Original Owner? 1962 Rambler American
With an even crazier profile than mine, this 1962 Rambler American looks like a car that didn’t quite come together in the design phase, doesn’t it? I love these quirky cars and think that they’re fun, interesting, and cool, unlike me. That off-set rear track has to be its funkiest feature. This example can be found here on eBay in Chula Vista, California with a single bid of $2,500 and no reserve.
Curb feelers! I haven’t seen those in years. I would find an appropriate looking side-view mirror for the passenger side and put one of those little stick-on convex mirrors on it. I have them on every vehicle I own, even two-wheelers, they’re life-changing. I have always liked the second-generation Rambler American, it’s by far my favorite of the Rambler American series. They were only made for three years, 1961, 1962, and 1963. I’ll let you folks debate the merits of wide whitewall tires on a 1962 car, but I like the look here.
No backup lights! They really knew how to make economy cars in those days. The seller says that this is a barn find and it’s being offered by the original owner. Since this car is 57 years old and the driving age is 16, that must mean that they’re at least 73 years old if they got this car at age 16. 73 certainly isn’t “old”, but I did not expect this car to be an original-owner car and the Mercedes badge on the trunk doesn’t seem like something that an original owner would do? They go on to say that they have owned it for the last 35 years so we’re not quite sure what the ownership history is.
Fuzzy dice! More surprises, and maybe they are the original owner? Certainly, someone born in the 1950s or who grew up in the 1950s might like curb feelers, wide whitewall tires, and fuzzy dice. The front seats have been reupholstered and they look good but I’d want to source some OEM fabric. There are no back seat photos but there is a trunk photo. There is no mention of rust at all but this car doesn’t look like it has a problem in that area.
They have the engine listed as a V6 but it’s AMC’s 195.6 cubic-inch inline-six and being the overhead-valve engine, this one should have had 125 hp when new. The only thing they say about it is that “this vehicle is drivable.” It sure looks like a nice example, are there any second-generation Rambler American fans out there?
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Comments
I especially like the Mercedes-Benz insignia on the trunk.
Gives it that “European” feel…..
….a repainted trunk lid in a lighter color. Badge appears to be crooked too.
Rambler transmissions were called
Flashamatic…..
Can’t go wrong getting this at $2500 great deal for cheap reliable transportation with no OBD!!!
This generation was so ugly and outdated that they were likable. Even with the offset wheel wells. The huge plus is it has the ohv and not the flathead.
Unlimited funds dream: leave it looking as is, drop a Hemi into it with the necessary drivetrain upgrades.
A wide Hemi engine won’t even come close to fitting into that tiny, narrow, engine bay. You’d have to hack the daylights out of the front fenders and probably widen the front tracks. AMC couldn’t even fit their small V8 into these cars.
You’d have to want it
The whitewalls are grotesque, and is there a worse roofline out there? Still, looks like it would be fun.
I have that same factory shop manual as pictured in the interior shot from when I owned a ’62 American. Mine was equipped with the flathead six and three-on-the-tree. I also still have a spare grille for it and a variety of mechanical and body parts.
Not much to be said about these that hasn’t been said before. Aside from a few upgrades like the OHV six and dual-circuit brakes it’s a 1950 Nash Rambler with squared-off outer sheet metal. Hopelessly outdated even in 1962 these cars were quite popular nonetheless. Many adults at that time were quite comfortable with driving 1940s tech. I remember when you’d see these all over the place, real cockroaches of the road.
Looks like two afternarket horns attached to the passenger side fenderwell but what is that white box next to them?
At 1st glance, the box looked like a mini-fridge, but it’s actually an aftermarket radiator coolant recovery system.
The big round horn looks like part of an alarm system, which kinda goes with all the homemade wiring from the battery and over the firewall.
I wonder who smudged out the bumper stickers, Ebay or the owner?
I could see Willie Mays Hayes driving this to spring training…
No bad Goober is no longer around. He could take it apart and put it in the court house.
The white box is an after market windshield washer tank. The original was a plastic bag! The bags generally lasted about three years before they ripped! Lol!
Those 2 hors on the left of the distributor would go. At any glance–of it our a new car or truck. I,d take this any day. Easier to maintain.easier on gas,comfortable. A little work on the paint and you,d have a nice dependable vehicle. This car looks alot better and built better then any new one coming off the assembly line today. Take you hand a BARELY press on the door or fender of a new one and watch it sink in. Try it in this one and it won,t budge. This car is alot better made car—-then any new over priced junk they are putting out today. Go to the nearest new car dealer and look at the new cars people are having trouble with. This Rambler will get about 30 mpg.
I see it came with an oil filter. My ‘61 American with the same engine did not.
Cute in an ugly sort of way. I remember seeing these around town back in the day. All American car makers were building econo jobs at that time. They were trying to compete with the European imports that were selling quite well. This car and the Studebaker Lark were the red headed step children in that market. The VW beetle had cornered that market for more than a decade and U.S manufactures wanted a piece of the pie. Starting in 59 Ford, G.M, Chrysler, Studebaker and AMC all made their versions of these compact cars.
God bless America
I have a 63 Rambler Ambassador. A world away from this minimalist motor. Amazing that it’s been loved for all these years.
Dad had a 63 440H model American with the 199c.i. One barrel carb! Powerhouse! Traded it in for 1969 AMC Rebel Station Wagon with a 290 c.i. v8. Traded that in for a 1978 AMC Hornet with a 258 c.i. In-line Six.
There is nothing cool about the styling of this car… that’s what makes this ugly duckling so cool! The stupid add-ons (fuzzy dice, curb feelers, Mecedes emblem, etc.) can be removed easier than it was to put them on. The “original owner” story is obviously B.S., but for $2,500.00 who cares? While not valuable it’s definitely a good investment for the shear fun factor!
Interesting how AMC formed by the merger of 2 near bankrupt car companies in mid 1950s, Nash & Hudson. came out with “newer” looking cars with little money. They took the early 1950’s discontinued Nash Rambler, opened up the closed wheel wells added a few cosmetic changes and it became the 1958-1960 Rambler American. Then in 1961-1963 they peeled the skin off the car and put this narrower body on the same frame as the it didn’t need the extra width for the closed wheel wells of the original Nash design. Then in 1964 they came up with the money for an all new modern designed Rambler American that lasted until the end of the Rambler name in 1969. Rambler did go out with a bang in 1969 with the Hurst SCRambler with a 390 cid V-8 that was very successful in drag racing doing 13.9 seconds quarter mile stock. AMC did a similar thing in 1970. In 1970 Rambler American was replaced by the all new AMC Hornet (compact at the time, today would be called mid-size). They needed a sub-compact (compact today) and chopped the all new Hornet in the wheelbase and removed the trunk. A few cosmetic changes to the Hornet front with a different shaped front grill and hood and they had the 1970 1/2 AMC Gremlin, over a half million made from 1970-78. They are both interesting stories now part of Fiat-Chrysler-Jeep’s AMC history.
This series always reminded me of the Kubelwagen.
Nash introduced the compact car in 1950 and they were very successful, beating out the big three by 10 years. These may be the same car underneath but they dont drive anything like each other. I have a 51 and a 63. The 51 drives like a 1940s car and the 63 drives like well a 60s car much easier to handle and more fun. By the way in 1961 they still had the wide white walls.
These Were good cross country cars. The back rest of the front seat folded down to make a sleeping area. Very dependable cars back then.
I had one of these 40 some years ago for a few years. Bought it as a second car and as a run around. Great little car, very cheap to run. Had the quietest engine I ever had, could hardly hear it run. Mine had what was called an e-stick tranny. 3 on the tree but no clutch pedal. When you moved the shift lever it engaged a switch which engaged the clutch. Kind of funky but it worked.
Do you think the top could be cut off. A full convertible would give a new look. Not sure if the car would settle though.
Rambler made convertibles in these years John. Cut the top off, you are still left with rear wheels sitting inboard the wheel arches but a nice convertible profile with the top down. These wide whitewalls are TOO wide for the period. By this year, I think the band may have only been a inch and a half, maybe 2 inches. My 61 Corvair had them.
In 1963 the built a 2 door hardtop American with a metal roof shaped to mimic a convertible top. Made for a neat look. They also had the twin stick transmission available.
Speaking of white whitewall tires, has anyone used the American Classic “Bias-Look” radial tires from Coker Tire https://www.speedwaymotors.com/shop/coker-tire~1-10491
Those seem to be the most realistic looking “bias ply” tires out there. Plus, the “American” script on the tires matches up pretty close to the font on the badge of the Rambler American.
Owned one, loved it. 6cyl and 3 on the tree.
They had junk rear wheel bearings. Lost two sets over five years on road trips.
2 of my cars on today’s list. (This’n a bronk).
I don’t have this square box any more. Yes, they hada a vert, mine (white) had that (blk) and 4 dor. The motor was so quiet folks in my 1 traffic lght town thought it stalled when I came to a stop at it.
Nice room (v the big, falcon, chevyII, etc), lotta metal around you, economic, easy to work on. @2, $3K I’d daily it w/the back seat gone (hauler conversion).