Seeing this RHD Amby shot in Australia (by john875) creates that same sort of parallel-universe effect induced by lots of Australian cars. Is this one really an American car? It has all the hallmarks of so many Australian Fords, Holdens and Chryslers of the seventies; obviously, it started as a mid-sized car that had its front end stretched to create an impression of greater prestige. Also, the roof line has been updated to look more like contemporary big American cars, and the grille is a bit odd. It all works reasonably well enough, but it’s pretty obvious this didn’t originate in Bill Mitchell’s studios. Are we sure this isn’t a Chrysler Valiant CH? Or a Fairlane ZXGLQ?
Those wheel covers always reminded me of the metal tins that frozen pot pies come in. They were optional on Matadors all the way to the end of production in ’78.
The roof looks like the Plymouth VIP,I see a lot of look a likes in American cars was there so me industrial espionage going on?It’s a nice looker,I saw quite a few RHD AMC cars as a kid in late 60s/early 70s Britain,Ramblers were sold here until about 1970.Thanks for showing me another new one Paul.
Strange coincidence then you mentionned that. I posted on a text about a 1967 Plymouth VIP where Richard Teague designer at AMC could had been inspired from the 1967 Mopar C-bodies.
Oh my. I’ve got a new car on my wish list.
This may be my very favorite AMC car. Sometimes I think Kenosha Wisconsin was as far away from Detroit as Australia is.
My parents have a 1970 Rebel just about exactly like that. The similarities are eerie! They’ve had the Rebel for about 20 years now.
The Rebel is pretty much identical from the firewall back.
My oldest brother bought one of these new. Bright red, 360, black corduroy bucket seat interior. Very nice car.
AMC built some RHD Ambassadors for the postal service in 1968.
The RHD post office Ambassadors were 1967 models, not 1968s.
AMC cars are often overlooked,the only ones people remember are the Gremlin and Pacer.This Ambassador the Rebels and Javelins were great lookers and could slug it out with the opposition at the race track and drag strip.Loved my 69 secretary’s special dark green Javelin 6 cylinder,great looks reliable for a 12 year old car and not too thirsty
Sounds like a good car. Do you have any pictures of it?
I had some photos of my cars and bikes but a lot were lost in many moves over the years and some were lost in computer breakdowns.There’s a good chance my brother and sister have pictures as it was their first American car.It was dark green with a black interior,no power steering and a floor shift auto.Nothing special,there must have been lots of them made
I don’t recall ever seeing this model in Australia. If it has an Australian origin it’s either very rare or a prototype.
This particular car is in Australia, however. The number plate is for historically registered cars in Victoria. It’s a great scheme. Very low cost for up to 90 days (log booked) use per annum.
For a randmom cc clue – what is the black car on the edge of the photograph?
I agree, apart from the Javelins I find it hard to imagine they would spend the time on such a low-volume vehicle.
Unlike the US, coupes were a very small part of the market both in the 1960’s/70’s and now.
This is one of my favorite cars from the Great Brougham Epoch. A pretty tasteful design,
Australian? Ha ha! Too good and coherent a design for that.
Still a very nice-looking car, but my favorite AMCs were the 1967 Rebel coupe, the Javelin, AMX, and, of course, the Gremlin, one of which most here know I owned.
It’s 100% American (Motors) . . . well, uh, sort of. I understand there were local Aussie assembly of various AMC products from the Rambler days through to the 70s. Rebel/Matador and Ambassador (through 1974) were essentially the same car; the old AMC charade of creating a “bigger’ car by stretching the floorpan/wheelbase attaching the subframe up further from the “A” pillar (increasing on the Ambassador to 122″ beginning in 1969). Ambassador DPL was the base version – stick shift, six, vaccum wipers and all. I believe V-8 model Ambassadors beginning in 1970 bragged about having air conditioning as standard. AMC – we try harder!
Air conditioning became standard on Ambassador beginning in 1968.
V-8 Ambassadors. I distinctly remember a ’70 Ambassador Wagon in USMC dark olive green livery driven by a Marine SSGT. He was a recruiter in San Rafael. He came to visit . . . me! Unsolicited but this was right after Vietnam and recruiters would find out such kids were graduating high school in those days that hadn’t yet selected a college. After politely declining the offer to join the Corps that February day in 1977, he got in the Ambassador, fired it up; the growl of six cylinders on seven main bearings made it’s distinct noise. He released the foot parking brake, slid the tree column shifter into first towards his lap, let out the clutch and slowly drove away.
I had a ’69 SST sedan back in the late eighties and early nineties. It was a great car, I wish I still had it. This one looks correct to me with the exception of the outside mirrors. I notice it appears to have the bucket seat option.
The photo looks like a car show scene, with people lounging behind the car. I am not sure about the black car on the left, but the red one on the right looks like a ’64 Falcon (USA version) to me. And then you have the bouncers at the gate wearing their safety orange vests.
I’ll bet my Dad chose this over the Coronet when he drove his base 4 Door in Hilahja Yellow up our drive. Dorky I thought. He mentioned the standard Air Conditioning he could get STD on This WOULD NOT BE Available to his company Dodge by comparison, so in 72 he got the 2 door brogham ambassador. weird as it was in those days. grasshopper green, which dad was convinced was invisible against trees.
I’ve just uploaded 2 more photos (limited for time when I did the last batch) with a close-up of the grille and a side-on shot (well more side-on at least). I agree the resemblance to the Plymouth VIP is uncanny.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73069659@N07/8491593762/in/pool-curbsideclassic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73069659@N07/8491593698/in/pool-curbsideclassic
I don’t know enough about AMC’s to have realised that this grille design was not ‘normal’. As Billy Rockfish points out, there was a local assembly operation in Australia (Port Melbourne) and I know that often interior trim differed from the North American models but I am not sure if they produced any special models or variations. There was some low-volume stuff however (not just because they were AMC’s!), for example in addition to Javelins they also built some RHD AMX’s, approx 24. I saw one of the AMXs advertised for sale years ago, that had already been sold. I’m sure that saved me a lot of grief trying to find super-obscure parts.
Could it be a South African variant? Can’t say I can remember seeing any of these coupes here in Oz before!
One thing that always bugged me about the full-size AMCs were their tiny-assed windshield wipers – they were definitely too small for the windshield.
I found this Commercial of Robert de Niro for a 1970 AMC Ambassador …
It’s an Australian assembled 67 Rambler Ambassador.
Ramblers were assembled by Australian Motor Industries (AMI) from 1960-1977. The RHD interior from the 67 Ambassador was re used for all Australian and New Zealand assembled Rebels and Matadors. Australian Rambler enthusiasts believe there were about a dozen 60’s Ambassadors assembled in Australia. I personally know 1 person in Australia who has a USA assembled 70 Ambassador whose original owner was USAF. There is a guy in Western Australia who has a maroon 70 Ambassador coupe, Australian assembled.
Neighbouring New Zealand also assembled Rambler Rebels and imported some complete RHD cars as well, including 10(?) Ambassadors and a handful(?) of SST Rebel 2-door hardtops (coupes.) Australia apparently missed out on the RHD coupes.
My last comment was completely wrong. It’s 1 of 16 only factory-RHD 1970 Ambassador coupes brought in by AMI Australian Motor Industries. It was a one-off import.
The Australian section for AMC Ambassador on Wikipedia is correct.
Here’s what this same car looks like in 2020
Sorry, is a 1970!