This question could make both my head and heart explode. Over the decades I’ve fallen in love with so many Ramblers, despite my childhood disdain for them due to their frumpy image. But I’ve always been a sucker for clean, aero and “bathtub” cars since early childhood, probably from my exposure to a Tatra in our neighborhood. So right in the heart of the flashy go-go sixties, I already fell for the early fifties Ramblers, especially the wagon, which was called Greenbrier, no less. The caramel sauce frosting on this tasty little licorice pudding is the very unusual woody treatments with which Nash graced some of these cars; here’s the dashboard:
I know it’s only paint or a transfer, but wow! For at least the next fifteen minutes, at least, this is what I want in my fantasy garage. How about you?
1969 Rebel 4-door!
No question: 1960 wagon…
Hornet Sportabout with 304 V8 and 4-speed, emerald green with tan interior in suitably ’70s pattern cloth.
AMX, without a doubt. I spent a lot of time around these as a teen and came to appreciate how quirky, fast and fun they were
Second that. 1970, 390 4 speed please. An SC/Rambler or Rebel Machine would be fun as well, but I’d have a hard sell with Mrs. tiredoldmechanic.
I had one just like this one. Golden metallic line.
Wow! That looks almost EXACTLY like the ’70 model I should have bought for $10K out of highschool! It was in pristine shape, 360, 4spd and that same exact awesome color and like 89K original miles. Me <–STUPID.
Saw a near copy of that one at the meet last summer….also posted a few weeks ago…but it’s AMC week!
Yes #1 for me also, I’ve seen a hotted up one here and it made an impression running in hill-climbs. There were 24 or 25 built in Australia factory rhd.
Otherwise I’d say a Spirit AMX or even SX4, perhaps an Eagle wagon might be interesting.
Is it for sale?
1969 Ambassador SST
…looks like it’s talking with it’s mouth full.
Nice ride, do you have your tire and wheel combo set up. What is the rim size, back spacing, tire sizes. Front and rear?
This would be very helpful, thanks.
Scott
I’ll take a 1950 Nash Ambassador please.
69 Javelin in Big Bad Green,with all the stripes and no roof spoiler.
Hmm. how about a 1963 Classic? Had an aunt and uncle in Memphis that had one for the longest time.
Any of their convertibles from 1963-68.
And God help me, a Concord Limited 4-door. Don’t ask me why, but I’m obsessed with that one.
A 1969 AMX with a 290, and a 4-speed manual, please.
1971 AMC Javelin AMX
Plus 1 on the 71 Javelin AMX, make it a 4 speed, 401 with the Mark Donohue rear spoiler. And since this is a fantasy garage, might as well park one of those ultra rare AMX 3 show cars alongside the ’71. In my opinion, a fine looking mid engine exotic to rival or exceed what Ferrari and Lamborghini were doing.
+1 on the AMX 3.It could have given the Pantera a hard time
1967 Ambassador convertible
+1
1978 AMC Concord AMX with a 258 and four speed. There are SO many to pick from. I have one of my “dream” AMC’s…which is an Eagle Sport Wagon. So I left other Eagle bodies out of the running. For years it was the Pacer, but the problem with Pacers is what makes other AMCs “ownable”. Their parts do not interchange in the friendly manner that Hornets, Gremlins, Spirits, Concords, Eagles, and, for good measure, Jeeps do. Gremlins are a little common in the AMC community, and Hornets, while cool, are a little ordinary for me. The Concord was a Broughamier Hornet, but the AMX had a different front clip with round headlights, a mean stainless crown, and a badass interior. Add a real suspension and a sportier exhaust and you have a car that could have been more of a contender against the Mustang II and contemporary Camaro than it was. I like the I6 because of the parts availability, and I6’s can be made runners with the right upgrades and equipment. We can thank the Jeep community and Renault for that (4.0 heads are wonderful improvements on the 258 block).
Thank you Paul for AMC week. Us AMC drivers appreciate it!
I’d either like a very early Hornet (say, a ’70 or ’71) or a Concord. For some reason I’d like a 2 door Hornet, but a 4 door Concord…258 6 cylinder, automatic.
The funny thing is that at least when Concords were selling new, I wasn’t very interested in them (I remember an older man who was a co-worker who bought one of them, and I wondered why he chose to buy a Concord). I think it has to do with me being a contrarian, and at the time the Concord was pretty conventional…now they’re more scarce, and that makes them more interesting to me (I know parts are libel to be a pain with them). I’ve looked around at craigslist ads for them, and there are still some to be bought, but it sounds like parts are getting scarce (I know engine and transmission would be available, but body parts would likely be hard to get).
I’ve heard the trunk is a bit bigger on a Hornet than a Concord, I know that sounds like a small thing but that would lead me to prefer the Hornet over the Concord.
Rebel Machine.
Honorable mention to the Marlin.
Javelin with Go Pak, I don’t care if its a 1st or 2nd gen, as long as its got the biggest available engine for the year and a 4 spd. I really like the Big Bad colors, but that metallic avocado like Perry’s AMX pic ranks pretty high too. Interior has to be all black, and its GOTTA be rocking aftermarket coke bottle mags.
And here’s my Powerball motivation: Scroll down to the montage, 3rd row down, far left. Big Bad Blue, Cragars and sidepipes….yeah, baby!
I would absolutely take a Hornet wagon…black with airbrushed flame job, blown 401, 4 spd, big side pipes, and a ridiculous jacked up rake…7″ Cragar SS up front and revers offset 12″ wide ones out back!
I could fill up a whole page with Jeeps I want in my garage, but thats not what Paul is looking for here…
whoops heres the link
http://www.amcarguide.com/muscle-cars/amc-javelin-1968-1970-1st-generation/
1957 Rambler Rebel.
Agreed.
+2
One of the most irresistible Ramblers ever!
Let’s see…I’ve owned five of them. In order- ’67 American, ’69 Ambassador SST, ’73 Hornet X Hatchback, ’64 American 440, ’74 Javelin.
Would like- ’79 Spirit AMX 304 4-speed, ’68 Javelin SST 343 4-speed, ’70 AMX 390 4-speed. Also would take another Hornet Hatchback.
I also greatly appreciate AMC Week. Thanks, Paul!
A lot of us want the cars our dad’s drove, for the memories. For me, a 64 Rambler American station wagon, 6 cyl, 3 on the tree. When I was little, I thought a floor shifter was real dorky, like on the school bus. But 3 on the tree was the way to go, because it provided more room for a center front passenger..
1958 Rambler American!
Am I the only one seeing the “Red Hair Sensemilla” sack on the wall? LOL
What bag?……I dunno what you’re talking about…..cough…cough….
That little Nash-Rambler has got “420 friendly” written all over it. It is the grandfather of the “Myrthmobile”
What are you suggesting about my choice? 😉 That I have good taste?
Good taste? I sure could go for a bag of Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies about now…
BTW, love the window treatments, are they hemp?
I too second the 1974 Hornet Sportabout wagon! But make mine an inline 6, please?
57 Rambler Wagon
I’m knocked out by that Nash Rambler Custom Greenbrier wagon! I believe they started using the Di-Noc in 1953, didn’t they?
I’ve always had a thing for the Airflytes, probably since it’s the first family car I (barely) remember. But the Nash Ramblers are trim and timeless.
I think the wagons offered the Di-Noc exterior wood treatment from the start, but the early ones I’ve seen had the same (plain) dash as the Landau.
MikePDX – here’s one, with the Di-Noc:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ebaymotors/1959-RAMBLER-AMERICAN-WOODY-STATION-WAGON-/261372154782?_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&forcev4exp=true#ht_500wt_1290
’59 wagon, with wood trim. *drool*
Mrs. Monty said “NO!”, but I’m working at persuading her that this is the classic that needs to be in the garage. She said yes to a Studebaker P/U last summer, but I lost the auction, sadly. To her credit, she did say maybe to a ’67 Ford Custom 2 door sedan, but the guy’s asking waaaaay too much for it, so now it’s onto the Rambler, hopefully.
1956 or 1957 Hudson. Puleeeeze!!!!!!
I’m sure that’s probably a joke, but I love these for how absurd they are. Gimme a ’56 Hornet in some gaudy colors like the one featured on CC (black-pink-gold) with the last ever 175HP version of the Twin-H flathead and a ’57 Nash Ambassador in 20 shades of pastel green with the AMC V8 to go along with it. Those two cars are so ridiculously full of 50s kitsch that they’ve gone back around to being cool as far as I’m concerned.
For my money, the 56-57 Hudson looks a lot better than the corresponding Nash. Had an opportunity several years ago. Kept seeing a late Hudson parked next to the freeway. Someone must have been trying to sell it.
Never saw this style of Rambler before and I’d have a hard time arguing that there’s a better choice. That woodie treatment is way far-out, but it works very well for me (and I haven’t touched any Red Hair Sinsemilla in quite awhile!)
With any question like this, for almost any auto maker, there are usually far too many choices for me to ever definitively pick one and one alone. I like too much different stuff, and even companies that built lots and lots of boring, awful, cars usually have some real standouts and oddballs that appeal to me as well.
However, when it comes to AMC, I can answer without any doubts: one of the first things on my ultimate winning-the-lottery-and-having-a-warehouse-full-of-cars fantasy list would be to get one of the handful of 1957 Rambler Custom 4-dorr hardtops on this earth and proceed to build it as close to the specifications of the 1957 Rambler Rebel EFI prototype as possible. Obviously, they don’t exactly carry Electrojector parts at Autozone (or anywhere) so “close” is relative, but in my mind this would involve adapting an early Jetronic setup to look a little more period correct. Even a ’57 Rebel with a carb would be enough to take my top spot, but the fact that AMC came THISSSS close to selling that car with electronic fuel injection in 1957 has always blown my mind. Especially because it was such a remarkable car in every other regard as well. The icing on the cake is that it looks insane and most of the Car Show crowd would have no idea what it is, and/or hate it.
EDIT: Sorry, didn’t see Actually Mike’s comment before I added mine (I ate dinner in-between starting and finishing, plus it took me awhile to find a good picture!) but I’m glad at least a couple others appreciate this wild beast from AMC’s early days!
I think this is the one that shows up at the Tuesday night cruise at Wendy’s in Kenosha regularly, and it is beautiful.
1975 Pacer
67 Marlin. 343 V8, a/c, automatic, flood shift.
Exactly. We evidently share the exact same AMC dream car.
Might want to give that 343 a second thought. Seems that the second gen AMC V8s might have had an oil feed problem. Only ones that I noticed in distress all seemed to have the 343 badge on the front fender.
One day in 72, I was sitting at a light in my 67 Thunderbird and a car pulled up next to me. Immediatly noticed the clunking and thrashing going on next to me. “Another 343?”, I wondered. Looked over at the other car’s front fender…yup, another 343.
Ah, yes, the Ambassador-Marlin mash-up resulting in the best looking Marlin of all
OK, I’m going to stretch to the edge of the envelope and choose a 1954 Hudson Hornet convertible with the Twin H Power and overdrive. Hey, Hudson was part of AMC too, in 1954.
But I see how this is going, and I am going to have to stick to the House of Romney. Soooooo, if the judges nix my first choice, it will be a . . . uh . . . .gimme a minute . . . boy, this is gonna be harder than I thought.
I want a loaded 74 Ambassador wagon, with the biggest V8 available. Next up, a 70-73 Ambassador 2 door hardtop equipped the same way. Finally, if all else fails, a 72 or 73 Gremlin X with sport wheels, a 304 and a stick.
Hudson made Nash into AMC, it totally counts, as long as it lasted, 55-57.
That is no Hudson, sir. That is just a Nash with some triangles on it. 🙁
You’re right. Which means AMC == Nash. Until 1970 when they picked up Jeep.
THIS is a Hudson!
+10 — my last Hudson, that I owned in ’58.
droooooooooooool. I’ve always loved these.
I say you’re stuck with the Gremlin V8, the ultimate burnout/donut-mobile. Just don’t take out in the snow, says Dr. Niedermeyer 🙂
I say you’re stuck with the Gremlin V8, the ultimate burnout/donut-mobile.
Or maybe this *ahem* improved American
401 with dual carbs. The guy said he pushed the firewall back a bit, pushed the radiator forward a bit, and it dropped right in.
…yeah…I posted this before too…but it’s AMC week!
He didn’t neglect the interior either
OK, I’m going to stretch to the edge of the envelope and choose a 1954 Hudson Hornet convertible with the Twin H Power and overdrive. Hey, Hudson was part of AMC too, in 1954.
Bring your lathe. Seems the 308 put out so much torque that it tended to twist the trans input shaft. Switching to the Nash platform ment a switch to the Nash trans. AMC came up with a humongous input shaft to conntect the 308 to the Nash trans.
Saw a piece on a Hudson owner’s site where a guy took the Nash shaft, which, from his pix, looks 50% thicker than the Hudson shaft, and modified it to fit a Borg Warner trans with overdrive culled from a Studebaker truck. Then stuck everything back in the old Hudson. Weak trans problems solved!
I’m surprised, and impressed, that they even went through all that trouble to adapt the 308 to those cars. I guess whatever transmission Hudson had used previously wouldn’t easily fit?
Another fun fact: the 1956.5 Hudson Hornet is one of the few cars (maybe the only one?) where the six cylinder engine was of larger displacement than the V8 option (308 vs. 250 cubic inches).
I’m surprised, and impressed, that they even went through all that trouble to adapt the 308 to those cars. I guess whatever transmission Hudson had used previously wouldn’t easily fit?
Only reason I can think of for Nash to carry on with the 308 was the following it had from Hudson’s success racing it. The 308 wasn’t offered in the Nash versions. In 55, Nash went straight from their 196 and 253 sixes to the Packard 320 V8
The Nash platform used torque tube drive, so the old Hudson trans would not fit. Given the weakness of the Hudson trans, why try to make it fit?
Other changes Nash made: new head with improved cooling, improved airflow in combustion chamber, converted from the Hudson wet clutch to a dry clutch, and added hydraulic lifters, because it was too hard to reach the mechanical lifter adjustment in the Nash body.
While the 250 V8 (rumored to be developed from a stillborn Kaiser V8) came out in 56, AMC probably still had some Packard 352s laying around. The next year, with Packard dead, the 250 was punched out to 327 in a quick hurry.
Found the comparison pic of the 308 trans input shaft. Nash on the left, original Hudson on the right
Didn’t realize that Nash used a torque tube; and yeah from what I remember reading the AMC V8 was a late model year addition, probably only introduced just as the Packard engines were running out (same with the Nash models for that year).
IMO, that engine in this car is just way too cool. Not quite as cool as a real step-down Hudson, but it’s pretty high up there in my book.
Nash might also have not had the capacity to immediately replace the 308 and settled for freshening it up for a while instead.
2nd choice, 1965 Classic 770H 327ci 270hp Sweet!
Whoa! I thought Ramblers were supposed to be UN-cool! I don’t care what your name is…who could say no to a solid black 2-door hardtop on Magnums with such clean lines?
That’s a beauty. I like the ’64-’66 Rambler Classic in general, but the details on this one really take it to another level… absolutely perfect.
Is it just me, or does the old ’62-’64 Dodge Custom 880 sure look like a Rambler?
Not just you.I never noticed it before though.I used to see an identical Dodge from the USAF base near my Grandparents
This:
Woody V8 what’s not to like? I’ll have one if we’re out of Javelins
1966 Ambassador DPL hardtop coupe. 327V8, twin-grip differential, and to be a little odd, the available console mounted 4 speed manual. Give me the hounds-tooth interior and throw pillows.
It would be an AMC version of the Grand Prix or Riviera.
Al Czervik approves this choice.
Paul Niedermeyer does too. Tasty!
I call leftovers!
Don’t be the last young man on your block to own his first luxury car! 😉
No wonder it sold so well! Yes, every young man in 1966 was really pining for an Amby instead of a GTO.
Ha ha, that ad would have been directed at me (if I had been 25 years old in 1966 that is). However, I would have been headed to the Chrysler dealer, not the AMC dealer.
BTW, Chrysler was lamely trying to push their big luxo-barges on young people too. Their TV ads and the dealer brochure said that Chrysler is for “When you’re young, and when you want to be.”
Well if I had to pick one it would be the 1988 Eagle wagon. It was the last year the old AMC Eagle, it was also the first and only year this car was made as a Chrysler product(even though it still had AMC badging on it. Only 2300 made for that final year.
1974 AMC Hornet hatchback, red, with a 304 and 4 speed….and some Cragar Super Sports of course.
Why?
Because DB5′s are too expensive….
I knew a Golden Gun reference was going to occur sometime!
That was my college car except for the stripe. Ah yes.
Greenbriar licorice jelly bean woody wagon all the way for me baby!
It seems we two think alike… 🙂
My ’63 Cross Country 550 wagon with 6 banger & 3 on the tree w/ overdrive. I actually drove it cross country several times between Colorado and Montana and New England. Long story.
Nice! Always loved overdrive Ramblers; it really suits their personality.
Rebel Machine
or this:
Some of the Javelin Police cars have been preserved.You’re still in with a chance
true Gem, very true, but they rarely change hands and when they do they either stay within their inner circle or go for stupid money.
+1 on this
+2 on this. (this car may trump my previously-mentioned dream ’67 Marlin…but a test drive would be required to be sure).
If I could only have one, it would be a 1974 Javelin AMX. While power was down (as it was with every car in that era), I think the second-generation Javelins were fantastic looking, and the last year (maybe two) did away with the light-bar rear end and switched to quad taillights. I think it looks fantastic.
If I can have more than one, give me one of everything, starting with the Hurst SC/Rambler complete with gaudy callout decals and working through the 1970s lineup. Gremlin X, Hornet X, Pacer X, even the hideous Matador coupe.
AMC competes with air-cooled VWs for my attention. While I would never turn down a more “common” classic, they tickle my fancy because they’re so quirky and, in some cases, outright weird.
There seems to be little love for the late seventies products (I guess the reasons are obvious), so here goes:
1978 Matador Brougham Barcelona sedan (although, I would have the two-tone burgundy color):
Congratulations, Jeffery Wingklermann! You’ve won the Agoura Hills Country Club Parking Lot “Poorest Looking Car” Trophy for 1978!
Thanks Tom, but I couldn’t have done it without my team – Stash Brzeski, Rikki T. Gobadouchi and ‘Lil’ Scoliosis MacGillicuddy.
So where are you going next?!
WE’RE GOIN’ TA BURGER KIIIINNGGGGGG!!
If I had to choose just one…just one…it would be the 70 Javelin. Not a 68-69, because the 70 dash is cleaner. The one I see at the meet every year, but before the current owner added the hood scoops and spoiler. And I’d pass on the 360 he has in the garage. The 304 that’s in it makes absolute music.
What the heck, we’re dreaming, right? One of each from the first post war models to the last one off the line when they switched to all Renault products. Then I could open the AMC National Museum, because noone else has built one.
Clean 70 dash
Good taste Steve,Javelins are a rare sight at shows among all the Mustangs,Camaros and E bodys
If I may, I’ll take an AMX/3. They made 6 of them, so it’s a production car, right? 🙂
If not, my second choice would be… ugh. I want to say a mid-60s Ambassador or ’67 Marlin, but they really had the worst looking stacked headlight front end. How about a ’67 Rebel SST 2-door hardtop.
1965 Ambassador convertible. 1958 Ambassador hardtop sedan or hardtop wagon.
I’ll take a 68 Javelin SST with the 290 – my cousin bought one new, outfitted as in this pic, and it was a great little car.
To an oldster’s eye, the ’64-’66 models were great for clean, uncluttered styling. For the small version, the American with the V8. Again, clean, clean design.
2nd choice would be an unmarked cop car Ambassador with a 401.
I seriously would have an Oleg Cassini Matador like my dad’s, but that’s probably 100% out of nostalgia for a car my family really loved.
Second choice: Hornet from before the big-bumper years. Matador wagon, any year except from the stupid extended-snout years.
Looky, no car escaped the ’50s unscathed.
’58 Ambassador by Rambler (notice how they tried to distance the Ambassador from the little Ramblers)
Any Ambassador from ’67 to ’74, or
Any Matador sedan from ’71 forward.
A wagon of any of these would be welcomed.
I have no logical reason for wanting one. I think “Third Rock From the Sun” got me started on the strange desire…
Those look so much like a MK1 Cortina its uncanny.
I agree, that picture does show some very similar styling. In the flesh the Cortina is quite a bit more delicate looking and is probably trimmed better than the AMC.
Philhawk – A ’63 Rambler American 440H with the OHV six and twin-stick would be pretty high on my list too. When it comes to the other American body styles from that generation, I pretty much agree with Paul’s assessment that they’re doofy and awkward, but the one-year-only hardtop roof (and convertible, to a lesser extent) completely transforms it for me. Kinda reminds me of a Triumph Vitesse or Herald 13/60.
1973 Ambassador coupe…burgundy with black interior.
1973 Gucci Sportabout…green.
It’s a two-car Fantasy Garage.
This would do found it parked locally nicely restored ready to go
I believe that Hudsons are not allowed in this particular exercise. If Hudsons are allowed but the AMX/3 is not, I would like to change my answer. 🙂
A red ’78 Concord hatch with a 304 and an automatic. My dad had one and it was a pretty fun car to drive until rust got the best of it.
We owned a 1976 Gremlin. While we enjoyed the car, and mom’s 1979 Concord was an excellent car, perhaps other than a 1967 Rebel 2 door hardtop, I wouldn’t want an AMC-anything.
Gotta be a Pacer wagon. Just like the one John Denver drove in the movie
How about a nice Pacer Limited?
The Brougham Bubble!
what a chick magnet
You know it!
An IKA/Renault Torino coupe. Especially when you have the Lancia Fulvia Coupe-esque lines and that OHC I6!
Here is a Lancia Fulvia Coupe for comparison:
IKA wasn’t ever owned by AMC; it was an Argentinian company that had licensing and financing agreements with AMC. I hate to disappoint you 🙁
Paul, didn’t AMC buy out IKA’s parent company, Kaiser-Jeep in 1969? If not, how did IKA become a Renault subsidiary?
IKA-Renault was formed in 1959, as a joint venture between the two. Truth is, I’m not 100% clear of what the exact ownership structure of IKA was. It was obviously created as a primarily local company to get around Argentina’s laws restricting imports and foreign companies, yet Kaiser obviously held some degree of control, possibly through the debt it held or something like that. It’s a bit murky, as these kind of companies often were.
It was coincidence (and convenience) that Renault hooked up with IKA long before they did with AMC in the US.
Well its an AMC designed body originally, so it sort of counts no?
Sure; who am I to deprive someone of an IKA Torino? I’m just jealous, for not having thought of it first 🙂
The Eagle. Someone had to first across the Crossover bridge. Who else but AMC?
This one.
And this one.
I called the AMX/3 first 🙂 and the AMX/2 (red pic you posted) was just a pushmobile, not a runner.
This one could have been made.
That seems so wrong but I really like it. A lot.
A 1971-1974 Javelin AMX. With 401 & 4 speed, T-stripe, Cardin interior, etc., etc.
Renault Alliance GTA….wait…I can’t even type that with a straight face…
I’d have to say AMC Eagle SX/4.
1964 Ambassador 990H 327 3+OD manual (aka Twin-Stick) 327″ V8 in Rose with Maroon top.
I owned one for a few years. Total sleeper. OD never worked paint was shot, but damn that car surprised a lot of Z28s and 5.0 ‘stangs. Sold it to a friend who later sold it to someone who finally gave it the restoration it deserved. Still driving around Long Beach CA last I heard.
I have four that are on the more or less permanent list:
1974 Ambassador wagon
1978 Matador Barcelona sedan
1983 Concord DL sedan
1978-79 Pacer DL wagon
1. RHD 1970 Rebel hardtop (NZ and UK market only)
2. 1978 Matador Barcelona sedan in the beige and brown colour combo.