This post was one of the first I wrote for this blog. Substantially revised and updated, it’s now also about twice as long.
“The Eagle has landed … on all fours!”
Essentially (and brilliantly) an AMC Concord with 4-wheel drive, the 1980 Eagle was available in all of the Concord’s body styles, so buyers had a choice between the 2-door sedan, the 4-door sedan, and the 4-door station wagon. The Eagle had a 3-inch taller ride height than the Concord and came with a stone/gravel deflector under the front bumper and 3-inch wide fender flares.
The Eagle came standard with AMC’s 110 bhp 4.2 liter/258 ci inline six with a two-barrel carburetor. A three-speed automatic was the only transmission available to help move the a vehicle with a 3,740-pound curb weight. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 13.2 seconds. Fuel economy ratings were 16 city/19 highway by the day’s standards. With a 22-gallon gas tank, an Eagle owner could expect a range of 285 to 310 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
The AMC Eagle station wagon’s base price was $7,549—about $32,600 in 2025 dollars or a little over what a 2025 Dodge Hornet GT AWD goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included pinstriping, power assisted recirculating ball steering, power front disk/rear drum brakes, and P195/75R15 glass belted radial white sidewall tires on 15-inch pressed steel wheels with styled wheel covers. Inside, individual reclining front seats in Sport vinyl, a folding rear seatback, cargo area carpeting and skid strips, and an electronic digital quartz clock were included.
Moving to the Limited trim level (an extra $400 or so) added individual reclining front seats in Chelsea leather or St. Lauren deep plush fabric, a Luxury woodgrain tilt steering wheel, power door locks, an AM radio, and a lockable cargo area storage compartment. The Limited also included Light Group, Visibility Group, Convenience Group, and Protection Group.
One Package, Individual Options, & Production Numbers
Only available with the 2-door sedan and the station wagon, the Sport Package ($299) included high beam halogen headlamps, Sport fog lamps, dual black remote mirrors, and P195/75R15 Goodyear Tiempo steel belted radial black sidewall tires. Inside, Durham Plaid fabric seat trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel were added. Body pinstriping was deleted, and AMC blacked out everything they could think of—the bumpers (adding nerf strips), the grill, the windshield, the door frames, the lower body moldings (adding 4×4 graphics), the B pillar, the rear liftgate, and the rear taillamp assembly.
Individual options included tinted glass for all windows ($63), air conditioning ($513), cruise control, an electric rear window defroster ($89), and power windows combined with power door locks ($289). Wagon-specific options included woodgrain bodyside panels, a roof rack ($90), and a rear window wiper/washer. An AM/FM multiplex stereo radio was $236.
The Eagle was a significant hit for AMC in 1980, selling over 46,000 units, with the station wagon configuration selling about 56% of that total. AMC would sell them through the 1988 model year for a total of almost 200,000 built.
The View From 2025
AMC Eagles show up with some consistency in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in October 2025, there are no 1980 Eagles, but there is a White 1984 station wagon with 141,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $11,900.
Make mine Russet Metallic, please.
Other AMC/Jeep products I have written about include the 1982 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck, the 1983 Jeep Wagoneer Limited SUV, and the 1983 Renault Alliance sedan.
Last updated October 2025
Eighties Cars 