The Rambler Classic was American Motors’ mainstream product from 1961 to 1966. They were the equivalent of the Chevrolet Chevelle in terms of size. The cars were redesigned in 1963, and the Classic and the upscale Ambassador were named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in ‘63. With minimal changes in 1964, the 770 was the Classic’s top-of-the-line model. This beautiful survivor has only logged 24,000 miles and looks as though it could be just about the nicest ’64 Rambler still around.
These cars have a warm spot with me as my family once owned a ’64 Ambassador and my first car was a ’64 Classic 770 station wagon. Total American Motors production in 1964 was nearly 380,000 cars, with 206,000 of them being Classics. The 770 4-door sedan (like this one) comprised sales of about 14,000 units, with either a 196 cubic inch inline-6 or a 287 V8. The seller’s car has the former with an automatic transmission.
The seller is the third owner of this beauty. He/she bought it in 2018 at just 18,000 miles and has added about 1,000 miles each year since going to car shows and the like. Its condition is partly attributable to having been in climate-controlled storage when not in use – and it has never seen severe weather or a car wash (cleaned by hand). The paint, interior, and drivetrain are all original and as nice as you’ll probably find for 60 years. Even the spare tire dates to 1964.
Except for not having a V8, this Classic seems to have everything else including fold-down bucket-style seats and factory air conditioning. The tires are fairly new with just 5,000 miles. The seller is asking $25,000 here on craigslist and the vehicle can be seen in Columbus, Ohio. This sounds like a lot for a Rambler, but its condition on any other vintage car might fetch even more. Thanks for another great tip, T.J.!
This is the kind of find that really gets my blood pumping. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a pristine Rambler. If it’s as nice as it looks, it’s worth every bit of $25,000.
That was my first car. I didn’t know they could look as good as this one. Mine was a green color in and out, 6 cyl three on the tree and no AC.
My Grand father bought a green one for $50.00 with very low compression. I drove it at age 13 but was not allowed.
I went flying down one hill and just made it up the other from a crawl. I reversed direction to head back but a neighbor stopped to talk so I stopped the engine. I jumped the battery to start it before but it had not charged in 3 blocks. I heard that some automatics could be push started so I coasted down the hill, ign on and in drive. After gaining speed to 27 it started slowing down and the engine turned over and it started! I floored it and just made it up the hill.
No matter how nice, does a mid-60’s, 4 door, 6 cylinder Rambler have enough enthusiastic followers to spend $25,000? There are a lot of really nice 1960’s through 1980’s cars for 1/3 to 1/2 this cars asking price. He may love it and it is beautiful, but this is square in the middle of the enthusiast segment of the market where price is often the determining factor. Since buyers, not sellers determine “value” there probably aren’t a lot of potential buyers at this price.
Steve R
My ex wife was paid $1,000 to care
for an elderly woman who had dementia while her daughter was out
of town. Well, the old lady owned a
Car just like this one only hers was a
’63 painted maroon with a tan interior.
As I recall, it had maybe 30K on it when I saw it in 79. Long story short,
the old lady wanted to start the car
twice a day and tried to do it with the
garage door closed! We got her back in the house and my ex talked her into
letting me start it instead. So I went
About to the garage, slid behind the
wheel and started it up. The car started on the first turn of the key and was whisper quiet. My ex brought the
woman out to the garage to show her
that I’d done it. A huge smile came to her face when she heard the old Rambler run. The lady also smiled as
I checked the fluids after I’d turned the engine off after letting the car cool down. I went there every morning and evening to start the car
as the old lady looked on. I found out
from her daughter that the woman was a well known journalist who bought the car new in the fall of ’62
and had owned it since then. Even after the daughter came back from
her trip, I’d go over there and start the
Rambler when I wasn’t on the road
playing music. And she was always there smiling as her daughter looked on. I can still see her face today some 45 years later. And I’m still glad
that I made her happy.
And that was the short version,,kidding, Kenneth, always enjoy your comments.
The price on this car is way out in left field……. if it was a v8 2 door in this shape maybe 12 to 15000 and that would still be a hard sell. This car is in very good shape but not for 25000. Glwts peace!
Good Story…Good Memory…Good Man
That was a lovely story!! 🙂
Here is another cool Rambler story. My brother bought a 64 Classic a few years ago. It was originally owned and bought by a lady professor from Berklay CA. She bought it new in 64. She owned the car until 2000 when she gave it to her nephew who sold it to the guy my brother bought it from. The professor was a nobel prize winner during her carer. She was also the mechanics worst nightmere. She kept ever repair bill and all her instructions to the mechanic who worked on her car. The car has 120,000 miles and all original paint and interior looking almost new. Always garaged and from CA no rust. It still has the CA black plates and the dealers frame around them. Also the window sticker. It is a V8 with power everything but no air. He paid $4500 for the car.
Nice car but the price even in these inflated times seems pretty crazy. I’ve owned Rambler Classics and with that 196 engine (a pre-war Nash flathead converted to OHV) and Flash-O-Matic transmission it is SLOW! I can’t even imagine what it would be like trying to merge onto a freeway with the power-robbing York “paint shaker” AC compressor running!
It’s hard to tell but it looks like it might have Ambassador wheel covers. By the way, the factory recommended adjusting the valves and checking head bolt torque every 8,000 miles on that engine.
:), in case some are new to the site, Ramblers are my favorite cars. Growing up in Milwaukee, it was tough not to be. I can say, without reservation, I’ve seen a LOT of Ramblers, and NEVER, a black one. Rambler was kind of noted for wild color combinations, and had some talented painters, obviously craftsmen from another country. American factory workers drank too much. Screwing in dome lights all day, can you blame them? Painters were a different breed, and never saw a black one. We were still riding high on the 1963 COTY award, and Milwaukenosha was a hummin’. Rambler never had a real full size car to compete with Caddy or Lincoln, but appealed to regular folks that were on a budget With Rambler( or Studebaker, our arch nemesis for years, and vice versa, I’m sure) it was clear, we were a nation of “build our own, buy our own”, and most folks in the Midwest bought Ramblers.
I too think a car in the future is going to have to be pretty special for someone to spend 5 figures. Cars like this are merely a novelty, a “Sunday go to meetin”, car, and folks in the future just aren’t going to spend $25 grand on a novelty item, regardless how nice WE think they are.
Black was probably not a popular Rambler color, but I do have a black Marlin. (Well, black with white roof and trunk.)
This looks like the nicest car I’ve seen on BF in ages. If it’s as nice as it appears, it’s well worth that money!
Nice AMC but the way the owner is polishing it tells me he is very attached and proud of it hence the 25k asking price. He should keep and enjoy it.
In 1964, my then recently-widowed mother traded a Chrysler Windsor which had just popped a torsion bar for a new 770 six two door, black/red. She had the roof painted off-white. Radio plus auto.
I found it to be a nice riding, tight little vehicle which could have used higher shift points and the aftermarket sway bars then available. Mom had no sporting pretensions, tho’, so all I could do was hanker for the flatter ride. I did find that shifting into low to hold gears to higher revs would nicely enhance off-the-mark and sportiness.
Although never damaged, the right front shock tower did suffer the tin worm after a decade and a half in the Northeast as was evidenced by a crack in the windshield. Next up, a NUMMI Nova.
Love the styling of the 64.
My mother had a 63 classic cross country with a 327 and 3 speed with overdrive. My brother got his hands on it when he first got his license and with a few performance mods turned it into an unreal sleeper it was a robins egg blue with blue tinted windows and dark turquoise fabric interior same layout as this with the reclining front seats very cool car wish I could find it or it’s twin
Beep Beep! Beep Beep!
🎵His horn went beep beep beep!🎵
As a kid I can say that a Rambler was kind of a keep on walking car to me. One family in the neighborhood would buy a wagon every so often and the people across the road would get an old one to finish off every now and then. Today I can better appreciate what these cars stood for. They might not have had what everyone was looking for but they had what certain people were looking for.
Yeah, I remember that tune! My aunt
had the 45 by the Playmates. And at
that time, she was driving a ’58 Cross
Country wagon! That was the summer of ’66.
Cadillac kid
Popular song from 1958 but the car was a little NASH rambler . Hey buddy how do get this thing out of second gear!!
Very true but of course, no way realistic.
I owned a rambler but my favorite rambler story was our widowed lady who lived next store to us. She LOVED that car.
She didnt drive much and won it in a church raffle.
Hers was much better than mine.
Our high school ride was a 660 … nothing special just a ride to school twenty-five miles away … basic 195 but had fold down seats … traded in on a VW Fastback … slid into a ’65 Ford Galaxie – barely scratched the Ford but gave the Rambler four broken headlights and a bent hood … was my first time out with my license and my folks grounded me for six months … but the fold-down front seats made for some great dates …
My mom bought a ’64 660 for our school driver- with that 196 engine, AT, and air it wouldn’t get out of its own way …
Another story from me and I swear it is true.
When I was 14, I was sitting on my 5 speed Schwinn fastback with the big gear shift lever watching cars go down Market St hill in Hbg Pa. A 64 Rambler wagon was heading down the hill around 35 mph. A guy in a big Cadillac overshot the stop sign and hit the Rambler just behind the front door. There were 2 guys up front and 2 in back of the Rambler. The whole car, sheared into 2, just behind the front seat. The driver steered the car off to the side and stopped(dual brake lines) and the back end, with the driveshaft flapping and spinning while shooting sparks came to a stop as well. That is the second Rambler I’ve seen split at that same area. No one was hurt. Only the Cadillac drove home. If only I had my movie camera then.
mine may have been an ‘american”, a 440?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambler_(automobile)#/media/File%3A1963_Rambler_American_440-H_black-red_MD_fl.jpg
It was the ‘square box’, I dont remember but assume 3 speed auto. Base model of base models (whole AMC) but a vert ! Incredably smooth i6. The link is a fancy (paint) one.
Surprised to see the ambassador was so upscale at the same year.