AMC History: The founder of the American Motors Corporation (AMC), Thomas B. Jeffrey, built his first automobile in 1897 and converted the Sterlin Bicycle Factory in Wisconsin to make Ramblers in 1900. Two years later AMC became the second automobile company to mass produce over 1500 vehicles in the U.S. in a year; one year after Oldsmobile and one year before Ford.
When Jeffrey died in 1910 his son Charles took over and the 'Rambler' became the 'Jeffrey' in 1914. In 1916 Charles W. Nash purchased the company and renamed it the Nash Motors Company. And in 1954 Nash merged with Hudson and eventually Kelvinator to form AMC who introduced the Eagle line of vehicles in 1979. American Motors was purchased by Chrysler Corporation in 1987 and they changed brand name from the AMC Eagle to the Eagle Wagon.