The Pacer was designed by Dick Teague, who also designed the 1955 Packards based on the 1951 body. The Pacer was his final design for AMC before he retired.
Yes, it was supposed to have a Wankel engine, but in fairness, the first energy crises killed the Wankel as it had a reputation for poor fuel mileage. Not only GM pulled the plug, but so did European manufacturers who were also going to use it. The Triumph TR-7 was supposed to offer a Wankel option, but it also got killed along with the Pacer.
Craig