The Rambler American was a More Prolific and Important Car Than Many People Realize
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มี.ค. 2023
- In-depth review of a 1960 Rambler American Club Super Sedan, with test drive and history
Review by Bill of Curious Cars
Vehicle is for sale at Autohaus of Naples:
www.AutohausNaples.com / (239) 263-8500
Link to Premier Auction:
www.premierauctiongroup.com/ - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
My grandmother had one of these and it was very economical and dependable for a retired widow. I loved riding and driving the car. One of my cousins recently restored that car and it is still cool.
Those stereo knobs that do nothing had me spitting my drink. Classic Bill review. The car and the review go in the collectors rack.
Haha! I busted out laughing when I saw the "weather graphics" appear. Bill knows not only how to pierce the skin, but also how to turn the knife when it's in.
After my sister graduated from high school in 1962, she bought a Rambler American just the like the one in this video. It ran great and was fun to drive. She must have bought the deluxe model as it had an AM radio!
Pish posh!!
The flathead six was called Super Flying Scot and the overhead valve was called Custom Flying Scot.
The 1 on the shifter makes it go thru all 3 gears. The 2 starts it off in second and shifts into 3rd. Starting off in second makes it better in the snow.
Hey Bill, it's a great day when we get a video from you!!! I live for the weather report, the animal & Dalton reports as well!!! This Rambler is a real treat, it's definitely the fancy one with the trim rings & hub caps with the giant "R"!! I actually like the continental kit on the back, sort of like lipstick on a pig!!! I really like the go pro footage!! I hope that you are keeping up with your coronavirus whiskey & good luck with your auction this weekend!!! 🥃
My grandfather was a Nash man...always swore by Nash. Is it any small suprise that we were a geeky AMC family in the 1970's? 😅 We had a Matador, a Pacer, and two Ambassadors...my dad went to GM after that. With a SAAB Sonnett III thrown in for a little fun!
And GM would go on to partner (And eventually strangle) SAAB. Your dad was a man ahead of his time.
Sounds like a fun family 😊. I grew up in Wisconsin and always had a lot of AMC Eagles around. Best snow car I've driven except my 98 Subaru outback.
You never disappoint Bill!
You haven't talked to his "lady friend"...
Brought home from the hospital in Mom's arms in a 1964 Rambler American. A sort of turquoise green, 2dr sedan with AC - which was really rare in a compact then, but this was Orlando. It hung around long enough for me to remember it, and when we moved north, it was still pretty rare to have air in a low bucks car, so it had more cachet than most. It was actually a nice looking car and came of better than the Dodge Dart which it somewhat resembles. This Rambler, the 60, was AMC dusting off the old Rambler shell and updating it for a second go round. Amazingly undertired with a skinny, skinny track (but then again, look at a 59 Chevy, same effect). The front and rear don't talk to each other, and the roofline doesn't integrate with either. Great for 1958 recession, but neither it nor the boxy 61-63 was a great design. But then came the Teague design 64 - and wow. Oh yeah - AMC speedos were always weird - I'd love to read who was in charge of that - lasted for years.
Bill, I love when you announce that "I'm taking a break now and I'll be right back" during shooting. It just oozes nostalgia. I join you by pausing the video to top up my coffee. Don't let some GenZ type convince you to edit the breaks out "Because they don't serve the content". Sometimes we just gotta be genuine with "the content" and that's why your channel is so appealing to me. More Ponchos please.
There's no such thing as too many Pontiacs !
He pauses to choke down a cigarette and take a shot of Coronavirus whiskey
18:48 I just looked up a photo of the 1953 Nash Rambler it it really had non-removable "fender skirts" in front which obscured the center of the hubcaps. By 1960, it seems that customer complaints over the wide turning circle and extra effort needed to change a tire persuaded AMC to make the cutouts bigger, but for whatever reason, they left the wheel in its position about 5" inboard of the fender surface. That can't have helped the handling and probably limited the amount that the wheels, positioned too close to the engine, could turn, keeping the turn circle bigger than it had to be.
Bill - honest to GOD this one of your very BEST videos EVER!! I haven't been this entertained by a YT video in a very long time! Excellent job!
Bill, as someone who’s lived in both California and Florida, you are absolutely correct in that California’s weather is just ridiculously phenomenal pretty much year round.
I feel your pain on that Florida sauna type humidity.
Yeah, but you have to live in California to enjoy the weather. The liberal cesspool that it is. Pass!
@no name I'm sure you're right about that, but I'm not all that familiar with Northern California..
Yeah but California is a basket case of radical insanity.
Yeah but you'd have to live in California to enjoy that weather which is an absolute non starter. As long as Californian Psycho is still running the show I'll never even visit that state.
California has some of the most extreme weather in the country. Sure it's in 70s most of the time but the cost of living and natural disasters make it shitty.
My absolute favorite videos by Bill are the ones where he doesn't really care all that much for the featured vehicle. 😂
Your description of Romney's function at the helm of AMC was the pure definition of a RAMBLER!😂
In 1974 I bought a 59 for $350.Brings back some good memories.Compared to todays cars they look good,but feel bad.
My uncle had one in high school with the fold out seats. He said he was chased away by many angry dads when they saw it in the driveway to pick up their daughters LOL
I owned a 1966 American Rambler 2 door, great car, straight six, 3 on the tree, loved that car!
Last year for that ancient, but good, flathead six...90hp!
1965 final year for side-valve six engine.
I can always tell you put a lot into researching your cars. This is why your videos are great!
I love it. It's got charm. Nice curves. Great accent pieces like the side view mirrors, hubcaps, and encased grill. A stately looking old school classic sleeper.
These cars saved AMC from financial distress, in the late 50s-early 60s. People were experiencing a nasty recession, and were not looking to buy the huge cars offered by the Big Three. I owned one of these Americans around the later 1970s...It had the flat six, three on the tree, the reclining seats, etc. Even then, my car was a rare sight on the road. These cars cost $1,850 in 1959...people bought them, drove them a lot, and when they fell apart (after 100,000 miles or so), they junked them. AMC sold well over a hundred thousand of these economy cars during the time frame...I wish Bill had given this particular car more love...it is an exceptional example, and these cars are very rare, and selling for pretty big money nowadays. 22-28mpg, and the OD unit would give even more mpg...very good numbers for it's time. I really miss my American, it had lots of retro-charm, and was quite reliable. Poor AMC...they tried so hard to survive, but made decent cars that were simply not desired enough by the USA market. Good ideas, bad timing did them in.
I find the styling quite clean, almost European in appearance. It looks like a larger version of the Nash Metropolitan.
Hey Bill! I’m excited to see a recently released video. You have a right to both about the weather and it may also benefit others who live in areas with a nicer climate of how lucky they are. I’m in Arizona and do consider myself lucky to live here. It gets hot during the summer days but the evenings are generally great and the rest of the year is awesome without the crazy humidity you talk about. Either way, your videos are the best and the anteater Curious Cars video that lasts 35+ minutes always seems to go by to fast. I hope you’re well and keep them coming.
Sorry, Jill, the weather report is a required element of Bill's videos.
Love Bill’s S Florida weather reports!
I live in coastal Southern California, and the weather is pretty fantastic. Also visited Florida and southern states in the summer months and it was unbearable to me. 😂
Hi Bill! You really out did yourself with this video, your funniest yet. This car brought back fond memories, my aunt owned one back in the early 60’s. It was a fun car to ride it and watch her bang away at the stick shift. Thank you again for another outstanding video.
He makes my day, 😅
Total entertainment😂😂
I'm sure if this had a manual three-on-the-tree, it would've been even more entertaining!
Hello Bill!, I absolutely love your irreverent and vulgar non PC presentations, they heightening my mood for the rest of my day. I own a curious car to boot; a 1956 AMC Hudson/Nash with V8 and 3spd o/d otherwise known as Hash which is now about 95% restored. Not many have survived out of a run of 1528, for good reason. I have lots of fun at car shows, kind of like showing up nude at a gender reveal party….cheers, Bill Browning pushing 80 yrs/o
Happy to see an unusual brand featured!
Great video Bill. Growing up in LA in the 1970s I would see these wonderfully quirky cars occasionally on the road. The way the rear tire didn’t lineup with the wheel well arch always intrigued me. I heard it was because they had to use the existing 1950 wheel base with a new body. The removable glovebox at 32:54 is classic! 😂
The rambler name for a small economy/city car is a good name. Rambling on city roads is the best way to get around.
Now on the weather I also live in the gulf coast area (Houston TX) so I understand the humidity. Humidity makes the temperature worse both hot and cold. Walking out on a humid 75° day is like walking into a sauna where you feel the weight of the air. Also you can easily soak through a shirt in seconds.
I’m in San Diego, originally from Chicago, and if Jill is a longtime Southern California girl, she wouldn’t make it out of the airport. 89 degrees, 100% humidity, and air thick with mosquitoes is not going to work. I don’t do it myself anymore, there are months on the calendar off limits for trips to Chicago or Florida. Some of us rely on your weather and wildlife reports for planning said trips, hold strong.
Good morning Bill! I appreciate hearing the daily weather report. Thank you for the great car history and I hope the weather cools down for you.
Don't listen to her Bill, your weather reports is mostly what got me hooked to your reviews. I can't believe someone out there doesn't appreciate your outlook.
Bills weather reports reminds me of the classic TV show in Chicago, with a funny crazy weather man named Ray Rainer or Rayner? lol
He was hilarious 🤣, post temperatures like a carpenter’s measurement. In Chicago the high temp today will reach 82 5/8ths degrees at noon,tonight’s low will be 60 1/2 degrees outside +/- 2 3/4 degrees!! How crazy funny was he 😅. Bill’s humor/ style is very similar yet professionally done right 👍🏻😎
This is one of my favorite “Bill videos”. My great aunt had a lovely, useless, overheating (we live in Texas) and unreliable Jaguar Mark VII. Got ride of the thing and bought the stripped Rambler American, column-mounted stick shift and all. She went whole hog hirsute. Kept the thing till she died 12 years later.
As a kid in a northern milltown my old retired neighbor who was a patternmaker had a green rambler with plaid seats. Great cars.
My Dad bought his first ever new car in 66. A Rambler American. I think it had about 140K on it when wrecked. It served him well. I knew a girl with a VW with a RR grill. Good times
Hey Bill! U should read the handbook that came w the car. I owned one for about six months before I figured out there really is a radio there. The channels are printed on the knob to the right there’s no dial as u would recognize it. I discovered it finally after turning knobs and the thing finally warmed up enough to hum , then I tuned it in. It was a big surprise! Great little car, unfortunate interior though. Originally houndstooth. Those are also after market mirrors on the fenders. A bit of after market customization. It came w a cheap mirror w an R imprinted in the back of it. Fun video. Thanks. Good luck!
My dad always had an AMC as our families second car. We had some large big three and a little Rambler or AMC... the last being an 82 Concord wagon.
Keep up the weather and animal reports! I love every aspect of your videos. You give a lot of interesting info and entertainment to boot. Keep up the good work!
Hi Bill, That was a hilarious review. I was a kid when these were around, most were junked after about ten years, many sooner. They either rusted out and or got driven to death. I always thought they were cute, but not my cup o tea. The neat model, for what it’s worth would have been the wagon. Thanks for the great review.👍🤣
Actually, AMC re-designed the American for 1961 and 62...they were quite different to look at, very squared off, but used most of the drive train components from the previous years...They, like this model, are now incredibly rare, but one could actually buy a convertible model!...Sort of looked like a bread-box on wheels!...the convertible models are worth a lot of money, as they were very rare even when first introduced in 1961.
If I recall correctly, Nash, the predecessor manufacturer to that car, had a model out with the base trim called the Scotsman. Now that's adding insult to injury. The base trim on the Omni horizon was called the miser.
They just scream cheap!!!
The Scotsman was made by Studebaker in 1957 and 1958. Nash had the Statesman and Ambassador.
@@Al-thecarhistorian thank you. I knew it was somewhere back there
I just can't get enough of these. Hell, I'd watch a video about an ashtray from Bill.
First! How proper to have everyone's favorite Rambler do a Rambler! Another 40 minute gem. Thanks as always Bill. 🙏
The Rambler was the first small car that sold well because George Mason figured out that people would want class and taste in their small cars the way the big cars had along with economy and ease of handling. Nash and AMC were very well made and had features that made them endearing to owners that discovered their considerable charm, features and quality.
These cars were the precursors to what we drive today. They are economical to build and purchase, they are very comfortable and feature laden and are of high quality and therefore elicit pride in their owners for good taste and practical judgement. They sold very well and helped AM survive terrible competitive pressure of the big three makers as a result of their deep pockets, extensive advertising and image building with expansive dealer penetration and against the buyer tendency toward social uniformity. The underdog wins this one.
thanks for posting...I posted a comprehensive summary of the one I owned, 40 years ago...for some reason, my post has gone missing!
Best weather intro EVER!!! Suggestions from "Jill" clearly well received. Followed by best glove box @ 32:54. Man I'll be in tears laughing about this video for a week easily. Awesome Bill -never better!!! 🙂
Excellent as ever Bill, I absolutely look forward to all new videos, but I enjoy going all the way back to autuhaus, no one can do a better review, you are a Natural,all the very best at the Auction...looking forward after the summer 2023 to buy a couple cars from you.
I love Bill's weather, animal, Dalton and anything else he cares to bitch about.
I appreciate AMC. I really like the AMX and Javelin and the Dick Teague redesign of the ugly Concorde into the nice looking 79 Spirit with a V8. I guess without Rambler lump we wouldn't have ever seen those rather interesting machines.
Don't stop the weather reports! As a southern Californian myself I can attest to our phenomenal weather, especially San Diego. It's paradise almost every day.
It's funny, I've been to San Diego twice and it was low 60s with lots of drizzle and little sun the whol time both times and that I've been to Seattle once and it was 75 and sunny the entire time 😂
That car needed to go full Japanese old school style with the mirrors.
I also kind of like the sound of that six cylinder exhaust note.
Maybe you should have that woman who sent you the email come work with you to help you with the videos. Not so much that you need it, the weather reports and animal reports remain part of the charm. However, the opportunity to film her running off screaming, whether she rends her garments or not while doing so, would be worth it, and the footage a high point to whatever video you put it in.
My mom had one. Only one terrifying memory associated with it. Back before seatbelts, when I was a kid I used to kneel in the back seat and look out the back window. My mom stalled it on a really steep hill and it rolled backwards a bit. I'm sure my screaming didn't help her get the car re-started.
I love the weather reports, especially watching them from New Hampshire. Great channel!
I primarily come here for your weather analysis.
I’m also quietly hoping for the return of the goats.
Oi, Bill, the way you rolled right through that stop sign LOL
Something that whitens my knuckles every time I have to drive in Florida, people not really stopping at stop signs threatening to t-bone me, and frequent, sudden u-turns that seems to be legal (?) and pandemic across the Floridian peninsula!
😉
Hey Bill I love your weather forecast! Also
love your sarcastic attitude. Keep it coming my friend! Chris from Jackson Mississippi
As someone who lives in Central Florida, I TOTALLY agree about your weather forecasts!!
Interesting, that so many comments completely ignore the car being featured...the weather is more fascinating?!
Hey, Bill wasn't Peter's driveway once pink? His lazy son needs to get the power washer on it.
I’m not sure if Jill really mean what she’s saying or else she’s not getting it…Keep the weather forecast coming, living in a cold, moisture climate myself 🇩🇰, I really envy the heat you have. I was in Florida 13 years ago in January and was blown away that you could wear shorts in winter! I’d come from sub zero degrees before arriving to Florida…
It is still snowing here in Scandinavia in mid March, so you can send me some heat if you wanna get rid of some…
Good day Bill hope you've been keeping well.
My Dad had a 1966 Rambler American when we were small. We loved the reclining seats.
Your sighs are the best… I’m with you 100% - keep these cars coming…
I love your weather reports!! I also love your goat, bird, and cat reports too!!
The name Rambler was used by a predecessor of the Nash car company, the Jeffery bicycle company that marketed a bicycle named the Rambler.
Splendid Bill! Wow, It was great, Bill you answered her really awesome with that bold red text and so on haha. hell yeah this is a man, he's not ashamed and he don't mind because of other people's opinions. I'm glad you don't change. all the things you say and the videos are getting longer I love everything it's great because you're just being yourself and saying what you feel and want to spit out
Bill, I'm with you 100% about FL weather brother!
The lesser heat season is our only chance to catch a break from the oppressive heat & humidity and when that doesn't come, the fact that despite it's cons, the rest of the country north of FL is enjoying chilly on up to and including bone chilling temps requiring snowplows, shoveling snow, de-icing windshields, etc... definite nuisances but at least you can bundle up, drink hot beverages, eat hot food, drink corona-virus whiskey if you're still cold after all the physical demands of clearing snow & ice outside.
My tip to the author of the letter, to really experience what Aug is like in FL is to get into a sauna at a gym in San Diego and just hang out in there a few mins and realize FL in summer feels about like 80% of that at it's worst. I think that would definitely help her to appreciate your weather reports!
I like how the gear shift lever comes out of the dash and not directly from the steering column.
Hi Bill. Another fab review! Love those wind down rear windows and sounds great!!
Other than the language, it is a very entertaining video about a neat piece of American history. Thank you sir. I appreciate your sense of humor and wish you much success!
Uncle Billy!!!!! Thanks for posting some awesome content as always!!!!!
I haven’t seen one of these Ramblers in decades. I learned how to drive in a ‘51 Nash Ambassador stick shift.
I have not seen one of these cars on the road, here in the NW, for at least 30 years...But there are a few "restored", or original, pristine Americans of this vintage, for sale. on the Internet..Dealers are asking like 15-20 thousand for these survivors.
I love the weather reports! Keep them coming!
Jill needs to chill. LOVE the weather and terrifying animal updates. That's half the reason I watch these! LOL! Cool car, my grandparents had a penchant for these and had several Ramblers when I was growing up. Fond memories. Thanks, Bill.
SoCal most humid day might be 60% humidity, in August its hot everywhere but 95° & 90% humidity for 6 mos will make you scamper for the nearest air condition. I'm just thankful for 75° & 70%...
Thank you very much Bill, great to learn more and always a good laugh. Cool idea to do the Bill's Weather Report, subscriber shout-out in the video. Possibly get that segment sponsored for future episodes? I can see it, "todays weather in Naples brought to you by Penelope's Potions". Fun car and video, thanks again Bill, immensely appreciated 👍
From NW Florida, lived in SF California, now back in FL. Coastal California has NO Idea how oppressively obnoxious the weather is here. SF was like constant natural AC at all times, heavenly. Didn't help with dodging the human excrement on the sidewalks, but the weather was wonderful for the humidity averse.
Love your sense of humor lieutenant. I can tell you loooove this car.
The Rambler American's earlier incarnation, the Nash Rambler inspired cars like the Hudson Jet, Kaiser's Henry J, and the Willys Aero. When AMC brought the Rambler American back, it inspired the Studebaker Lark, and then the Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant (Chevy's Corvair was more inspired by the VW Beetle than the American).
It was a very astute decision by Romney, to bring back that older design...the flat six got good mpg, and the car was comfortable, if under-powered...I used to drag-race VW bugs with mine at stoplights--and I frequently would lose!
Love the weather report! keep it com'n! And yes, I live in LA but stay on course, Bill. BTW I'm on the search for a w124 or 89-95 Mercedes coupe/sedan/estate. How do I stay updated on current inventory? The car is for my soon to be driving daughter! Thanks again and be well.
This was excellent! We had as our family car a 62 Rambler American wagon, also with the no-zeroes speedometer.
So did my aunt and uncle. A light green. The ultimate practical car.
Most Rambler freaks feel the station wagon models during this era were the neatest-looking ones!
Thanks for making my day, I really enjoyed that.
A Rolls-Royce grill on a Volkswagen Beetle..saw plenty of those in the 1960s. Forget what's her name in San Diego, I enjoy your weather forecasts so much. Believe me Bill, there are horrid days here, in the middle of the summer, when I pray for a snowstorm.
So clean, So simple. I love it. Yeah, maybe the Conti' kit and leopard-look trim is a bit much. But this looks like it was built to be easily maintained and run forever, compared to most of today's high-tech junk, designed to become disposable money-pits after the warranty ends! 🙂
Not really true, about the reliability...they did cut corners on the car, in order to make it the lowest-priced US car in it's day. I know, as I owned a used one for a few years, until it began to fall apart at around 100 thousand miles...I loved that car, it was different, economical, and funky!...but transmission problems, suspension problems, etc showed up.
@@curbozerboomer1773 Those cars were simple, easy and cheap to repair. But something newer came along, with more gadgets, luxuries and bling. Eventually, they got more complex and expensive to repair, and there was the stigma that an old car was a badge of shame. So, the cycle continued to where today, we can buy computerised money-pits and stay in perpetual debt, or keep driving our old vehicles. With the crazy, post-Covid car-market, many more have chosen to keep driving old. So the new strategy is to squeeze the oil and force us into EVs, which will limit the pool of buyers, and limit the practical vehicle lifespan to about 10 years!
My aunt had a '61 , I think ,It was a pretty cool car, 3 on the tree which I thought was neat .I was very young probably about 5 ,but still a car guy . My aunt was a little bit pigeon toed and the way the rear tires sat in the wheel arch made IT look pigeon toed . It was like they were destined to be together .
I come for the South Florida weather reports and stay for the car reviews 😉
Bill LOVED the intro...especially the added graphics!!! LMAO
I love that Bill complains about how bad the weather is GOING to be.
Dad had a 50 or 51 American in his shop once for rust repair. It was an inch and a half shorter on one side than on the other. Likely due to an earlier rear-end collision.
No American in 50-51...just Nash.
what a wonderful video to watch on a 57 degree chilly sunny day :)
Don’t change anything your awesome that’s why we like a true telling person and not a fake keep up the great work and weather God bless
I always had a thing for this generation of Rambler American. Thank you.
Me too...I think it was the retro styling, combined with the fairly simple , yet comfortable interior and drive train. I have not seen even one of these cars on the road, here in the NW, for at least 30 years...they were used, used up, and then junked.
Hey Bill I love the weather reports, even more now that my parents just moved from here shitty nasty tucson az to Naples. Keep it comin buddy
Love the 40 min vids bill, especially when I’m at work lol
Our Rambler sedan was a camper the seats folded flat making a large bed, surprised you didn't know that.
Don't ever get rid of the weather reports and please don't stop the mentions of feral deer, rabbits, and goats on a Porsche it's part of the reason I watch and subscribe to your channel you bring me much entertainment I still want a video about "chairman meow" thanks
I enjoy the weather reports I relate to them keep it coming bill
Greatest weather report yet!
You're right , Bill!🎯. Both my grandmother and great-grandmother had a Rambler.
During the interior review I was looking for the heater controls. I skipped back to the engine compartment review and saw a blank where the heater would be. One would think the Super trim level would include the heater.
The new camera setup is SO cool
You are smart to do your reviews early in the morning. Avoid the heat and humidity of midday Florida.
I agree about Rambler not being a good name for a car. As a kid in the 60's, my parents had friends who had a high-end Rambler with that curious (ha!) flat "scroll down" back-glass, but with the humongous tailights, a reddish crap-brown paint job, and big Rambler letters on the trunk lid, I abhorred that car. Give it ANY other name, and I probably would have liked the car. Hey, I was a kid, I didn't know any better than to judge a car by its name😛
I already knew a little about the Rambler American, but looking at it here, for some reason I see elements from lots of European and Eastern Bloc countries. Rolls Royce windscreen and wheels, Peugeot 404 lights and grille, BMC 1100 B and C pillars, Triumph Herald side details, Austin "Farina""
People often thought my 59 American was a Peugeot!
My first thought was Columbo but that was a French car…very similar. Great history lesson
A Peugeot.
Yes...my friends at work thought it was a Peugeot!...Some even thought it was an old Mercedes!