Rare Wagon Find: The 1979 AMC Pacer DL Wagon That Put Glass Before Aerodynamics

Few cars from the 1970s are as instantly recognizable as the AMC Pacer, and among Pacer fans the wagon body style is the rarest of the breed. This 1979 Pacer DL Wagon, currently listed for sale in Redding, California at $5,000, is a solid-looking example that reportedly runs but comes with a fuel leak the seller says needs prompt attention.

American Motors launched the Pacer midway through the 1975 model year as a boldly different compact. Its rounded, almost bubble-like greenhouse and unusually generous glass area earned it the lasting nickname “Flying Fishbowl,” along with a handful of less flattering labels. What the Pacer lacked in conventional proportions it made up for in passenger space and visibility, offering more interior room and glass than rivals in its class.

A station wagon variant joined the lineup in 1977, just three years before the model was discontinued in 1980. Over its five-year run the Pacer found roughly 280,000 buyers, but the final years were lean: only about 10,000 units were built for 1979, and roughly 70 percent of those were wagons, making this body style the most common Pacer of its last production year by default. This particular car wears DL trim, which brought extra cosmetic flourish over the base version.

Details on this example are thin. The listing offers little documentation and few photographs, and does not show the engine bay. Most Pacers of this era carried an inline-six paired with an automatic transmission, which is the likely setup here. The odometer may read around 90,000 miles, though the seller admits the figure is uncertain. The dark green paint and body present well in photos, and the single interior shot also looks tidy.

The main known issue is the gasoline leak, which prospective buyers should treat as a priority fix. With any luck it stems from nothing worse than a failing fuel line. For collectors who gravitate toward the offbeat corners of American motoring, a late-production Pacer wagon in decent cosmetic condition at this price is a tempting entry point. Would this one earn a spot in your garage?