Designed by Richard Teague, the AMC Pacer was to be an all new compact car, with both cutting edge styling and mechanics. Although the Pacer was compact in length, it was not so compact in width and was known as the 'first wide small car'. Its design was partially intended to equip it for stringent new Federal crash regulations which demanded side impact protection, and also to create a roomy small car. It was given rack and pinion steering, independent front suspension by double wishbones, and almost got the General Motors Wankel engine. AMC even planned to develop the Curtiss-Wright Wankel engine into their own unit and replace the GM Rotary. However when GM realised that the Wankel engine was not fuel efficient and also emitted high levels of NO2 the GM Wankel was gone and AMC had to power the Pacer with its own 3.8-litre inline six at the 1975 launch. The engine was a tight squeeze and gave poor fuel economy in car that was so heavy with all its glass. A 4.2-litre engine was given as an option, and from 1978 a 5.0-litre V8 was available. The Pacer's unique body style with a longer door on the passenger side was supplemented with a 5 inches longer Station Wagon body from 1977, and a taller grille from 1978. Production ended in 1980 after sales (280,000) had dramatically collapsed, and it never sold enough to repay its tooling.