Topic: Solved - NEH 2513: Custom Rambler American - 1959

[Carnut]

What's this, from when - for 1 point?:

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[ecurie]

Is it based on a Toyota Celica ?

[Carnut]

Is it based on a Toyota Celica ?

No.

[dzima1985]

Russian?

[fyreline]

Appears to be based on a 1958-1960 Rambler American (with a very different roof grafted on!).  Can't find it yet, still looking.

[Bizzarrini Rossa]

from Ukraine.

[Carnut]

Russian?

No..

from Ukraine.

..no..

Appears to be based on a 1958-1960 Rambler American (with a very different roof grafted on!).  Can't find it yet, still looking.

..but this might be enough for the point!  I'll check.

[fyreline]

Whoever did it, did a very creditable job. Transformed the car completely.

[Carnut]

Whoever did it, did a very creditable job. Transformed the car completely.

Yes, I liked it enough to post it although I don't know who the builder was, just what it was.
Not too keen on the matt paint job, mind you..

[fyreline]

I agree on the paint job . . . Although the "Rat Rod" matte-black look can work for some cars, I don't think it does this one justice. And, I would love to know what the donor car for the roof was. Could have been a Toyota Celica as ecurie mentioned.

[RayTheRat]

Amazing!  But some further checking seems to suggest that this isn't a Nash Rambler, but a Rambler American.  They were different models entirely.  See attached photos.

The Rambler American was the "compact car" offering from AMC while the Rambler itself was the "standard full-sized" model.  It had humungous fins and was pretty darned ugly.  The American wasn't quite as "dramatic" but didn't have much sex appeal...and it still had a flathead 6 motor which was by that time, very dated.
 

[Carnut]

Thanks Ray - you're probably right.
It had actually been my intention to show it as a Rambler American Custom, but when I checked the photo was captioned just as a Nash so I changed my mind!
I should change it back again!

I had a Dinky Toy of that Rambler that you think is so ugly when I was a youngster, and I really thought it was the Bee's Knees!
American styling to a 10 year old English kid used to Ford Popluars really was something else at that time.  I remember a guy in the village where I lived had a '58/9 Chevrolet Impala and to say it looked like something from another planet parked there is something of an understatement; in fact just parked there it took up most of the village...!

[RayTheRat]

Ironically, while I (and most of the buying public at the time) found the Rambler's styling to be "less than attractive", the 58 and 59 Chevys are 2 of my favorites.  I can see how it might take up a whole village to park it....they're still very large cars.  But if I could find a 58 DelRey wagon or sedan delivery or a 59 El Camino at a price that was on this planet, as opposed to astronomical, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.  A "Chevy Heartbeat", I spose.  Ok,  Bad pun.   

Best regards,

[fyreline]

Yes, no question in my mind that this car started out as a Rambler American, not a Nash Rambler . . . although the American was, in fact, nothing more than the old 1955 Nash Rambler body dies being dusted off and pressed into service (now there's a pun for you!) to produce a "new" 1958 model. Although I don't think anybody was fooled as to what this car actually was, the 1958-1960 Rambler American was actually quite popular and did good things for AMC's bottom line during the Eisenhower Recession that affected nearly every other US auto manufacturer. It also beat the Big 3's 1960 compact Falcon, Corvair and Valiant to market by quite a bit.

I sincerely doubt that Mitt Romney's father George (President of AMC 1954-1962) could ever have envisioned a Rambler American looking like the puzzle car!

[RayTheRat]

The American was, in fact, nothing more than the old 1955 Nash Rambler body dies being dusted off and pressed into service (now there's a pun for you!)

   Very, very good!

I sincerely doubt that Mitt Romney's father George (President of AMC 1954-1962) could ever have envisioned a Rambler American looking like the puzzle car!

I don't think he really cared...except for the bottom line on the profit/loss statement.