The AMC Ambassador

            When American Motors was formed in 1954 it was something of a melting pot for car companies. The lineage of AMC is filled with other car companies that had merged or been bought up in order to stay afloat. Technically AMC came about as the result of a merger between the Nash Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company. Way back in the history of Nash, though, there was a small car brand known as the Rambler.

            The Rambler name hung around through good times and bad and by the AMC merger it was decided that all of their small cars, with the exception of the imported Metropolitan, would carry the Rambler name. In the post-World War II days these Rambler models were selling in a segment of the market that Detroit’s Big Three had yet to tread. Seeing an opportunity to increase market share, there was a huge push to sell Ramblers.

 

 

            A major push was made with a “luxury” Nash Ambassador such as the blue 1956 model shown here. Sporting a V 8 that could range from 250 cubic inches to 352 cubes and offering up to 305 horses, these cars really could run with those other Detroit big dogs if you pushed it. For many, though, the styling left something to be desired.

            Compared to say the mid-50s Chevys or even Pontiacs, the Nash and its cousin the Hudson Hornet looked rather staid. And the public couldn’t agree more. Sales for both the Nash and Hudson models slipped leaving management at AMC to end both marques and concentrate on the Rambler brand.

            In 1958 AMC released what it considered its first generation of Rambler Ambassador. Prior to 1956 AMC had been getting most of its power plants from Packard but that year they began making their own V 8 engines. By the time they released the Ambassador it was equipped with a 327 cubic inch V 8 that ran 270 horses. An interesting fact is that this AMC V 8 shares its displacement with the small block Chevy. The difference is that the AMC motor came out six years before the Chevy.

            For 1959 there was a remarkable styling upgrade as is seen on this white 59 model. Though AMC was coming late to the tail fin party they were innovative in other areas such as offering adjustable headrests, touted for both comfort and safety.

            The Ambassador continued to have sporadic sales through the 1960s and early 1970s but, like most AMC products, wasn’t able to make any real headway against the Big Three. After the 1974 year, with AMC pushing their newly acquired Jeep line as well as a sportier Matador coupe, it was announced that the Ambassador would be discontinued.

            Seeing these cars at shows or on the road is always a treat. There aren’t as many of them around as many other cars from that era. Both of these examples of automotive history were on display at the same show. It was a good show. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.