The AMC Rambler might not seem like the most exciting classic car in the world. It was in production from 1958 to 1969 in various forms, and served as a compact model in a variety of forms. But as Magnante is going to explain in this latest video, they were quite important cars. In 1960, the Rambler actually helped AMC to take a total of $1 billion in sales. Meaning that what might seem quite a mundane classic today actually has a lot of importance to its AMC company. It is certainly a more significant car than you would initially think.

A Compact Car In Production For Over Ten Years

The Rambler name had actually seen usage before, on both World War 1 trucks and then by Nash up until the mid-1950s. Nash would merge with Hudson and become Rambler and the car was then marketed in the AMC banner. These particular cars are full-size cars, with all of them featuring some specific 1960 grilles and lettering above the grille in one case too. There is an interesting option on these cars, which sees two of them feature quad-headlights. The quad-headlights were available for $23.50 at the time of the car’s production.

The fenders could actually take either four or two headlights, the bucket would just be different that went into the slot. These Ramblers feature an overhead valve six-banger engine, which is a 195.6 ci unit, under the hood. It provided the Rambler with 127 hp, and as we get to see on one example here we can look at the coil spring front suspension. The coil spring towers and springs themselves are on full display for us to see. The rust has quite clearly taken its toll on this car. As Magnante says, the Rambler at the time were unit construction, so rust on the body would spread to the frame.

Interesting Features On What Is Quite An Ordinary Car

Magnante gives us a look at a 1960 Rambler dealer newspaper, giving us a bit of a glimpse into the past of the Rambler. There are various images on show of models in this little newspaper. Magnante touches on how Rambler in 1967 were on the brink of bankruptcy. Cars like the Javelin and AMX did save them, but at this moment in time small was big, and it’s what AMC and the Rambler were highly renowned for.

There are some fascinating cars in the dealer newspaper, with a mix of dual and quad headlights on show. The regular, dual headlight option was one that was more on the cheap side of the range. Other cars in the dealer newspaper shows the stunning Ambassador on show, with quad headlights available as standard. We then get to look at the rear axle of the Ramblers, and this is an AMC model 20 axle found on some Jeeps. It formed the backbone of many Ramblers over several years. This axle has certainly seen better days though with plenty of rust on show.

Dissecting The Rear Axle Of The AMC Rambler

Magnante actually dissects the rear axle for us. The one downside of these axles was the torque 2 drive they had, and we also get to see the radius rods that connect the axle to the transmission. There is also a flange where the torque 2 transmission would bolt onto. These were not open drive shaft cars until the 1967 model year. The downside to this configuration meant it was harder to get at, and harder to modify and hot rod the car. Naturally, that did not appeal to a lot of people.

The Rambler Is More Than Just An Average Classic Car

As Magnante has shown, there are a lot of interesting details behind the AMC Ramblers. They remained hugely successful cars through the early 1960s and they sold enough of them to ensure that the company took $1 billion in sales that year.

They were affordable for many people and offered a reliable, and comfortable way to get around the country. Plus, there were various Rambler versions that could appeal to either longer journeys or inner-city drives. One thing we can probably agree on is that, for inexpensive cars they looked quite ornate, which perhaps is part of the appeal they have to this very day