In the summer of 2021, an unrestored, one-of-one 1979 AMC Gremlin AMX prototype appeared at the weekly Bakers of Milford car show in Milford, Mich. The car is owned by Mike Smith, a former employee of American Motors, Jeep and Chrysler Corp. Shortly after appearing at the show, Smith’s prototype was featured in Old Cars.
Smith was pleased with the story on his AMX prototype and subsequently mentioned having knowledge of the whereabouts of an original, one-owner Rallye Red 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda that had been idled since the ’70s. He and the car’s original owner, Mike Gabriel, had worked together at AMC, Jeep and Chrysler Corp. Smith joined Chrysler in 1968, moved to Jeep in 1973, then AMC in 1979. Gabriel had earned his Mechanical Engineering Degree from Michigan Technological University in 1969 and was hired by AMC the same year. The men’s career paths crossed numerous times during vehicle development at these companies. They respected one another and developed a lifelong friendship that lasted until Gabriel passed away in February 2011 at the age of 65.
Over the years, the two of them had brief discussions about Gabriel’s 1970 Hemi ’Cuda. Smith found himself often asking Gabriel the same questions: “Are you doing anything with your Hemi ’Cuda to get it back on the road?” and “Is
