Ramblin' On…

Finntann at Western Hero had an interesting post the other day, and we engaged in a discussion about cars. A number of us had driven at one time in our lives an AMC product, whether it was one of their cars, trucks or both. Finntann gave me the idea of writing this in detail, so before I continue, here's a proper H/T to you, Finntann: Yes, Finntann, I know you like this picture! For those of you who have never been to the Western Hero blog before, Finntann said he bought an AMX years ago and it reminds him of a Ford Pinto. I respectfully disagree with him, because I don't see any similarity in the body shape between a Pinto and an AMC Javelin/AMX. I see a similarity and a huge contrast at the same time between a Pinto and the AMC Pacer. The contrast is the Pacer is wider, while the similarity is the shape, and that they both came in a 2 door coupe and wagon (the Pacer wagon came out 2 years later in 1977). A number of Western Hero readers had some interesting comments about the pinstriping on the AMX & Javelins. I found this picture of one at American Parts Depot, an AMC wrecking yard that reproduces parts for AMC, Rambler, Nash & Hudson cars. This is also the typical pinstriping theme that ran rampant on a number of 70s and 80s cars and trucks. If you're wondering why I posted the photo of a Sirocco Beige 1962 Rambler Classic Custom at the top, I drove one for decades after I got my license in 1980. This one pictured is close to the one I have. My Rambler has been in the family since it was brand new. It was one of the most reliable cars I've driven, and I hope to restore it and have fun driving it again. By having a Rambler, I learned some things about AMC when I joined the AMC Rambler Club. One of AMC's early venture into muscle cars was the 1965-67 Rambler/AMC Marlin. This came about from a smaller prototype on the new 1964 Rambler American chassis, the Rambler Tarpon. AMC Chief Stylist Dick Teague had wanted to go with the Tarpon in 1965; however, CEO & Company President Roy Abernethy, who had the mentality "BIGGER IS WAY BETTER," meddled with the design, nagging Dick Teague and the production team to use the bigger Rambler Classic chassis to produce the Marlin from 1965-67. When AMC discontinued the Rambler Classic and introduced the AMC Rebel for 1967, the Marlin got switched to share the front clip with the Ambassador for its final year. In the meantime, Teague and his team had started working on a replacement for the Rambler American for the 1970 model year, using the Rambler American Chassis for its wheelbase. They also used the American platform to introduce the Marlin's replacement for 1968, the AMX & Javelin. The new design based on the prototype for the AMC Hornet proved to be a success for AMC. At the same time, AMC also had a car ready to end the Rambler name with a big bang in 1969: the Hurst SCRambler. 1967 also signalled the end of Roy Abernethy as CEO & President of AMC, as Roy Chapin Jr., the son of Hudson Motorcars Founder Roy Chapin, took over and brought AMC into making profits again. Chapin also made the wise decision of buying Jeep from Kaiser Industries in 1970, a move that his predecessor Roy Abernethy vehemently opposed in the early 60s when AMC had its first chance to buy Jeep during its early profitable years. Roy Chapin Jr.'s critics called the purchase Chapin's blunder, while car historians say it was AMC's best business move. AMC made the Jeep better by putting its 6 and V8 engines into their drivetrains. The first new Jeep that AMC designed after buying the company from Kaiser was the Jeep Cherokee. AMC also replaced the Gladiator pickup with the J series pickups. Several of Dick Teague's designs lasted well beyond his retirement in 1987 and his death in the 1990s: the smaller unit body Jeep Cherokee from 1984 lasted until 1996, then got tweeked for 1997. The Wrangler with rectangular headlamps got modified with round lamps in 1997. The Commanche Pickup lasted until 1992, with a change in 1988 when Chrysler added a short bed model up to its last model year. The 1993 Grand Cherokee started under Dick Teague, but was put on hold when Chrysler purchased AMC in mid 1987, then continued when Chrysler stopped producing both the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in 1990. The 4.0 straight six became the last AMC designed item dropped by Chrysler, a strong engine based on the 232 6 that AMC introduced in the 1964 Rambler Classic, and also sold to Kaiser Jeep in 1965 for their pickup trucks and utility wagons.

There are a few things that AMC pioneered or co-pioneered that are now the industry standard: Nash pioneered the unit body cars starting with the Nash 600. Nash continued it with the Nash Ambassador, and after the merger with Hudson in 1954, the Hudson Wasp and Hornet shared the Nash platform with the Nash Statesman and Ambassador. The Hudson Commodore was the first with the drop down floors, which Nash partially adopted with the 2nd generation AMC Nash & Hudson Ramblers from 1956 to 1962, then fully adopted from 1963 onward. Nash co-pioneered the quad headlights on its final 1957 Nash Ambassador with GM's Cadillacs. Nash, Rambler & Hudson had a front seat option that would form a bed with the rear seats when fully reclined, and Studebaker-Packard shared that design. Today, Honda's Fit has that same ability. Rambler, along with Cadillac and Jaguar, came out in 1962 with the first dual master cylinder for its brakes. In 1967, it became mandated for all cars and trucks per DOT rules. Nash pioneered air conditioning for cars, then decades later, people who bought the AMC Pacer appreciated having AC and popularity spread. The AMC Pacer was the first American car to have rack and pinion steering in it. The AMC Gremlin was the first American Subcompact hatchback car, with the Ford Pinto modifying its coupe body to compete. GM followed suit with its modifications to the Chevy Vega, then introduced its Pontiac Twin, the Astre. The 1965 Ramblers were the first to have disc brake options. By the 70s, it became the standard. In 1984, the downsized Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer had drop down floors and a unit body. That carried over to the 1986 to 1992 Jeep Commanche's cab, which was a modified Cherokee/Wagoneer body. The unit body SUV concept has carried over to car based SUVs. The cab forward interior concept from the 56 to 62 Rambler carried over to the Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision from 1993 to 1997. Let's not forget that Jeep/Eagle came as a package when Chrysler bought AMC in 1987.

I could go on and on with this, but I've already pushed my luck with it. There is, however, 1 more thing: AMC had built some prototypes of a car based pickup called the Cowboy back in 1970 when they bought Jeep. The truck was built on a Hornet chassis with both the Jeep badge and AMC badge. They were built with AMC's 258 6 and the 304 V8. Word is out that the protoypes are still on the road today. Someone once spotted the AMC Cowboy with the 6 cylinder engine in Kansas years ago. It was modified with a 1975 Hornet front bumper and grille. The other 3 are supposedly still out there as well. Now that will be an interesting find.