Rust-Free Daily Driver: 1962 Rambler American
While owning an iconic and valuable classic car comes with benefits, there is something to be said for turning your attention to a less desirable car in extraordinary condition. That could be the case with this 1962 Rambler American 4-Door Sedan. While the company produced 27,244 examples of their “400” line during that model year, a mere 5,773 of those were the 4-Door variant. That made this a relatively rare car when new, but how many survive, especially in this state of preservation, is unclear. The elderly lady owner has decided to part with the Rambler, so her son-in-law has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Rockford, Michigan, and the sale price is an affordable $9,500. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for referring this hidden gem to us.
While Rambler offered the 1962 American with fifteen paint shades, the combination of Glen Cove Green and Frost White is one of the best. It endows the car with a fresh and crisp appearance and hasn’t dated as poorly as other shades from the era. The seller talks about this car’s originality, suggesting that it has never undergone any significant form of restoration. If this is accurate, its condition is impressive for a vehicle with six decades of regular use under its belt. It maintains a level of shine and a lack of significant flaws indicative of a car that has been treated with respect. The panels are as straight as an arrow, but the big ace up this American’s sleeve is its rust-free status. It seems that it has spent a good portion of its life in Florida which would help explain its level of preservation. The trim and chrome are in excellent shape for a survivor, and the same appears true of the glass. Adding to the attraction, there are additional parts in the trunk, a pot of touch-up paint, while the seller includes the original Bill of Sale, the Owner’s Manual, and two sets of keys.
Okay, regular readers, can you spot the aftermarket interior addition that grates on me? Yep, it’s the modern stereo, which looks entirely out of place in an original car of this age. I appreciate that entertainment on the move can be important, but vintage-look alternatives would have been more sympathetic to this interior. Moving beyond that, the interior continues the theme of impressive presentation. It is upholstered in a combination of Green cloth and vinyl, and apart from a split and some marks on the back seat, there is no evidence of any other wear or problems. It would probably be worth consulting a professional about the seat damage because I wouldn’t be surprised if these disappeared with a bit of work. There are a couple of floral patches above the ashtray, which may be hiding some cracks, but there are few other faults worth mentioning. The new owner could hold their head high, driving this Rambler as a survivor.
With its 195.6ci six-cylinder engine producing 138hp, the potential is there for this Rambler to be a sprightly performer. Unfortunately, the original owner’s decision to specify the automatic transmission knocks the edge of its potential. The car would have covered the ¼ mile in 18.9 seconds with a manual transmission. The auto sees that figure balloon to 19.7 seconds. However, that still looks okay for basic transport from this era. We’ve now reached the point where we can discuss why the owner has decided to part with this classic. She has used the vehicle as a daily driver for years, and her boyfriend performed high-grade maintenance. Sadly, he passed away, and rather than risk compromising the American by handing it to an unknown for maintenance, she would rather it went to a new home. It has had a recent service and is said to run and drive perfectly. The seller indicates an odometer reading of 85,000 genuine miles but doesn’t mention verifying evidence. If you consider the car’s overall condition, that claim would seem plausible.
When this 1962 Rambler American was shiny and new, it would have cost its original owner about $2,100. That figure equates to around $19,500 in 2022. While this classic doesn’t rate as the most desirable vehicle in today’s market, it deserves a closer look. It presents superbly for an unmolested sixty-year-old survivor, and it offers the practicality of 4-doors and an affordable asking price. For someone considering their first classic purchase, it seems to be a turnkey proposition that needs nothing. It appears to have been treated with respect throughout its life, and it deserves nothing less in the future. I know that our Barn Finds readers are willing and able to provide such care and attention, but will any of you be tempted to pursue it further?
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now8 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
Nice car. For some reason I love this era Rambler, Studebakers too. I wouldn’t change a thing on this one, just take it to Cars and Coffee so others could love it too.
Considering its age, this vintage Rambler is in great condition. I like Adam’s idea that this would be a nice daily driver. For a car like this, 1/4 mile stats are don’t mean much to me. It’s about the fun I’d have driving this little gem every day.
I am not a fan of green, and this is the shade I despise the most. But this is such a cute, well preserved car, I couldn’t possibly consider changing the color. And yes, I would buy it under the right circumstances.
I hope it goes to a loving home like the one it had.
Why would anyone want to daily drive this?? It is underpowered for todays type of traffic, it isn’t much safer than a motorcycle when tangling with an over-caffeinated soccer mom in a new Suburban going 85 mph, plus, it is just in too nice of condition to ruin. Just my opinion.
Well, 1st of all, someone wanting this would be for slow rides to the Dairy Queen, certainly not barreling down I-70. 2nd, don’t bash the poor little Rambler, while the flathead was a gutless thing, the OHV, in a small car like this, could do just fine at 55-60, what it was designed for. Aside from a car show, I NEVER see anything like this just driving around, maybe people just don’t trust a car like this, but they aren’t some Maserati Merak ( that’s next on my list), just a Rambler American and was good enough. Life should be so simple again, that we all drive cars like this,,,when pigs fly, I suppose.
Everybody’s definition of “daily driver” is different, depending on circumstances. I live in the city and I work from home. If I need to go downtown, I take public transportation. There are weeks that I don’t drive my car at all, but it’s still my driver.
If the 85,000 miles on the odometer are genuine, this was not a daily driver in the way most of us think of a daily driver.
Good for you, and I mean that. You are part of the solution. I think, as the world continues to slide, and commute times increase, you’ll see a migration back to the cities, and increased funding for more public transportation. That, in turn, will be disastrous for the car companies, but boo-hoo. We simply can’t go on, decade after decade the way we’re going with individual transportation, and another thing, gas at $5/gal. the norm, these got incredibly good mileage, and Rambler Americans consistently won the Mobil Economy Run( whatever happened to THAT,,meh, who cares) with 28mpg not uncommon. Who’s stupid now, eh?
“Daily” to me is driving I-80 and I-81for 4 hours at time. Even when I am not on the interstate, my wife and I still drive between 15K and 25K a year, which is about average for most people in the US. That would kill a car like this. Like Howard said, this car is for slow rides to the dairy queen, not the rigors of the average persons daily drive.
Just because.
3rd Rock from the Sun, was a very clever show used a car like this.
Cool, I’ve owned a couple of these cars over the years. It’s essentially a reskinned 1950 Nash Rambler and does drive like a 1940s car. Base engine was the old flathead, the optional OHV mill this one has delivers a bit more punch. Even back in the day these would rust like crazy, nice to see on in this kind of condition but you’ll still want to check underneath.
My first car in high school was a 1963 Rambler Classic, the 1st year for the mid-sized Ramblers not based on an old Nash design, and also Motor Trend Car of the Year. The compact Rambler American was redesigned in 1964 but the 1961-1963s were reskinned early 1950’s Nash Ramblers. The 1960 American was the last year for the round bathtub Nash design that had extra width so the front wheels could turn inside the closed front wheel wells. In 1962 to 1963 they reskinned the car removing the extra width and bathtub shape with a more 1960’s boxy shape with headlights down in the grill. It was a big style change (round to square) on a low budget until the all-new Rambler Americans came out in 1964 through the last Rambler in 1969 and then replaced then by the all new AMC Hornet/ Concord in 1970.
I have to disagree with AMC guy, I have a 1951 Rambler and a 1963 rambler american. The 51 drives like a 1940’s car the 63 drives like a 60’s car, there is a world of difference.
Friend of mine had the wagon version and placed an “SL” behind the 400 emblem. Once when filling it up with premium fuel a gentleman in a Mercedes reminded him of his fuel choice. His reply: nothing but the finest for my automobile…!
I always thought this generation was pretty quirky, but I like it. My grandfather had a 1960 Rambler Six this exact same green.
Growing up my mother had a1960 Custom Cross Country 9 passenger with the rear facing seat and my dad had a1963 Classic 660 4 door. I’ve had 3 Ramblers myself, a 63 classic 550, 65 Classic 770 and a 66 Ambassador 990.
The only Ramblers that seem to increase in value is the AMX and Marlin of this era. They were great cars and came out with the dual master cylinder way before GM.
I think Cadillac also had a dual master cylinder for ’62, but the rest of the GM line made do with a single hydraulic circuit until the feds forced the issue.
It amazes me what an improvement the ’63 was over the ’62. (IMHO)
The ’63 American was almost identical to the ’62, with the only apparent difference being the ’63 vertical grille bars instead of the ’62 horizontals. The big change was not until 1964 for the American, a year after the “senior” Ramblers were redone.
had 1 like the gold (blk vert top, white body) asa kid (2nd or 3rd car). NO Flathead, the 195 i6 seen here. So quiet folks thought it stalled out when ideling (@ the 1’n only stop light in town then). Course it was a rambler so already one or 2 down. Today I look at the studie (is it Lark?) and smile (289 bent8). I would love to have either now as they both were right sized’n equipped, easy to work on, nice medium sized econo-BOXES…
My parents had one just like this before I was born. I wish this one was closer for a serious look.
Hmm, sounds like another “reclining seat/ PBR” child,,:0,,What? Oh, come on, not the only one, I’m sure. Fact is, you picked up your date in a Rambler, KNOWN for reclining seats, dad was not particularly impressed.
Bring this to your next local “cruise-in” and I’ll wager most of the crowd will walk right by the Corvettes, Mustangs and such to get a closer look at this car!
Andrew’s comment reminds me when I pulled into a Restaurant parking lot in
Carlsbad, Calif. which is a pretty affluent area. In the parking lot were Porsches, Mercedes etc…I pulled in with my 1965 Classic 770 in Marquesa Mauve with a white top. I barely got out of the car and these two guys ran over to see the car. They asked how long I have owned the car and my reply was 15 minutes. I had just picked it up from the private party.
My father bought one of these new in ’61 (after a losing battle with a ’59 Hillman) but his was 2 door, flathead six and 3 on the tree. The salesman tried to talk him out of it “that motor has been around since the ’30’s”, yeah, that’s why the old man wanted one. We made many 6 hour trips to my grandparent’s farm in that car, never let us down. He had it 9 years and traded it in on Hornet, then a Pacer.But by then they were just his commuter cars, when he took mom car shopping they came home with a Mercury or a Chrysler.
Growing up our next door neighbors had one of these in light metallic blue.They had children the same age as me (the wife is now my brother’s MIL) and I was shuttled back and forth from school many times in that car.
I agree that this is a well reserved car. But, I just can not see $9500.00. Yes, I know it is a little on the rare side. But, as with most people to day, mu money supply is very limited and that is keeping me out of this race. GLWTS and ne owner. I hope you enjoy the heck out of it.
I agree with PatrickM, rare doesn’t necessarily mean valuable.
I had a rare Chevy Celebrity convertible (Hess & Eisenhardt) & I felt lucky to get $1,200 out of it after trying for 3 or 4 months to sell it. It was a nice, clean car too.
I am sure this is worth more than that. I am also sure that car was worth more than that. But $9,500 out of this car? That might be a stretch.
Still a price the average consumer can come up with, if they want it bad enough, so not terribly unreasonable. I just think 1/3 off is more reasonable for a plain Jane automatic Rambler.
Nice little Rambler! I love the speedo in this, multiply by 10! I can hear a gen-whatever trying to tell an officer that they were only going 5 mph in a 35, lol! Worth the asking in today’s dollars.