Rambler built its name on sensible compacts that sipped gas and parked anywhere. Yet the same badge went on a 1957 four-door hardtop that Motor Trend timed at 7.5 seconds to 60 mph. Later, it went on a fastback called the Rambler Marlin.
Most people have forgotten those cars. The Javelin and AMX get the attention, and the Rambler name sounds like your grandmother’s grocery-getter. That’s a shame, because a handful of Ramblers were genuinely fun to drive, and most of them fly under the radar at car shows today.
These six are our picks, in order of model year. The verdicts are our opinion, and the figures come from period road tests and published model histories. If you like surprising people at a stoplight, read on.
1. 1957 Rambler Rebel
For 1957, American Motors dropped its big 327-cubic-inch V8 into the compact Rambler body and called the result the Rebel. It came one way only: a four-door Custom hardtop in silver with gold-anodized side trim. According to Mac’s Motor City Garage, company records show AMC built exactly 1,500, at a list price of $2,786.
In fact, the engine came from the Nash Ambassador, with a Carter four-barrel, solid lifters and 9.5:1 compression, for 255 horsepower. At first, AMC had planned a 288-horsepower fuel-injected version. However, that Bendix system never reached customers. Even without it, Motor Trend clocked a best 0-to-60 run of 7.5 seconds with overdrive and 4.10 gears, as Old Cars Weekly recounts.
Our take: this is the original sleeper, a family-size four-door that ran with far more expensive cars. If you want the full experience, find a car with the three-speed and overdrive rather than the Hydra-Matic. Hot Rod’s Hydra-Matic test car needed 9.4 seconds to reach 60, so the stick is the one that delivers on the Rebel’s promise. Either way, the curb weight of about 3,350 pounds helps explain how it ran.
2. 1964 Rambler Classic Typhoon
AMC unveiled the Typhoon in April 1964 as a sporty version of the Classic 770 two-door hardtop. It had one job, which was to show off the company’s new 232-cubic-inch six. That engine also used a short-stroke design with seven main bearings and made 145 horsepower.
Then there were the colors, because every Typhoon wore Solar Yellow paint with a Classic Black roof. Inside, it got a sports-focused all-vinyl cabin, and “Typhoon” script replaced the usual “Classic” nameplate. The grille also picked up blacked-out accents. AMC limited production to 2,520 cars at a list price of $2,509.
Is a six-cylinder hardtop really a blast to drive? We think so, because the joy here is balance rather than brute force. The smooth new six, a pillarless hardtop body and that bright yellow paint make every drive feel like an event. It’s also a forgotten piece of AMC history, because AMC built it as a rolling showcase for a brand-new engine. Buyer’s tip: check for the correct Solar Yellow and black paint and the Typhoon script, since those details are what make the car.
3. 1965 Rambler Marlin
The Rambler Marlin was AMC’s big swing at a stylish fastback. Dick Teague’s team built it on the intermediate Rambler Classic platform, and the roofline first appeared on the 1964 Rambler Tarpon show car. The Marlin went on sale at $3,100, and AMC sold 10,327 in the abbreviated first year.
However, the engine to have is the 327 V8, rated at 270 horsepower. In a Mechanics Illustrated road test, Tom McCahill recorded 0 to 60 mph in 9.7 seconds with that engine. That’s no muscle-car time, but to us the Marlin feels made for long, fast highway runs rather than drag strips. Sales fell quickly afterward, to 4,547 for 1966. By 1967, when the car moved to the larger Ambassador platform, AMC sold just 2,545.
We’d argue the 1965 Rambler Marlin is the most underrated design AMC ever built. The fastback roof makes the car look longer and lower than it is, and the V8 gives it the legs to match the looks. If you shop for one, insist on the 327, because the base six makes it feel heavy. Inspect the long rear glass and its trim carefully, too.
4. 1966 Rambler American Rogue V8
For 1966, Rambler renamed its top compact American trim from 440-H to Rogue, offered only as a two-door hardtop. Then, in the middle of the model year, AMC introduced its new 290-cubic-inch V8 in a special Rogue. That small car suddenly had a real engine, and a reason to visit the drag strip.
As a result, buyers had two versions of the 290 to pick from. With a two-barrel carburetor it made 200 horsepower, and the four-barrel, high-compression engine made 225. By 1967, AMC also offered a 343 V8 with 280 horsepower in the Rogue and 440, though it barely advertised it. That’s the same engine family we traced in our look at AMC V8 displacements from 1956 to 1991.
In our view, the Rogue V8 is the sweet spot of the whole list, because it pairs a small, light body with a modern V8. It feels like a pocket-size hardtop with nothing to prove until the light turns green. The 1967 Rogue convertible is even rarer, with 921 built, but the hardtop is easier to find. Get the four-barrel 290 if you can, because it’s the livelier of the two.
5. 1967 Rambler Rebel SST
For 1967, every AMC intermediate took the Rebel name, on a new 114-inch wheelbase with a rounded “coke-bottle” body. The SST sat at the top of the line and came only as a two-door hardtop. With the new 343 V8 and a four-barrel, it made 280 horsepower, the top engine option at the time.
Car Life tested one and wasn’t won over. Its 343 car ran 0 to 60 in 9.0 seconds and the quarter-mile in 16.9 seconds at 83 mph, as Curbside Classic’s reprint of the test shows. The magazine also called the automatic jerky. Still, it judged the SST “a good deal more lively” than the six-cylinder Rebel, with better brakes and suspension.
We’ll respectfully disagree with Car Life’s verdict, at least for today’s driver. On a two-lane road, the SST’s torque and stiffer suspension make it a relaxed, fun cruiser that looks great doing it. Buyer’s tip: look for the optional disc brakes, which the testers liked, and treat any transmission that shifts harshly as a repair to budget for. Our other Rambler picks cover a few more of AMC’s overlooked models.
6. 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler
The SC/Rambler is the one Rambler fans don’t need to explain. AMC teamed with Hurst and stuffed its 390-cubic-inch V8 into the little Rambler Rogue hardtop. It came in white with red and blue accents, a massive functional hood scoop and a blue hood arrow announcing its 390 cubic inches. AMC planned 500 cars, but it ended up building 1,512.
The numbers back up the paint job. According to Street Muscle magazine, the 390 made 315 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. It drove through a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed with a Hurst T-handle and a 3.54 Twin-Grip rear. At 3,160 pounds, the car reached 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in as little as 14.3 seconds at 96 mph. Even so, the price was only $2,998.
Our take: this is the most fun you can have in a Rambler, and it’s not close. It’s loud, it’s quick and it’s hilarious to drive. Buyer’s tip: Street Muscle calls the “B” scheme, with its stripes below the beltline, the rarer of the two. So verify the paperwork and the car’s identity before paying a premium for any SC/Rambler.
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