Robert Beverley Evans Sr. (19 March 1906 – 17 August 1998) was an automobile industry executive, a prominent Republican, an industrialist, a socialite, and an avid sportsperson.

[7] Evans described himself in a New York Times interview as a relaxed Detroit millionaire who has spent 35 years specializing in the reconstruction of "sick companies.

[19] Unlike the then existing management at AMC, Evans freely criticized the leadership under George W. Romney "for failing to adjust to a changing market" and started to "shake things up in Kenosha" as solutions to the automaker's problems.

American Motors struggled during 1966, a year considered "the biggest auto boom in history," and was counting on its redesigned 1967 models; however, Evans admitted one month before their introduction that "we are still very much in a questionable period.

Evans always encouraged the styling and engineering staff to do things differently - to try new ideas and find new ways to design and build cars.

[16] Evans is credited as the champion for AMC to build production versions of the concept cars that made up the "Project IV" showings designed to stimulate public interest in the automaker.

[23] Evans was particularly fond of the two-seat Vignale AMX show car that was smaller than the Ford Mustang and more like a Chevrolet Corvette rival, promoting for its production to all that he could.

[25] Evans saw opportunities for sporty AMC cars in the rapidly growing more youthful consumer market segments,[26] as well as to shed its "economy-car image.