-hour and 100-mile contests were common in velodromes with steeply banked tracks to allow high-speed racing. After a flying start the cyclists link up with their pacers. Riding counterclockwise, passing can only be done on the right, a blue line separating the longer passing lane from the inner.

The pacer stands or sits upright on the motorcycle to offer a maximum windbreak, and the handlebars are extended to facilitate the stance, in a standardized leather suit that allows for the same slipstream effect for any rider.

Speeds of 62 mph have been reached, though the average is between 37–43 mph.

The first races were limited more by the speed a motorcycle could achieve than the ability of the rider to follow

Motorpace racing was glamorous but dangerous. Falls were common, largely because bicycle tires tended to burst at speed. The riders wore neither helmets nor gloves. They depended on fast reflexes, the rude health of youth, and luck.

Funny how less than a 100 years later, nothing exists to show where or what the big deal was. The velodromes are all gone, the pacer motorcycles are all gone, and so are the bicycles they used to try and break the speed record.

https://www.facebook.com/dreesens/media_set?set=a.1272587299462890.1073742400.100001348978688&type=3&hc_location=ufi

oh good heavens

these special AMC Pacers were used by Southwest sales staff to call on customers in the 1970s, they also had Gremlins.

Probably to return lost luggage

found on http://prova275.tumblr.com/page/26
https://www.airlinereporter.com/2013/03/photos-southwest-boeing-737-200-and-amc-gremlins-awe-yea/

what were they thinking? Never use a name from a prior bad sales vehicle. Pacers and Citations... bad idea to recycle those names. Notice both were Edsel names.

https://www.historicvehicle.org/top-ten-recycledreused-car-names/

In 1973, Pete Rose won the NL MVP award in Baseball. In previous years, winners were given new Corvettes For some reason, that changed

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1393952824192849/

For years Sport Magazine would choose an MVP for each of the major sports championships and award them with a brand new Corvette. Sandy Koufax, Johnny Unitas and Frank Robinson were among the sports icons who walked away with a snazzy Corvette for their athletic accomplishments. At a time when many athletes worked in the off season to make ends meet winning a $5,000 Corvette was a significant prize.

 Strangely, in 1975 Pete Rose was given an AMC Pacer when he was awarded the MVP from Sport. Pete doesn’t look to disappointed about the Pacer, and with a salary of $175,000 he could easily afford any car he wanted
http://blog.collectorcarads.com/sport-magazine-gave-away-corvettes/05/2013/

In 1973 Pete Rose won 3 awards,  Baseball Digest Player of the Year Award,  the Most Valuable Player Award and the Player of the Month Award
In 1975 Pete Rose won 3 awards, the Hickok Belt, the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award, and the 1975 World Series Most Valuable Player Award
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/awards.php?p=rosepe01

So why a Pacer, and not a Corvette? Maybe of the roughly 5 thousand convertibles made for 1975, none were available.

Local workers walked off their jobs five times in the 1970s, sometimes as part of national strikes. Work issues aside, local GMAD employees also suffered through an energy recession and struggling auto sales that caused on-and-off layoffs from January through March 1974 and again in January 1975.

Or maybe, someone hated Pete so much they wanted to snub him publicly

Pete Rose, Baseball's Charlie Hustle, page 108, 109

A couple AMC advertisements I haven't seen before

Found on https://www.facebook.com/HistoricVehicleAssociation

a pacer and damn proud of it by the look of him

but why a tiny little kid is out behind him? Don't know

found on http://whiteblackgrey.tumblr.com/

I didn't even know about pacers til a week ago: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/12/mighty-big-beast-clearing-wind-for.html

mighty big beast clearing the wind for the bicyclist's attempt at high speed pedaling

Found on http://carrosantigos.wordpress.com/

and I just found a post from http://goodsparkgarage.com from May 2012 that goes into a report on it

 see more at http://goodsparkgarage.com/motorcycles-bicycles-in-motor-paced-racing/

where they do a thorough job of explaining the event, the reason the motorcycles are modified to have the rider over the rear tire, the handlebars so long, and the rider... up right. To punch a hole through the air the bicyclist could draft in.

 in a more modern example of 1952... 50 years after the old images here, the motorcycle has a big shield, and did not rearrange the seat and handlebars. But look at the bicycle, that ring gear? 2 foot side? the front forks are reversed too

Pacer on the streets of San Diego, wanting to "Defend Hawaii" WTH? From what? Aliens in the movie Battleship?

76 Pacer, in Germany, rescued from a backyard and going to get a 401

air shocks and shackles for now to get it on the road, and a 401 next winter to rasie hell with. That will be one amazing ride! Thanks Pascal!

A car normally found on the "Ugliest cars made" lists... it has a look "only a ma" could love - thinks the owner

 

I don't think these are ugly.. different and unusual, yes, but not ugly