The sixth-generation Ambassador was totally restyled from the previous somewhat-stodgy designs. The fifth-gen cars are my personal favorites, but I’m somewhat stodgy, too. The new cars were only two inches longer, but they looked much more modern. The seller has this project 1968 AMC Ambassador 990 two-door hardtop listed here on eBay in Merced, California, there is an unmet opening bid price of $3,500 and a buy-it-now of $5,000.
This car is a project, as you can tell. The seller says that the body is in good condition but it could use some adjustments and alignments, and it does look really good overall, despite the stripped paint. I’m guessing that this car would have originally been Saturn Blue but we don’t know for sure. Whatever it was, it can be any color now since it’s basically stripped down to nothing.
The newly-styled sixth-generation Ambassadors were made for the 1967 model year and the 1968 model year, that’s it, then they were totally redesigned, or styled, for the 1969 model year. The lower-trim-level cars, the 880s, offered a two-door version that looked like a hardtop with the windows up. There was actually a very thin B-pillar, which with the windows up, gave them the look of the higher-trim 990 or DPL two-door hardtop cars. The seller just confirmed that this is in fact a hardtop, so there you have it.
It’ll need more work inside, but the worst of it may be taking that dash out to be restored unless you can find another perfect one in a salvage yard somewhere. This car has a Borg Warner three-speed automatic with a column shifter and it appears that the seats may have been recovered at some point, or not. They look good, they’re just dirty like everything else is.
The big thing with this car, other than the apparent solid condition of its body, is the top-displacement V8 for this model and year. This is AMC’s 343-cu.in/ OHV V8, which, in two-barrel form as this car has according to the VIN, was factory-rated at 235 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque. The engine starts but the seller doesn’t recommend driving it. How would you restore this Ambassador?
“Sports sedan”,,(whistles), who was “sportin’ that kind of cash? This was the car that single uncle that worked at AMC drove. He didn’t dare pull in the employee parking with a GP or Monte Carlo,, this was as good as it got. The Javelin wasn’t his cup of tea, and mom , who he lived with, forbade it. The car was lightweight, and the 343 , even a 2 barrel, was no slouch. I may be partial, but it was a darn nice car. The only hope for this car, would be to redo it yourself and try and sell it as a nice example. This just isn’t nice enough and not desirable anyway. Sorry, it’s how I see it, and you may have noticed, I put “retired” in my name, so people will know, I’m not some young punk just off the boat, I’ve been around, thanks.
Don’t worry, nobody would mistake you for a young punk, Howard. We know you’re not young!
Looks like a hard top to me. Same as my 67 where front door window meets rear side window
Sports sedan? These things had Sta-Puff Marshmallows for front suspensions.
A mans got to know his limitations Clint once said & he was right! bad as the rap this car has received here I still think it would or could be a nice cruiser & you would have to fix it like you were not going to sell it or why bother? It’s not going to make you any cash so I think this would be a nice project car for the guy who has the skills or want to gain them which should include paint with some mechanical interests and 3,500 with a good body & engine sounds like a bargain compared to the rotted out motor frozen, rise from the ashes some chevy, ford, mopar shells ive seen & people shell out the big bucks for those dreams just not me. A man’s got to know his limitations!
With prices of cars like that ’55 Chevy,this looks like
a deal! If you fixed it up (& kept it) you’d have a really cool
car that would draw a crowd at just about any car show.
I built a Johan model of this,& painted it Star Blue.I
thought it was really good looking.
They started to make nice looking cars. The interrior looks a bit plain jane but so does the newer cars of today. At least back then you had a choice of interrior colors to choose from. Today, one is mostly stuck with gray interrior.
A 390 could be had in a 1968 Ambassador. One just had to wait until after the introduction of the AMX in late Feb. of 1968.
Scotty, that is NOT a “sedan”.
You may be right, Steve! So it’s most likely a 990 two-door hardtop. It’s hard to tell because the seller doesn’t show it with both side windows down, and the “Sports Sedan” had a super thin b-pillar meant to give it the look of a hardtop – although, I believe that model went away for the 1968 model year.
Here’s the 1967 Sports Sedan thin-post coupe: https://www.ultimatespecs.com/cargallery/213/11563/AMC-Ambassador-1967-880-Sports-Sedan-1.jpg
the make continues to garner higher’n higher accolades than back in its day. I for 1 join that band wagon (this model’n esp the AMX).
Fine rendition, like a mid sz or smaller for ‘performance’ vehicle tho (90 – 105 inch WB). 117/8 inch here~
68 ambassador with a 343 would do impressive burnouts, at least my dad’s would circa 1973
My mom had a SPECIAL ORDER 68 Rebel SST 343 / 4 Auto on the floor and factory duel exhaust. Surprised many of the BIG 3. Mom wasn’t afraid to drive it like she stole it. Got T-BONED by a 64 Lincoln. Replaced by a 71 Matador 304 POS
Had a 67 rambler ambassador DPL (deluxe personal limousine). Loved that car. It was blue with a blue pattern interior. The seats laid down into a Simi comfortable bed. 343 engine I rebuilt bored out 30 thousands. Bought it in July of 73 My second car for $1000
FPL stands for Don Paul Leonardo. The designer of the interior ( maybe whole car). Definitely not deluxe personal limousine seriously. Where did you get that from?
Leonardo maybe Been awhile since I found that info
Could have sworn it was a DPL on the car and was told by the Oldsmobile dealership that I bought it from that it stood for deluxe personal limousine. Never heard of FPL. Where did you get your info from. That’s not saying I’m right. Alexa said it stood for diplomat. So we are both wrong. Ha
Auction update: this one ended with no bids.