1959 Rambler American

Advertising claimed, "crisp clean lines" of the 1959 Rambler American "will remain in style for years to come."

 American Motors laid the Hudson and Nash names to rest at the end of the 1957 selling season. The independent automaker pinned its future on the compact Rambler. The company was on its way up, taking 12th place in the US market that year.

The Canadian operation was shut down in August of 1957 because the plant on Toronto's Danforth was losing money. The underlying problem was that not enough components were manufactured in Canada. Tax and duty on the imported parts made the cars too expensive.

The 1958 Rambler was stylish but the lineup lacked two-door models.

While the Rambler name was doing extremely well, there was a serious gap in the product lineup. Dealers and product planners alike noted there were no two-door models. Executives knew there was no money to tool up any two-door cars. Some magic wand needed to be waved and waved quickly of American Motors was to survive and grow.

George Romney, the company's CEO went to Britian where he held exploratory talks with Austin. Austin already built the charming little Metropolitan for American Motors.  Romney hoped to purchase the company. Its small car expertise was exactly what American Motors needed. The Longbridge automaker's models nicely complimented AM's lineup and the two product lines would sell well in the North American market.

Metropolitan was built for American Motors and imported from the United Kingdom.

The British automaker was not interested in a more cozy arrangement with American Motors. Romney then went to Wolfsburg, West Germany and offered to merge AM with Volkswagen. He was rebuffed there, too.

So, in a sleight-of-hand movement that astonished the automobile industry, Romney ordered the dies for the the 1955 Rambler be brought out of storage and put back into production. No manufacturer had ever resurrected a model from the past and offered it to the public. It was a daring, gutsy gamble. Romney calculated the car would do well.

The 1955 Nash Rambler Custom Country Club.

The discontinued Rambler had garnered the highest resale value of any North American-built car for several years in a row. It was held in highest esteem by consumers. Before being reintroduced, the styling was freshened up a bit. The steel tartan grille gave way to a fine-mesh affair and rear wheelwells got fuller cutouts. Vice President Roy Chapin's suggestion to turn the taillights upside down gave a new look and saved precious retooling dollars. 

The 1958 Hillman Minx was direct competition to the Rambler American.

The names committee put forward several possible monikers for the newest Ramber. Suggestions included 100--for the 100-inch (2 540-millimetre) wheelbase but the name finally chosen was American. Its intended targets were European imports with names like Ford Anglia, Hillman Minx, Opel Rekord, Renault Dauphine, Vauxhall Victor, Fiat 1100, Simca Arronde and the biggest competitor of all--Volkswagen.

One AMC official told this author that there was talk of selling the car in Canada as the Rambler Canadian but that never materialized.

The 1958 Rambler American two-door sedan sold for $2,398 in Super trim and weighed in at  1 113 kilos (2,500 pounds).

In January of 1958 the smaller American was trotted out as a two-door model in Super trim or the lesser appointed Deluxe. There was no pretense that this was a new car, advertising boldly proclaimed that the American was "here by popular demand." The plain, eight-page black and white sales folder emphasized the economy and thrift of owning a Rambler American.

Options were held to a minimum. Flash-O-Matic transmission eliminated the clutch, or one could order overdrive. The famed Weather-Eye heater was the best in the industry. (General Motors bought AMC's heaters and air-conditioning units for all of its cars.) One could order a manual-tune radio, an electric clock, a glove box light, a custom steering wheel, the famous Airliner reclining seats and foam padding for the rear seat. Outside there were two-tone colour combinations to consider, a mirror (driver's side only), Solex glass, undercoating, heavy-duty springs and shocks, full-wheel discs, and optional tire choices. Under the hood one could have the optional oil bath air cleaner and the extra-cost windshield washer. 

In a decade of wretched excess, people believed that the simple, understated Rambler was synonymous with lasting design, quality and durability. More than 30,000 of the two-door Rambler Americans scooted out the factory doors. Sales more than tripled for the marque. It was the new American that provided the extra boost to push American Motors into the black for the first time since the company came into being in 1954. With $26 million profit on sales of 162,000 units during the model year, the little independent captured seventh place in the sales game.

The Playmates hit Beep Beep was on the Top 40 chart for twelve weeks in 1958.

Ramblers were more than cars, they represented a desirable lifestyle. The marque was immortalized when the pop singing group, The Playmates, recorded Beep! Beep! in 1958. The catchy ballad told the tale of a little Nash Rambler that undertook to pass a Cadillac on the highway. Underdog Rambler won the day and consumers felt downright good about themselves and their Ramblers. Like Rambler itself, the song rose to the top of the charts, hitting the number four spot.

The 1959 Lark by Studebaker was Rambler's first home-grown competition.

The next fall styling stood pat for the Rambler American. Studebaker's new Lark would take but a few sales from Rambler and The Big Three had yet to level their guns at the independents with their own compact cars. Rambler's lineup was good looking and looking good. From flagship Ambassador to the tiny Metropolitan, Rambler dealers had it all and all under one roof.

The 1959 Rambler American two-door station wagon boosted sales significantly for American Motors.

The American family got a new and very welcome addition as the two-door station wagon made its debut. Consumers demanded the common-sense Ramblers as a business depression deepened. The adorable continental spare was added to the option list as was an inside tilt rear-view mirror and a heavy-duty cooling unit.

More than 90,000 Americans were sold in the US in 1959, driving Rambler up the sales ladder to fourth place. Profits of USD$60 million were realized on net sales of USD $869 million.

1959 Rambler Americans were built in Kenosha, Wisconsin and exported to Canada.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2000
 All rights reserved.

1958 Rambler

The Ambassador Custom four-door sedan was Rambler’s flagship in 1958. The car sold for $3,426. The Ambassador Country Club four-door hardtop was listed at $3,538.

Oh, it was a brave new world that American Motors marched into as the 1958 selling season opened. Missing from the lineup were the two great founding names that came together in the 1954 marriage—Nash and Hudson were no more. 

Nash was built from 1917 to 1957.

Hudson was built from 1909 to 1957.

Putting all their eggs into one basket, the boys in head office had bet their corporate fortunes on the compact Rambler. Well, nearly all. In place of Nash and Hudson, a posh new flagship appeared. To distinguish it from its lesser Rambler kin, the new car was subtly christened Ambassador by Rambler. Then, there was the tiny Metropolitan, a sub-compact built for American Motors and imported from the United Kingdom.

Some Rambler models had been assembled in Toronto last year but the unprofitable factory was shuttered for good in July 1957. Now the entire product lineup was imported, Ramblers arrived from the United States and Metropolitans from the United Kingdom. Officials at the head office on Toronto's Danforth carefully gauged the public’s reaction as the new Ramblers were introduced to Canadians on October 22, 1957. 

Instrument panel of the 1958 Ambassador by Rambler featured symmetry of design and decorator-style.

The Ambassador was given a 2 971-millimetre (117-inch) wheelbase, all of that extra length stretched in front of the cowl. The car was every bit as luxurious as Cadillac and Lincoln, matching them in terms of comfort and optional equipment, save power seats.

Quad headlights in the fenders flanked a narrow upper grille opening in which the word “Ambassador” was spelled out. The lower grille spread across the entire front of the car. It was of an egg crate design, split at the middle by a heavy rib. A chrome guard ran the full length of the bumper and dipped into a “V” at the centre. Long parking lights and turn signals were cleverly tucked between the bumper guard and the bumper. Front fender tops were dressed to the nines in chrome windsplit and gunsight fender guides.

From the side, the unit-body envelope was extremely clean, punctuated only with wheel well flares and a fuselage shape that blasted off from the trailing edge of the rear fender to culminate in a taillight. Subtle, elegant fins rose in the rear quarter panel. The understated look continued into the rear. Canted knife-sharp fender creases held ovoid tail lamps. The lights were accented with a chrome bar that ran the length of the rear deck, below a distinctive emblem and trunk lift.

1958 Ramblers are loaded into boxcars for shipment from the factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In the US market, six Ambassadors were offered. Here, only four were sold, each with AM’s 5.3-litre (327-cubic inch) V-8, generating 270 horsepower. The mill transferred power to a three-speed manual synchromesh transmission or the optional Flash-O-Matic automatic transmission.

Standard equipment on Ambassadors included a padded instrument panel and sun visors, an electric clock, the Airliner reclining seats and foam for the rear seat cushions. 

The Rambler 6 Super four-door hardtop was sold in a choice of 14 solid colours and 16 two-tone combinations. It sold for $2,874.

Ramblers shared the same body shell as Ambassador. The smaller cars continued on the same 1 080-millimetre (108-inch) wheelbase they had enjoyed since 1956 but were extensively restyled. In the open upper grille, the word “Rambler” was spelled out in standup chrome letters. The lower grille was composed of large, simple chrome rectangles, their outer edges capped by an attractive ribbed section in which round parking lights and turn signals were housed. These Ramblers promised European small car economy and handling ease, rugged dependability, with the big car room and comfort that Canadians expected.

The least expensive Rambler was the Deluxe Sedan. It sold for $2,598 and tipped the scales at 1 336 kilos (2,947 pounds).

The Deluxe, Super and Custom made up the Rambler 6 series. All were equipped with six-cylinder engines that displaced 138 horses. 

3. 
   
   
4. The Rambler Economy 6 (left) was a 127-horsepower mill that could be bumped up to 138 horses with a Dual Throat Carburetor. The Rambler Rebel 215-horsepower V-8, with its velvety performance, is shown on the right.
   

The Rambler Rebel family boasted V-8 power with a mean four-barrel carb set up. That potent little combo rated a healthy 250 horses, more than enough to allow an RCMP cruiser to eat a little dust.

Ramblers were selling just fine but top brass wanted a bigger slice of the action. They could have that if they offered a vehicle in a size between Metropolitan and the Rambler 6. Deals with Austin and Volkswagen for joint production were explored but came to nothing. 

Making a mid-year bow was the 1958 Rambler American. The two-door sedan sold for $2,398 in Super trim and weighed in at  1 113 kilos (2,500 pounds).

In a bold move, the 1955 Rambler was dusted off and re-introduced to the public, mid-year, as the Rambler American. Never before in automotive history had a discontinued model been resurrected. Advertising called the American’s styling “chic.” Company officials talked of calling the new model the Canadian or the 100 here in Canada but in the end that did not happen.

With its emphasis on economy, boasting more cabin space than any of the small European imports and carrying a rock bottom price tag, the American was immediately popular with the practical consumer. Tried and true, folks from St. John’s to Victoria welcomed back their old Rambler friend as they struggled to take inflation out of driving. With a starting price of $2,265 for the Business Sedan and $2,283 for the base sedan, sales of the modestly appointed two-door American soared through the roof.

The 1958 Rambler American was the only small car—domestic or imported—that offered an automatic transmission.

The American was powered by the 3.2-litre (195.6-cubic inch) L-head six that had first debuted in 1940. As thrifty as ever, it was now tweaked to 90 horsepower. The three-speed transmission was standard equipment but advertising wasn’t shy to brag that Rambler’s American was the only small car available on the market with an automatic transmission.

Ramblers could be dressed up with as many options as there are orchards in the Okanagan Valley. The Flash-O-Matic drive, overdrive, the V-8 Powr-Lok Axle, Power Steering, Power windows, power brakes, Solex tinted glass, the highly efficient Weather Eye heater or the industry first All-Season Air Conditioning. One could have the pushbutton all-transistor radio with twin speakers for the Ambassador or an extra speaker on other cars, the classy Continental tire, an anti-glare rearview mirror, heavy-duty rear springs and shock absorbers. A total of 16 two-tone paint jobs was available as well as front foam cushioning for the Deluxe models. Seat belts, travel rack straps and Child Guard door locks were all optional equipment, too. 

With a list price of $3,459, the Rambler Rebel Cross Country Station wagon found plenty of owners in 1958.

Colours for Deluxe and Super models were Classic Black, Brentwood Green, Lakeshore Blue, Mardi Gras Red, Gotham Grey Metallic, Frontenac Grey, Frost White, Kimberley Blue Metallic and Saranac Green Metallic. In addition, Custom models also came in Cinnamon Bronze Metallic, Alamo Beige, Autumn Yellow, Georgian Rose and Mariner Turquoise Metallic.

It would be a great year for American Motors of Canada Limited. With 5,389 units delivered, Rambler would shoot up to 15^th place in calendar year sales, ahead of Studebaker and behind Morris. In addition, Metropolitan sales added another 1,777 units to the final 1958 figure.

Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!

Copyright James C. Mays 2005
All rights reserved.