My first car was a brand new Grasshopper-green '73 AMC Gremlin! Ok, you (and I) may laugh now but since it was MY very own car it was a wonderful treasure. And it was unique. I loved the big V-8 engine, even though it sucked gass at the rate of about one gallon every 15 miles. I soon realized what that meant during the gas crisis and price increase later that year. Anyway it was my car and soon after it was discontinued in '78 it became a metaphor for junk (later to be followed by the Yugo). But mine was a reliable vehicle for ten years, and my nephew got a few more years out of it too. And although I am not a collector or otherwise obsessed with the Gremlin, it remains a fond part of my past.

Here is my collection of Gremlin sightings in movies, TV programs and commercials.

Movies

"Big Picture, The" (?)

Persuing his dream to be a big Hollywood director, Kevin Bacon is reduced to a delivery boy for "Moonrise Messenger Service" driving a yellow Gremlin.

"Camp Nowhere" (1994)

A yellow one appears about 15 minutes into the film driven by Christopher Lloyd.

"Crocodile Dundee" ('86)

One parked outside the bar he visited his first day in New York.

"Gremlins" ('84)

In the first scene Hoyt Axton walks in front of a broken-down one in fron of the shop.

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (?)

Damone drives a green one.

"Impulse" ('90)

Jeff Fahey sends Theresa Russell to a yellow one for the loot at the end of the movie.

"Innerspace" (1987)

A brown one broken down along the side the road about 10 minutes into the film.

"Marathon Man" ('76)

First car in the first street sceen is a red one.

"Munchies" ('87)

?

"Pretender 2001" ('01)

Jared to Broots " ...not wanting to park the family Gremlin out front"

"Pointe Break" (1991)

Keanneu Reeves runs past a parked green Gremlin halfway through.

"Rush" ('91)

Kristin (Jennifer Jason Leigh) drives a powder blue Gremlin to the construction sitenear the end of the story.

"Terminator" ('84)

Kyle and Sara used a brown one to escape from the police station. It ran out of gas (no kidding!).

"The Wedding Singer" ('98)

Adam Sandler's car, a brown '77.

"Wild Things" ('98)

Bill Murray drives a yellow '77.

"Caroline in the City" (4/4/96) episode ?

Del's Porsche is towed when a movie (directed by John Landis with Brian Denehy and Bobby Benson) is being made in front of Caroline's. When he and Charlie go to the impound lot to get it they find a Gremlin in its place. Charlie, "An AMC Gremlin? America's dream car"? It turns out to be a blue Levi edition model.

"Golden Girls, The"

Rose says "Darn it, I drove a Gremlin!"

"Hogan Family" (?) episode:?

Bert stated that he drives a Gremlin.

"Married ... with Children" episodes

'Turning Japanese'   : Marcy will get a promotion if she can secure Al's Dodge for her Japanese boss's (Shimokawa: Pat Morita) collection. Shimokawa,"I want that '71 Dodge!" Darcy, "You collect classic American cars?" Shimokawa, "No I collect classic American junk. I have a Gremlin, a Pacer and a yellow school bus."

? :Al's brief replacement for his Dodge.

"Simpson"s (?) episodes:

"Terror at 5 1/2 feet" one passes a school bus terrorized by real gremlins

"The way He Was" Marges car

"My Big Fat Geek Wedding "    Skinner's cold feet near the altar also give Edna second thoughts, leading her into a rebound romance with comic-book man, who drives a green Grmelin. Matt Groening has a cameo.

"Pretender" episode: "F/X"

Jarod says " I carved what would later become the AMC Pacer out of a bar of soap."

Commercials

"DiGiorno Pizza" (2002)

The delivery boy exclaims, "I deliver pizza in a heap" and a yellow Gremlin with a big slice of pizza on top drives by.

Embril (2004)

A yellow one behind the guy at the beach.

J.C Penny Father's Day commercial June, 1999

A yellow Gremlin.

Kodak ('98?) "Gremlin"

A young guy uses Kodak imaging products and the internet to find parts for his damaged auto, sell it and ultimately meet a 'babe'. See the press release.

Levi's ('98?)

?

Pep Boys ('98?)

Customer tests clerk with request for parts to obscure cars, "... an egr valve for a '74 Gremlin?"

Sutter Home Wine (?) 12/20/97

The pizza delivery boy has an orange one.

Gremlin Lover's Links
THE AMC LOVERS PAGE
American Motors - Project AMX
The Little Yellow Gremlin Homepage
The 73 Gremlin Page

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