1980-’88 AMC Eagle: The proto-crossover 4x4 station wagon has a new generation anteing up

This quietly attractive American Motors station wagon, riding high on a lifted suspension, shared showroom space with Jeep's rugged and posh Grand Wagoneer in the 1980s. Looking back with 30-plus years of hindsight, both of those often faux-wood-clad 4x4 family vehicles have found themselves with a new fan base, and top-quality examples have enjoyed rising values. The Eagle may not yet have achieved the Nantucket/Hamptons-beach-house-car prestige of its Jeep cousin, but it's already proven itself an appreciating collectible.

On the heels of Subaru bringing its part-time four-wheel-drive- equipped cars to the U.S. in the 1970s, AMC executives worked with U.K.-based Ferguson Formula to develop a full-time, roadgoing-biased four-wheel- drive system to underpin the Hornet family of vehicles. When the new Eagle line launched for 1980, its variants were some of the first mass-market, unit-body, full-time 4x4 cars in production. Among the original Eagles, only the Concord-based four-door sedan and station wagon would remain available through the end in 1988. The practical long-roof version has the most wide-ranging appeal, and its tall stance and plush interior appointments forecasted the prevalent "crossover" wagon trend—think Subaru Outback, Volvo Cross Country, Audi all-road—by more than a decade.

When the well-equipped Eagle wagon premiered, it cost $7,718, the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $24,175. This was the most popular body style from the start, handily outselling the 1980 Eagle two- and four-door sedans. Capably powered by the sturdy corporate 258-cu.in. straight-six backed by a three-speed automatic, this car sent its power to both axles through a self-adjusting viscous coupling-controlled transfer case. Four-cylinder/manual transmission options would follow, along with short-lived short wheelbase variants, but for most American Motors shoppers, the wagon would remain the Eagle of choice.

By 1985, this model—in both standard, and leather-lined, woodgrain-trimmed Limited varieties—had a new Select Drive four-wheel-drive system that could disengage the front wheels on the fly for improved economy; the respective $11,217 and $11,893 price tags made them the most expensive cars in AMC dealer showrooms. The last Eagle and Eagle Limited wagons were built in December 1987, registered as 1988 models, and at that time, their MSRPs represented between $27,000 and $29,000 in today's dollars. Just shy of 200,000 AMC Eagle cars would be built, and the majority of them—around 119,000—were wagons.

The survival rate of these Eagles is reasonable, as American Motors had good rustproofing procedures in place when they left the factory. By the late 1990s, the wagons had already reached their nadir of depreciation, and by the turn of the century, were starting to rebound. In 2010, the Eagle wagon was valued notably higher than its siblings; NADA gave the 1980 4x4 wagon a low-to-high retail range of $3,125-$8,400, when a two-door sedan version was worth between $1,875 and $5,575. This is still valid a decade on: That same wagon has a range of $7,900- $16,500, compared to the two-door's $4,550-$13,350.

So, if you want all-weather capability and comfort in a North American-built, retro-stylish package, the AMC Eagle wagon should be on your short list—thankfully, these pages contain examples covering a range of conditions and prices.