Jan1

Rambler Milestones for January

Categories: Rambler Heritage, Rambler by the Month

Rambler
By the Month…

Rambler Milestones for January-

A poster for the first New York Auto Show, January 1900
January 1900 marked the first New York Auto Show. Thomas B. Jeffery & Company was there, showing off at least two early cars, the Rambler Experimentals, in Runabout and Stanhope…
Here are a few items from the 1969 American Motors Family Album:

In January of 1942, Nash-Kelvinator ceased production of automobiles to focus on military production for World War II. During the war, Nash produced 600 million dollars worth of aircraft engines, propellers, helicopters, bomb fuses, cargo trailers, binocular cases, and flying boat sub-assemblies, among other supplies, at plants located in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing in Michigan, and Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, in Wisconsin.


The Nash eXperimental International, or NXI, was first shown to the public in January of 1950. Over 250,000 people were surveyed to determine if the car that became the Metropolitan warranted production.

1960 AMC Mighty Mite on parade

This looks like a Jeep, but it is actually a miniature version known as the Mighty Mite. These vehicles began production by American Motors in January 1960, ten years before AMC acquired Kaiser Jeep. These were a special version of the Jeep for the Airborne Corps and the Marines.


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January 1972: Gremlin Voyager, with GremBin-

Think maybe somebody was taking the Kaiser-Frazer heritage a little too seriously? Not sure when this is, but it has the old-style window latch… probably 72 or 73. Large bumpers suggest 73…

NOTE –
After seeing my confusion on this little matter, previous contributor John Mahoney wrote a note on the AMC-List about this car:
“…Thanks, Mike, for putting that “Hornet-by-Cash” photo online. You can put a “1972″ in your “Grembin” caption also, for the Gremlin “Voyager*” debuted at The Montreal Auto Show in January, and toured the North American auto show circuit throughout the 1972 year…”

http://www.montrealautoshow.com/

Thanks for contributing this information, John. All of us who loved American Motors ARE now AMC, and it will only be remembered, as we choose to remember it…


1969 AMC Mod Javelin SST- Big Bad Orange

In January of 1969, AMC introduced the Mod Javelin and Big Bad AMX , which were available in three bright colors and special trim. The paint was also available at small extra cost on any AMC car with any standard equipment. In the period between 1968 and 1971, New York City area dealerships also offered a Rebel with 390, 4-speed, and these colors.This model was called the Rebel Raider.

See More Big Bad Cars at the ..

A trio of 1969 AMC Big Bad AMX's
AMC Big Bad Javelin & AMX Registry

1966 Vignale AMX
The AMX was first shown to the SAE in January of 1966. This is the famous Vignale AMX prototype, part of Project IV, a design program introduced to the public in June 1966, featuring four cars. These cars were the AMX, The AMX II, the Cavalier, and the Vixen. Design elements of these cars persisted in AMC production cars until the last Eagles were built in 1988:
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AMC's 1968 Racing Team

 

 

 

In January, 1969, Car Life Magazine ran a 6-page article titled,

“How the Pros Compete with Javelins, AMXs“

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1964 AMC Rambler Tarpon

In January of 1964, the public was shown the Rambler Tarpon concept for the first time. Whenever Rambler fans gather, there is always much lamenting of the fact that this car was not produced, as it is commonly believed that the little fastback would have stolen the thunder of the Mustang and Barracuda.

Management cancelled that program,  and AMC instead chose to produce the much-criticized 1965 Marlin, a mid-size fastback, on the larger Rambler Classic platform. 1965 Rambler Marlin

Sales of that car were a disaster.

These are pictures of the Tarpon, which was originally intended to be produced on the Rambler American body.

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This seems to be stylists or designers working on a full-scale 1:1 clay model of the Tarpon in front of an audience of some kind, perhaps students, or maybe company executives or a group of stockholders. One shows a designer working on a full size rendering of an interior design. He has an airbrush hanging next to him on the sign, which says, “Rambler presents: Styling Horizons”. I suppose it could be part of an auto show.

NOTE-
After looking at these pictures for a few months, I now suspect that this is part of the SAE convention, where the Tarpon was introduced in January 1964. -mike

Just a few snippets of the Rambler Heritage which took place in January.
Happy New Year!
-mike

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