VAM Gremlin History

When Javelin production ended in 1973 and factory capacity opened, VAM introduced the Gremlin for 1974 — four years after AMC's US launch. Mexican Gremlins were assembled under license with locally made engines re-engineered for Mexico's lower-octane gasoline and higher altitudes, per government content requirements. The Gremlin proved highly popular, becoming VAM's second-bestselling nameplate behind only the American.

When AMC retired the Gremlin name in the United States after 1978, VAM did not follow suit. Instead, the Mexican Gremlin continued from 1979 through 1983 wearing its established name but underpinned by AMC's newer Spirit platform — a practical market decision that leveraged strong brand recognition VAM had built over five years. A sporty Gremlin X variant was offered during the Mexican production run.

The last Mexican Gremlins were built in 1983 under Renault's ownership of VAM, making the Mexican Gremlin's run fully nine years — one of the longest AMC-derived production runs in any market.