Life saver: 1973 AMC Gremlin Hurst Rescue System 1

The listing from Poland concerns an extremely unusual vehicle: an AMC Gremlin configured as a Hurst Rescue System 1, presented as a surviving example of one of the most eccentric and least-known projects of the early 1970s American automotive industry. The term “Redvue” found in the advertisement should be read simply as a typographical error, with the correct designation being Rescue System 1. Rather than a stylistic exercise, this car belongs to a very specific and experimental niche, where a compact production vehicle was adapted for emergency-response duties.

The Rescue System 1 was developed by Hurst Performance, a company best known for performance components and for pioneering hydraulic extrication tools later known as the Jaws of Life. The idea was to create a compact, agile rescue vehicle capable of reaching accident scenes or motorsport events faster than conventional heavy rescue trucks. Using the AMC Gremlin as a base, Hurst equipped the car with rescue and firefighting gear, extrication tools, reinforced bumpers, and a winch. Production was extremely limited, with estimates suggesting fewer than ten units were built, some of which were genuinely used by volunteer rescue teams in the United States.

The example offered for sale in Poland is described by the seller as one of the very few survivors. It is said to be fitted with a 5.0-liter V8 and an automatic transmission, showing around 85,000 km after restoration. Beyond the mechanical details, its significance lies in what it represents: not a conventional collector car, nor a custom built for aesthetics alone, but a piece of industrial and functional history. It stands at the intersection of automobile design, emergency technology, and early 1970s experimentation. Find it for sale at PLN 130,000 (today $36,500) here in Warszawa, Poland.

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