Rambler

...By the Month... January


 



      



January
Lost America Lives On...



 Rambler TimeLine







In January, 1969, Car Life Magazine ran a 6-page article titled, "How the Pros Compete with Javelins, AMXs"



These are pictures of the 1964 Rambler Tarpon show car, which was originally intended to be produced on the Rambler American body. 

Management cancelled that program, and instead decided to go with the Marlin, based on the larger Rambler Classic platform. 









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. 

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







 TimeLine Gallery







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 ...



AMC

Big Bad Javelin

&

AMX Registry





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.




  Latest news




 January 23, 2007:

I am back to live editing on the site now. I just installed some new database management software on the server.  It is now using a relational system, so it will be easier to track relationships between various events, people, vehicles, companies, etc.

This will also provide a way to re-structure the TimeLine and the Open Library Project, so they are more understandable and easier to navigate.

It won't happen for a while yet, but it's good to be ready.

 January 10, 2007:

Hit counter reached Visitor 401 Today.




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 Rambler Milestones for January 



Some January AMC Happenings:




Here are a few items from the
1969
American Motors Family Album:





January 1900 marked the first New York Auto ShowThomas B. Jeffery & Company was there, showing off at least two early cars, the Rambler Experimentals, in Runabout and Stanhope.












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.












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.










In January of
1964, the public was shown the
Rambler Tarpon concept.  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. AMC instead chose to produce the much-criticized 1965 Marlin, a mid-size fastback. Sales of that car were a disaster









January 1972:

Voyageur with GremBin
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 "Voyageur*" debuted at


http://www.montrealautoshow.com/

in January and toured the NA auto show circuit throughout the 1972 year..."


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...
mike







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 Route 66 Rambler 

  MollyBlue@Route66Rambler.com