A scrappy independent beating Detroit's Big Three at their own game: Motor Trend named the entire redesigned 1963 Rambler lineup, Ambassador included, its Car of the Year.
Lead trim: Ambassador 327 cu in V8 (250 hp, 2-barrel)
American Motors Corporation Ambassador1963–1964
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FactA scrappy independent beating Detroit's Big Three at their own game: Motor Trend named the entire redesigned 1963 Rambler lineup, Ambassador included, its Car of the Year.
In 1962 Romney resigned to run for Governor of Michigan (and won) and new president Roy Abernethy ordered a completely redesigned, larger Rambler lineup for 1963 with a high degree of parts interchangeability to keep tooling costs down. The 1963–1964 Ambassadors (2-door sedan in 1963, 4-door sedan, station wagon and, in 1964, 2-door hardtop; the 880, 990 and 990-H) rode a 112 in wheelbase (188.8 in long, 71.3 in wide, 55.3 in high) with only the 327 cu in (5.4 L) V8, in either 250 hp two-barrel or 270 hp four-barrel form (1964 standard 250 hp, the 990-H with the high-compression 270 hp V8 and specially trimmed bucket-seat interior); the base 880 was dropped for 1964.
Collectors Spotted in the American Motors Corporation Ambassador Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the American Motors Corporation Ambassador yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador 327 cu in V8 (250 hp, 2-barrel) | 1963–1964 | 5.4 L V8 | 250 hp | 340 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
When the last Ambassador left the Kenosha line in June 1974, it closed out a nameplate that had been in continuous production, in some form, for 48 years.
Coachbuilders in Argentina and the US stretched this very Ambassador generation into custom limousines — an unlikely second life for AMC's flagship.
The '67 Ambassador convertible's last-ever year got an all-new folding top that hid its rails so well, three adults could still fit in back.
The 1965 Ambassador convertible was the first drop-top in the Ambassador line in 17 years — nobody had offered one since 1948.
A scrappy independent beating Detroit's Big Three at their own game: Motor Trend named the entire redesigned 1963 Rambler lineup, Ambassador included, its Car of the Year.
AMC shrank the 1962 Ambassador onto a shorter 108-inch wheelbase and made it lighter than the full-size car it replaced — and quicker, with a 270-hp V8.
The restyled 1961 Ambassador swept 9 of the top 10 spots in its class at the Pure Oil Company's Economy Trials — a genuine efficiency win in a V8-powered American sedan.
The 1958 Ambassador looked like a much bigger car, but it wasn't: its extra nine inches of wheelbase went entirely ahead of the cowl, so the cabin held exactly as much room as the compact Rambler.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.