On December 3, 1979, the last Pacer rolled off the assembly
line at the American Motors Corporation (AMC) factory in
Kenosha, Wisconsin.

By 1979, however, sales had faded considerably. Today,
polls and experts agree: The Pacer was one of the worst
cars of all time.

By the end of the 1960s, AMC was the only surviving
independent automaker in the United States.

Despite (or perhaps because of) its bad reputation, the
Pacer has also earned a spot in pop-culture history.

In January 1954, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation began the
acquisition of the Hudson Motor Car Company (in what
was called a merger).

The new corporation would be called the American Motors
Corporation. An earlier corporation with the same name, co-
founded by Louis Chevrolet, had existed in Plainfield, New
Jersey, from 1916 through 1922 before merging into the
Bessemer–American Motors Corporation.

On November 26, 1948, the first “Land Camera”—better known
today as the instant Polaroid camera—went on sale at Jordan
Marsh department store in Boston for $89.75.

The invention of Edwin H. Land, who had enrolled at Harvard
to study physics in 1926, but dropped out to conduct his own
research, becomes an instant hit and sells out within minutes
that first day.

The camera, dubbed Model 95A, debuted the technology of
instant photography decades before modern digital photos.

Edwin Herbert Land (May 7, 1909 – March 1, 1991)       
        
        
       

Now, retro-style Polaroid cameras are made and sold
today, for people who love the nostalgic feel of instant-
yet-still-physical photography that pre-dates the internet
and cell phone era.

On October 16, 1958, Chevrolet began to sell a car-truck hybrid
that it called the El Camino. Inspired by the Ford Ranchero,
which had already been on the market for two years, the El
Camino was a combination sedan-pickup truck built on the
Impala body, with the same “cat’s eye” taillights and dramatic
rear fins.

On September 14, 1964, the Kellogg’s Company began selling
the Pop-Tart. The innovative portable-breakfast-treat-turned-
anytime-snack would go on to sell billions annually and help
redefine the breakfast food market.

It all started when one of Kellogg’s biggest competitors, Post
Consumer Brands, trumpeted to the press that it had created
an innovative new breakfast item: a shelf-stable, fruit-filled,
handheld toaster pastry called “Country Squares.”

It sounded like the ultimate grab-and-go convenience food.
Anticipation ran high. Problem was, their pastry wasn’t quite
ready for market.

While Post dragged its feet on the actual product release,
Kellogg’s—having heard the announcement, rushed to push
out its own version.

Original vintage magazine ad for Coca Cola in 1907.