AMC Hornet

The AMC Hornet is a compact automobile manufactured and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1970 through 1977 model years in two- and four-door sedan, station wagon, and hatchback coupe configurations. The Hornet replaced the compact Rambler American line, marking the end of the Rambler marque in the United States and Canadian markets.

The Hornet became significant for AMC in not only being a top seller during its production, but also a car platform serving the company in varying forms through the 1988 model year. Introduced in late 1969, AMC quickly earned a high rate of return for its development investment for the Hornet. The platform became the basis for AMC's subcompact Gremlin, luxury compact Concord, liftback and sedan Spirit, and the innovative all-wheel drive AMC Eagle. Its design would also outlast domestic competitors' compact platforms, including the Chevrolet Nova, Ford Maverick, and Plymouth Valiant.

The AMC Hornet also served as an experimental platform for alternative fuel and other automotive technologies. Hornets were campaigned at various motorsports events with some corporate support. A hatchback model also starred in an exceptional stunt jump in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

Hornets were marketed in foreign markets and were assembled under license agreements between AMC and local manufacturers—for example, with Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM), Australian Motor Industries (AMI), and Toyota S.A. Ltd. in South Africa.

Hudson Motor Car Company introduced the first Hornet in 1951 as a performance model featuring the automaker's new "H-145" engine. The automaker formed a stock car racing team centered on the car, and the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" soon became famous for its wins and stock-car title sweeps between 1951 and 1954. Hornets "dominated stock car racing in the early-1950s, when stock car racers actually drove regular production stock cars." The Hudson Hornet car inspired Paul Newman's Doc Hudson movie character.

American Motors retained rights to the "Hornet" name during the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) resolution on factory-supported racing from 1957 until 1962. This was initiated by the AMA to limit the auto industry's horsepower race and corporate sponsorship of racing to glamorize speed or performance. Thus, the Hornet was dormant from 1958 until 1969 when AMC introduced a new compact car line for the 1970 model year.

The Hornet name has since become steeped in history, not only for being a motorsport legend that was later immortalized in movies, but also because it was a "game changer" for AMC as the compact-size Hornet platform became the base for new market segments.

The rights to the "Hornet" nameplate were then passed to Chrysler with that company's acquisition of AMC in 1987. The nameplate has been through several unrealized uses by Chrysler since then. The Hornet nameplate was reintroduced for the 2023 model year as a compact SUV marketed under the Dodge brand.