Before wheel slip detection and torque-vectoring software, the AMC Eagle revolutionized the 4WD world with its viscous coupling transfer case.
Sadly, financial hardships and a lack of updates prevented this hero from saving American Motors Corporation.
Ed. note — my folks had an Eagle wagon at some point during my childhood in the late ’80s — not sure on the MY, but it may have been an ’86. We never went off-road in it that I can remember. Also, a shoutout to TTAC contributor, Ronnie Schreiber, for helping with this video.
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A transcript, cleaned up by AI and edited by a human staffer, is below.
[Image: YouTube Screenshot]
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Transcript:
It was a different time. Ronald Reagan was in the White House, The A-Team was on television, and a small company in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was building one of the most American cars ever made. Buckle your seat belts — we’re going back in time.
I apologize in advance to muscle car owners, but this might be the most American car of all. After all, you can’t compete with a name like the American Motors Eagle. It’s patriotic, it’s tough, and it has four-wheel drive. Like G.I. Joe, it’s a real American hero.
Back in the late ’70s, AMC hit a financial rough patch and didn’t have the money to design the new cars it desperately needed. Roy Lund, a clever engineer from the company’s Jeep division, tested the idea of adding four-wheel drive to their existing cars. This inexpensive solution would give AMC something GM, Ford, and Chrysler didn’t have. Management approved, and by 1980, Eagles were rolling out of AMC’s Wisconsin factory.
The wagon was the most popular body style. This 1986 model features the brand’s familiar quad headlamps, egg-crate grille, and AMC’s signature chrome paddle door handles. With several inches of lift over the AMC Concord on which it was based, the Eagle had a strong, aggressive stance that made it appear larger than it really was. Rather than spend money on a full redesign, AMC added plastic fender flares to fill the wheel gaps created by the higher ride height.
Inside, the compact-car origins are obvious. Rear seat space is adequate but not generous, while front occupants will find the windshield unusually close compared to modern designs. Still, there’s something comforting about the plush, brightly colored carpets of old cars — even if the red clashes a bit with the faux wood trim.
To test its off-road credibility, we took the Eagle wagon up the side of a small mountain. It’s not a Jeep — there’s no low-speed transfer case and less ground clearance than a Wrangler or Cherokee — but it handled every obstacle we faced. Puddles, rocks, mud — the Eagle conquered them all. Bigger bumps made it shake like a bowl of jelly, but it never got stuck.
The car’s capability comes from its “Select Drive” system. Power flows through a viscous coupling — a set of plates surrounded by silicone fluid. When one wheel loses traction, the difference in speed makes the silicone resist, forcing all the plates to turn together. Instead of sending power to the wheel with the least resistance, the system distributes torque between the front and rear axles, allowing both to cooperate.
With the traction of an SUV but the drivability of a car, the Eagle offered owners the best of both worlds.
Back on pavement, the Select Drive system continued to impress. We drove all day in four-wheel drive without any binding or noise, and switching out of four-wheel drive was as simple as pressing a button — no locking hubs or levers required. The viscous coupling even allowed use on dry pavement without damage, which, realistically, is where most owners drove these cars.
Power came from AMC’s seven-main-bearing inline-six. The 4.2-liter carbureted engine produced a modest 112 horsepower, paired with a Chrysler-sourced three-speed automatic. The Eagle could get you just about anywhere — just not quickly.
Every hero has an Achilles heel, and the Eagle’s was age. Its performance was fine when it debuted in 1980, but as horsepower and fuel economy improved elsewhere, the Eagle began to feel old-fashioned. By the mid-1980s, it was still wearing bodywork derived from the 1978 Concord — which itself came from the 1970 Hornet. Even AMC’s talented designers couldn’t disguise its age, especially as buyers flocked to modern cars like the Ford Taurus.
It’s ironic that a car with one of the world’s most advanced four-wheel drive systems would have such an outdated body and powertrain. As Ken Burns might say, heroes are full of contradictions. But the Eagle wasn’t a person — it was a car, and the market can be unforgiving.
Adding to the irony, the Eagle’s transfer case was sourced from England, and the cars were built in Canada. Significant updates might have saved it, but AMC’s finances were stretched thin. When Chrysler purchased AMC in 1987, Eagle production continued only long enough to use up remaining parts — hardly a heroic ending.
In a 1980 technical paper, Roy Lund wrote that many consumers were buying four-wheel drive vehicles for the sense of security they offered on highways, even though most were designed for off-road use. He suggested there might be a market for a new kind of vehicle — one that combined the comfort and efficiency of a car with the capability of a 4WD system. Replace “Eagle” with “Escape,” “CR-V,” or “Crosstrek,” and it’s clear he predicted the future.
For decades, Americans bought Explorers, Tahoes, and Grand Cherokees, only to realize most of us don’t need hardcore off-roaders — just cars with a bit more ground clearance and all-wheel drive. As crossovers dominate today’s market, we’ve come full circle — right down to the plastic fender flares. Maybe AMC really was onto something.
In the end, the Society of Automotive Engineers recognized Roy Lund with an award for his work. Many cars outsold the Eagle, but few have outlasted its influence. It blazed a trail — both literally and figuratively — and remains a real American hero.
Special thanks to Ronnie Schreiber of CarsInDepth.com for providing images and information used in this video.
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