[7] Features included enhanced sound-deadening and corrosion protection as well as lightweight aluminum bumpers, lock-up automatic transmission converter, and higher-compression six-cylinder camshaft and pistons for economy, performance, and emissions.

[12] The package also had a rear spoiler, and other sporty features that offered AMC to have a competitor in design, style, price, size, and performance to the new-for-1979 Fox-based Ford Mustang.

"[16] A Popular Mechanics survey of one-thousand owners after they had driven their cars a total of 795,733 miles (1,280,608 km) gave their Spirits "a strong vote of confidence as a basically fine automobile - good-looking, great handling, economical, smooth-riding, and quite comfortable for two people.

This included aluminized trim screws, plastic inner fender liners, galvanized steel in every exterior body panel, and a deep-dip (up to the window line) bath in epoxy-based primer.

[25] AMC tied these applications into its warranty program and the Spirit was advertised as "One Tough American Economy car" highlighting its galvanized steel in every exterior body panel.

[29] Trying to differentiate their cars from the competition, and to make a point that the "Tough Americans" come with Ziebart rustproofing and a five-year rust warranty, the ads show a new Spirit dropped into 30 feet (9 m) of saltwater.

[31] For the 1983 model year, AMC introduced the new Renault Alliance, which was a much more modern, space-efficient, fuel-efficient, front-wheel-drive subcompact car than the rear-drive Spirit, with its 14-year-old platform.

[32] The Fuego had distinctive styling, four-passenger room, fuel economy (U.S. EPA rated at 39 mpg‑US (6.0 L/100 km; 47 mpg‑imp) on the highway), and it received good reviews in the automotive media.

[35] Spirit AMX model featured special body color-matched fender flares and front air dam, "Rally-Tuned" suspension with 1.06 in (27 mm) front and 0.75 in (19 mm) rear sway bars, high-effort power steering gears, front and rear three-way adjustable "Strider" Gabriel (brand name) shock absorbers,[36] heavy-duty semi-metallic 10.8 in (274 mm) front disk brakes with ribbed 10x1.2-inch (254x30.5 mm) rear drum brakes, unique AMX grille, "Turbocast II" 14x7-inch aluminum road wheels with ER60x14 Goodyear "Flexten" GT radial RWL (raised white letter) tires, rear spoiler, special striping package, hood and door decals, console shifted automatic or manual transmission with "Rallye Gauge" package (total of eight dials including an intake-manifold vacuum gauge), as well as simulated aluminum dash overlays with AMX badge on the glove compartment door.

With the required emission devices and lowered compression ratios, the car felt adequately powered and could still deliver highway fuel economy ratings of about 20 mpg‑US (12 L/100 km; 24 mpg‑imp).

Two street-stock cars (both with AMC 304 cu in (4.98 L) and four-speed manual transmissions) were supplied to "Team Highball" for Group One race modifications less than three weeks before a transport ship would sail to Europe.

[49][50][51] AMC Spirits also campaigned in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Champion Spark Plug Challenge and Racing Stock Class events.

[52] On 1 June 1979, an AMC Spirit driven by Dennis Shaw and Don Whittington won the 6-Hour Champion Spark Plug Challenge at the Daytona International Speedway covering 151 laps and a distance of 933.162 km (579.840 mi) averaging 155.101 km/h (96.375 mph).

[53] A team consisting of Lou Statzer, Amos Johnson, and Dennis Shaw ran a Spirit AMX 84 laps in the GTX class at the 28th Annual Coca-Cola 12 Hours of Sebring on 22 March 1980.

[72] This included a MOD 1 Stirling powered 1979 AMC Spirit engineering test vehicle built by Mechanical Technology to develop and demonstrate practical alternatives.

[86] This meant that the two Spirit body styles in Mexico were two separate lines within VAM's product mix with the sedan targeted at the economy market segment while the liftback was almost exclusively focused towards performance.

The Gremlin X model included a Hurst linkage for the manual transmission, power steering, bumper guards, wheel trim rings, narrow longer volcano hubcaps, blacked-out side glass and door window frames, wider 70X14 radial tires, front fender "4.2 Litros" decals, a sports grille designed by VAM, tinted windshield, AMC's three-arm spoked sports steering wheel with a VAM logo on the horn button, light group (lighter, glove box, courtesy, and hood), bright molding package (rocker panels, wheel lips, and drip rails), digital tachometer and retractable three-point seatbelts instead of the non-retractable fixed units.

[88] The downturn of the Mexican economy early in 1982 and a government decree banning the importation of "luxury" automotive accessories hit the country's auto industry.

The X model saw the return of side decals in the form of four thin stripes starting at the base of the B-pillar trim molding and running all the way to the front edge of the fenders near the marker lights.

The model was restricted to a three-speed automatic transmission with the addition of the AMX/GT's console-type shifter boot and the rear differential changed to a 3.07:1 ratio as used the year before with the now-unavailable four-speed manual.

Both versions shared all-new impressive Recardo-type reclining bucket seats with adjustable headrests, all-new door panels in vinyl with cloth and carpet inserts, but they no longer had map pouches, AMC's barred grille design used in the Eagle models made in aluminum instead of plastic, international symbols on the instrument cluster warning lights, the high beams switch integrated to the steering column, a new leather-wrapped sports steering wheel design with six fake Allen bolts on the horn button forming a hexagon, AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers as standard equipment and higher quality dashboard woodgrain panels.

The optional equipment list was vastly improved; the set of power door locks and windows that debuted the year before in the American (Concord) line became available in the Rally.

The optional equipment list for the Rally AMX included air conditioning, automatic transmission, intermittent wipers, reading dome light, rear defroster, sports steel wheels, electric antenna, power door locks, and power windows; the list of the Rally GT was restricted to the electric locks and windows only while the rest of the accessories were standard except for the unavailable automatic transmission and air conditioning.

The car featured bright trim on the rocker panels, wheel lips, drip rails, B-pillar molding plus door and side glass bases.

To enhance the luxury appointments of the line, a fender-mounted electric antenna was made standard equipment so the AMX's sporty roof-mounted diagonal design would not be present.

Among its unique characteristics, the Rally SST included side armrest safety reflectors and a sun visor with a lighted vanity mirror from the factory, which were unavailable in the AMXs and GTs.

The interior of the Rally SST was the same as the one of the GTs and AMXs with the only exceptions of the center console having an open compartment in place of the auxiliary gauges and the quartz electric digital clock instead of both tachometer types.

The final list of equipment for the Rally SST consisted of a tinted windshield, intermittent wipers, rear defroster, electric antenna, a full light group including a reading dome light, AM-FM stereo radio, quartz clock, a center console with a compartment, armrest, and a rear ashtray, lighted vanity mirror, side armrest safety reflectors, cigarette lighter, front ashtray, locking glove box, leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, inside hood release, air conditioning, parcel shelf, power door locks, power windows, power trunk release, dual remote-controlled mirrors, reclining bucket seats, retractable seatbelts, and removable trunk cover.

The Recaro-type seats received new patterns with a smaller bucket shape to allow an easier in and out of the car on the driver's side (due to the lack of a tilt steering column).

VAM managed to find a local company to reproduce the center console, but it was reduced to the shifter and gauges portions, deleting the armrest with the rear ashtray.