Barn Find: 1967 AMC Ambassador DPL
The sixth-generation Ambassadors were now solidly AMCs instead of Ramblers, at least in name, and they were great looking cars. This 1967 AMC Ambassador DPL can be found here on eBay in Carp Lake, Michigan, just south of the famous Mackinac Bridge. The bids are over $3,500 and there is no reserve.
I’m a rabid fan of the 1966 AMC Ambassador DPL, it’s a top-five car for me. There is something about the slightly-dowdy ’65 Rambler Ambassador and ’66 AMC Ambassador that gets to me. That’s right, in 1966, the Rambler name went away for the Ambassadors and these cars were known as AMC Ambassadors. The 1967 cars were lower, longer, and wider than the previous generation cars were. Other than some door trim issues and somewhat mottled/blotchy paint, this car looks great. Here’s a YouTube video showing the all-new 1967 AMC Ambassador DPL.
The seller is a man or woman of few words. Their entire description is basically that this is a 1967 AMC Ambassador, it’s a recent barn find, and it runs and drives. War and Peace it ain’t. They did provide a decent number of photos which is nice. There are no underside photos and being what I assume is a long-time Michigan car I’d be concerned by rust, but I don’t see even a hint of rust on this car anywhere. It looks great other than what looks like a right quarter panel repair and/or repaint at some point.
But, then we get to the interior, HELLO! For the love of all that’s good and holy, that is one fantastic interior! I don’t know if the seat fabric could be cleaned up enough to look like new again but I’d sure like to try. It looks like a couple of trim pieces are missing on the bottom side of each front seat? That could be a car-part.com thing or if a person knew of a junkyard that had AMCs, even better.
The back seat is a thing of wonder and beauty, they even came with two pillows as with the 1966 DPL, which by the way is short for Diplomat. The DPL only came in a convertible and a two-door hardtop in this era but buyers could settle on the base 880 or mid-range 990 models if they were looking for a four-door sedan or wagon.
I love this car the more that I see these photos, what a great design! And, it’s a two-door hardtop, what’s not to like? The engine looks appropriately barn-find-dusty, hopefully it’ll clean up well. The engine is AMC’s 343 cubic-inch V8 which would have had either 235 hp or 280 hp depending on the carburetor. The seller doesn’t provide a VIN but one of you will know whether this car has a two or a four-barrel carb. I don’t see a flaw in the grill or really anywhere on or in this car other than some strange paint and the door trim and a couple of missing interior trim pieces. Are there any fans of the sixth-generation Ambassadors out there?
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Comments
Toss pillows, whoa!
Get off my lawn!
AMC’s of this vintage do have an audience, albeit a small one. It was just about this year when Ambassadors started getting some character, departing from the school librarian’s ride appearance. I will say one thing; glad the seat upholstery is in decent shape because I doubt you’ll find a bolt of THAT fabric anywhere today! A good paintjob, some detailing under the hood, remove what’s left of the bodyside molding, and you have a nice, unusual `60s hardtop!
everything is available for 67 DPL, you can get the entire interior, head liner, seat fabric and carpet from SMS in Oregon. It’s all in stock. https://smsautofabrics.com/collections/1967-amc/model-ambassador-dpl-2-door-hardtop
I had a 1967 Ambassador executive car that was Robin Egg Blue (baby blue). These cars were electro dipped in primer and electro dipped in the paint color. They did not rust. They were all uni-body which was one of the strongest bodies around even though the others made fun of it. Mine had an experimental asphalt sprayed on vinyl look top. It was the 292 and it boogied. I also had a 1970 AMX that AMC was going to bring out in a polyethylene vaccuformed one piece body. It needed so much reinforcement that they decided to use steel. I also had a 1971 Gremlin. There were five of them in my family. Great little car except for ripping my rear out of my pants when getting kids out of the back. I got 25 mpg with a three speed.
Beautiful car, really at the beginning of their finest years. I think this is the second year of this engine, that went 290, 343, and 390, all the same block. The previous 287, and 327 engines were very good, but this new engine was smoother, and more reliable. We had a 343 Javelin, and that car hauled the mail, and turned corners too. From this point on, AMC put much more thought into their interiors, than the big 3
This car has great lines, and would be a joy to drive. You would think, that since this is a no reserve auction, the seller would expand on the description, but it might be worth the risk as is.
My Grandfather had an Ambassador like this. The hubcaps and seates really bring back memories . This one is sweet with the center console.
Like it, especially the interior. A repaint as deep brown metallic, bronze or a gold would be sharp. Maybe some redlines with AMC slotted wheels r ings and caps!
Very nice, and I see the vacuum servo for the rare “Cruise Command” cruise control option to the right of the optional electric wiper motor, with the regulator unit just visible on the driver-side inner fender. (You can also see the control button in at least one of the interior photos, on the left side of the dash.)
The seats do look great albeit a bit dirty in front and there should be chrome moldings along the bottom of the front seats. Can’t tell if this car has front disc brakes or not since the master cylinder top doesn’t reveal chamber sizes. If so the originals would be Bendix 4-piston fixed calipers for which parts are still available but expensive. Biggest problem if equipped with discs is that the rear drums are a strange non-servo type for which parts are no longer available. (AMC used that setup rather than install a proportioning valve.) It appears that the vacuum booster for the brakes may be disconnected, at least there does not appear to be a hose connected to the check valve.
Certainly looks nice from the top but – Michigan! Check carefully underneath, I’ve seen AMC cars which looked great until seeing the disaster waiting below, and no underside photos are provided. In particular look at the troughs under the front fenders. The drain holes under there are not visible from the top and tend to clog up, causing massive rust over the years. (On later large AMC models the troughs are open from the top which makes it easier to keep them cleaned out.)
You, sir, are an absolute wealth of information. Thanks for always sharing those outstanding AMC facts!
The seat material was the inspiration for herb tarlik’s suit
For you younger readers Google wkrp in Cincinnati
Beautiful interior. Nice body style. V8 electric wipers, cruise control, all the right stuff. You won’t find many like this.
God bless America
I think the 1967s were the most beautiful Ambassadors ever made. When I was growing up, a retired Navy officer who went to the same church as my family had a two-tone blue ’67 Ambassador sedan for his daily driver. He was tough, gruff, ram-rod straight posture, and kept that car absolutely spotless inside, outside, and under the hood. When I complimented him on the car one day, he taught me to put a coat of wax on the engine parts and all of the inner fenders, in order to keep them clean and just wipe off any grease or oil. I was just a teen-aged kid and I think he appreciated my interest in his Ambassador.
As a youngster I built a model of this car. I thought it had great body lines and still do today. Never liked them after this body.
I just recently saw one of these for sale in Mexico and there was a big Rambler badge on the trunk.
It looked out of place.
In the mid-1960s AMC started phasing out the Rambler name in the U.S. because it had become synonymous with spinsters, skinflints, and slow, elderly drivers. (A shame since in the early 1950s the Rambler was considered a classy, well-equipped compact.) This was part of Roy Abernethy’s attempt to challenge the Big 3 head-on, moving AMC cars upmarket after George Romney left the company for a political career.
In 1966 “Rambler” was dropped from the Marlin and the Ambassador. 1967 was the last year for the Rambler name on the Rebel, which looked out of place on what was a fairly large car. In 1968 the Rambler American was the only model to carry the name, and it was simply badged Rambler for 1969. (The Rambler marque went out with a bang though with the crazy S/C Rambler!)
In 1970 Rambler was gone for good in the U.S. but it never acquired the negative stereotype of “the Rambler driver” in overseas markets so you’d see the Rambler badge on Javelins, Gremlins, and Hornets in other countries.
Nash Ambassadors and Hudson Hornets of only 10 years earlier were upper medium priced cars competing against Buick, Chrysler and Mercury. Putting the Rambler name on the car in 1958 was a mistake. People couldn’t understand the high price of a Rambler even though it was an Ambassador. Saled decreased year after year until 1965 when the size was increased…….It was the right change to make. The Rambler name shouldn’t have ever been on the Ambassador, another one of Romney’s mistakes.
I’d like to have this but, somehow can’t get excited enough to say some nice things about it. That almost sounds like an oxymoron. It just shows that I am conflicted about it. I have to agree that underside pics would do a world of good for selling points, plus more general information concerning history of said Ambassador. Also, the different shades of paint, missing side trim and two other things, leads me to believe this car has been in an accident. I am looking for a good practical car and this one almost has me ready to buy a ticket to the north lands. Just not there on this one. Oh well… Keep ’em comin’, BF.
AMC certainly went out on on a limb with this car’s interior, especially considering that ’67 kinda marks the beginning of the all-black vinyl interior for American cars.
My new ’67 Chrysler Newport has black everything on the interior, including the headliner. It should be OK in Florida!
Basic Black after 1967? There were five choices for the Newport interior that year, including turquoise, and color lasted well into the ’80’s.
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/dealerships/1967ColorAndTrim-01.shtml
Growing up in Milwaukee, we were very proud of this car. It was the top of the line, and probably the poshist(?) Rambler of all time. Rambler didn’t have a large car, like Lincoln or Caddy, so for Milwaukenosha, this was as good as it got. Wasn’t a sales wonder, but if stout AMC fans, and most of Wisconsin were, wanted a fancy car, this is what you bought. Things were good in the 60’s for Rambler and all it’s workers. I see a Rambler Ambassador in Scotty G’s future,,someday.
The lines of this AMC Ambassador bring back an old memory for me.
In the Spring of 1968, I bought a new, left-over Rambler Rebel SST two-door hardtop at Rambler City” in San Jose, CA. The car was white with a red interior, it had the 290 V-8 with 2 barrel carburetor engine and an automatic transmission. the car also had “R A M B L E R” in chrome letters in a horizontal line across the vertical portion of the trunk lid.
Sadly the car met its demise in eastern Oregon in early September
of that year. There is a very wicked left turn on HWY 95, just east of Rome, Oregon. We were headed eastbound, into Idaho. when my fiance (who is now my wife of 49 years) was driving the car at the time, and she took the turn way too fast… back then, there were no warning signs regarding that curve. Today there are numerous signs, rumble strips etc. warning everyone to slow down for that very wicked left-hand curve.
My wife drove into the curve way too fast, sideswiped the steel shoulder markers on the right side of the highway, over-corrected, and the car went sharply to the left, across the opposing traffic lane, up over the guardrail, and rolled over a one full turn before coming to rest on a dusty hillside, right side up. A farmer who was plowing his field just west of the scene saw the accident happen, and told us what he saw.
We had minor bumps and bruises, but did not require medical attention…which was a good thing, because Rome, Oregon had no medical facilities. I phoned the Oregon State Police from the small cafe there in Rome, and was told that they had no officers anywhere near there. They took my home address and mailed me an accident report form to fill out.
An older couple from Caldwell, Idaho had been behind us, heading home, and they stopped, and gave us a ride into Caldwell, Idaho, where we spent the night and then rode ‘The Grey Dog’ home. When the bus passed through Jordan Valley, Idaho, I saw the remains of my Rambler Rebel SST laying in a gravel lot in front of a towing company there.
Hi,
In reviewing some internet images of the 1967 RAMBLER REBEL SST. I realized that the ‘R A M B L E R ‘ chrome letters were on the front of the car’s hood, and not on the rear deck lid.
God bless you and your wife. The Angels must have been with you both on that day. Cars can be replaced, but people are in Gods hands. You made positive memories of a disaster.
God bless America
John, Thank You for that. As a Christian, I especially appreciate your reference to our God and his Angels.
Amen brother.
God bless America
In 1973 my Dad bought a 1970 Ambassador SST 2 drht. It was red with a black vinyl top and black interior. It came with the 360 4barrel and was one of the best cars he ever had. You couldn’t kill that engine, my Step sister totaled it in 1978. Dad took the front fenders and hood off and still drove it around the neighborhood.
The Rambler moniker was dropped from Ambassador after 1967, not earlier. Here is American Motors 1967 Press Photo of LAST YEAR Ambassador convertible http://www.planethoustonamx.com/press_photos/67-amc-rebel-convertible.jpg
The “Rambler” name was not, repeat, NOT a negative outside the US it was huge selling point for dependability and well built cars. American Motors had “Commercial & Utility Vehicle manufacturing plants in: Cordoba, Argentina; Brisbane, Australia; Colombo, Ceylon; Bogota, Columbia; San Jose, Costa Rica; St. Denis, France; Bombay, India; Djakarta, Indonesia; Teheran, Iran; Haifa, Israel; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Tananarive, Malagasy Republic; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mexico City, Mexico; Casablanca, Morocco; Karachi, Pakistan; Manila, Philippines; Lisbon, Portugal; Pretoria, South Africa; Zaragoza, Spain; Taipei, Taiwan; Bangkok, Thailand; Istanbul, Turkey; Montevideo, Uruguay; Tijeras, Venezuela; Lusaka, Zambia.
The “Rambler name” was used into early 1980s outside the USA. The Ambassador was AMC’s top of the line offering the year of this 67 on ebay, and all the way thru 1974 when discontinued Ambassador. I drive weekly in Houston a 1 owner 72 Ambassador SST wagon http://www.planethoustonamx.com/photo-gallery-stakes-amcs-2/72ambassador.JPG very nice car, never been out of Houston, bought it from original owner who bought it from Vance & Sons aMC here a dealership I would buy out in 1980s.
Yes, those “matching throw pillows’ came with car. Yes, you can find original interior NOS from SMS Fabrics on my VENDORS list http://www.planethoustonamx.com/AMC_Vendors/amc_vendors.htm yes, the side of seats had wrap around 67-69 chrome plastic covers that broke if you fat guy or girl, hell, they broke just looking at them. No repros out there after 50+ years, used fair shape $100+ a side.
You had several disc options in 1967, regular brakes, power drum and power disc brakes. My heaviest optioned 68 Rebel convertible made (last year AMC made a convertible, only Rebel offered, this one 38 options, base price $2995, as optioned $4500 a huge chunk of change in 1968 & why car sat at Vance & Sons AMC Dealership until 1971 when Parts Manager bought it, I bought from him) but my 68 Rebel ragtop has power DRUM, they will throw you over windshield when pressed. http://www.planethoustonamx.com/photo-gallery-stakes-amcs-1/68-rebel-convertible-machine-autorama-display.jpg
This is a really nice looking Ambassador that is nicely equipped. Only 2 years of stacked headlights, 67-68. 343V8 Typhoon was top of line engine for this in 1967 also. And seldom used color, looks (to me) Stallion Brown a 1 year only color offering from aMC http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/1967_amc_paint.jpg
Hope it finds a good home. AMC had slogan in 1967 “His Excellency! The Ambassador!” Eddie Stakes’ Planet Houston aMX
Hello, Mr Stakes!
I feel weird and more than a little creepy questioning arguably thee authority on AMC products, but everything that I have seen and read right down to Hemmings and other sources list the 1965 Ambassador as a “Rambler Ambassador” and the 1966 Ambassador as an “AMC Ambassador”. Are you 100% sure about the company using the Rambler name for the 1967 model year? I have never seen or heard that before.
Thanks for all of the fantastic insider info on this beautiful car!
Wow! You definitely know your American Motors. I live in Harris county west of Hyway 6 off Westhiemer. I’m a Buick man and can’t seem to find any classic car meet n greet places out here.
God bless America
My Father was an INSURANCE adjuster and traded cars every 2-3 years. Back then at 80-100k most cars were at the point of being worn OUT. He tried all of the BIG THREE cars and after 5-7 years of Chevy, Ford and Chrysler products he went to AMC !! He said they maked the only Auto worth buying for a LONG HAUL!! He always ordered an AMBASSADOR LOADED because he spent so much time driving!! He also ordered the largest engine available. I have always loved AMC SINCE! I am a Dealer looking for a ROUGE with the 290 or 343 4 speed to restore or buy finished. I know the ROUGE was only available 1 year with the 343 so, one with the 290 is more likely. Can ANYONE help he find one?? Thanks, Gary
So I recently acquired a 1967 ambassador DPL convertible with a 290. What I would like to know, what does DPL stand for? Any help would be nice.
I always understood it to refer to Diplomat, you know… Ambassador?Diplomat
Not certain, but that is how I remember it