With an either love-it or hate-it design, this 1957 Rambler Six Custom can’t be faulted for ever blending into the crowd. You’ll probably never see another one parked next to you at a car show, unlike ’57 Chevys. This one can be found here on eBay in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada. The current bid price is over $10,500 and there are still five days left on this no-reserve auction!
Some say that this era of Rambler has a face (grille) that only a mother could love. Others may think that it’s this unusual “face” and other unusual features that make these cars so loveable and desirable. It’s not hard to tell which camp I’m in. I have absolutely nothing against ’57 Chevys, but give me something that will stand out against a sea of ’57 Chevys at a car show and I’m happy. An ultra-low-mile car, even better.
Dowdy, schoolteacher car, etc. This is not a rocketship ’57 Chevy rear 3/4 view! I admit that the 1957 Chevrolet is one gorgeous car – well designed, looking towards the future that either never came (jet packs) or very much was realized, i.e., flying to the moon, even though that was over 50 years ago now. Rambler trim levels included a Deluxe, Super, and the top-of-the-line Custom as with this car.
The seller says that this is still the factory original interior and it’s still under plastic covers. It looks great inside other than normal wear on the steering wheel and what looks like a dash pad that has gone south. I’m not sure if that dash top is original or not? The back seat looks even better than the front seat does which is often the case. They list the mileage as being 28,798 miles and they don’t mention the body at all, as in, if it has been restored at some point or repainted or if there’s any rust or bodywork. They do say that it has the “factory undercoat”, so that’s a good sign.
The engine is a 195.6 cubic-inch “Typhoon” inline-six which had 125 hp. Air-Conditioning has to be somewhat of a rare option for a Rambler of this era, or really any car in the late-1950s. The engine looks great but again, there is no word on how it runs or really any other info given about this car other than the interior is original. Enough bidders think that it’s worth a gamble to have brought the bid price up to $10,500+. Have any of you owned a Rambler Six?
Wow Scotty, what a find! Never owned a Rambler, but this would be the one. A/C is not a big thing for me on a classic, just an added bonus. Gotta be super rare. Love that air cleaner also. This thing is not only bad, but nationwide.
Beautiful car, as in quirky. I love that it stands out from the sea of Fords and Chevrolets of the era. The A/C, while generally rare in 1956, from what I’ve read about Rambler is that they really sold a lot of cars with A/C and boasted about their “All-Weather Eye” system (vs Weather Eye, heating only). It seems Nash/Rambler pioneered the flow through ventilation system still used today.
Aside from that tidbit, this car is a gem and how it managed to survive, I’d love to know the story.
https://autoweek.com/article/classic-cars/nash-statesman-amc-gremlin-40-years-weather-eye
https://jalopnik.com/nash-turns-100-today-heres-six-reasons-why-they-may-be-1784530445
Although expensive, AC cost less on AMC cars than most of its contemporaries. In 1954 Nash was the first to package the entire AC system under the hood, integrated with the heater, along with an electromagnetic clutch to control the compressor.
I think in 1957 AMC was still using GM Hydramatic automatic transmissions. The engine in this car is an OHV conversion of the Nash flathead mill and is worked pretty hard with that trans and AC.
This car’s body shell was introduced for 1956 and was the basis for the “big” Ramblers until the 1963 Classic and Ambassador.
I don’t think I have ever seen one of these Rambler Six Custom cars ever.
Neat car but too bad it’s getting sold out of CANADA.
Bob
Wow I love this car. I’d own it in a minute. But, when you compare this car to the body designs that Chrysler introduced in 1957 with their “Forward Look” cars, you can see that the design paradigm had shifted, and GM (and especially Rambler and Studebaker) were behind the design curve.
GM recovered well by ’59, and Ford somehow survived the Edsel debacle. And the big 3 set the pace from that point on. Until the Japanese shifted the paradigm again in just 10 short years.
Great and rare car but the funny thing is just five minutes ago I saw one as the find of the day at Hemmings. Different three tone colors but the same left front 3/4 pose.
Had a ’62 Classic 2-d9or sedan and loved
it! ‘Twas the perfect car for a newlywed
couple on a tight budget. If something
broke, you could usually fix it with whatever you had lying around your garage at the time. Like this car, mine had the 195 cube engine mated to a borg
Warner pushbutton automatic. If this car
is an automatic, who made it? As I look at the interior photos, I see a column mounted shifter. This is confusing to me
as I thought all late ’50s Ramblers had
Pushbutton automatics in them. The only thing I didn’t like about this era Rambler was the torque tube driveshaft that made servicing the tranny a logistical nightmare. These cars also had the continental spare outback that made them look very classy. And though it was an option, I saw a lot of “57s equipped with them. I could just see Mom and the girls motoring around
Winter Haven in this car. It looks really
snazzy and would turn heads wherever
it went. Uh oh! The Nash Rambler song just popped in my head. Beep beep
(beep beep) beep beep (beep beep) his
horn went beep, beep, beep…
I used to have a 56 Nash Rambler Custom trim level looks the same except the parking lights are bigger on the 57. The torque tube dtriveshaft isn’t that much of a problem if you need to remove the trans. I disconnected the rear shocks and the bolts connecting the trans to the tube then because of the coil springs at the rear axle I could use a comealong to pull the driveshaft back with just a couple of clicks and free up the trans. My 56 was fun to drive and like floating going down the road with the coil springs. Also mine was a 3 speed with overdrive.
They are quirky cool. The station wagon version is even better.
I’m with you Scotty. Give me this car over a ’57 Chevy 6 anytime. You will see a lot of ’57 Chevs at any motor show but you are very unlikely to see one of these beautiful Ramblers.
Great find, and yeah, it’s a bit uncanny Hemmings had similar car. It’s unusual to see today, especially 2 in a day for sale. The only way these survived, is if they were never driven. Clearly an estate sale find. Growing up in Milwaukee, these cars were all around. The neighbor who worked at AMC had one, my grandfather had Ramblers, was a Wisconsin thing. Rarely did one see Ramblers outside the midwest. They rusted terribly, and with unibody, they were toast in no time. Unrepairable,, like my grandfathers ’61 Classic with 40K miles and most were scrapped. To answer Kens question, I believe Rambler came out with push buttons in 1958, except American. I remember, to start a column shift automatic, you pulled the gear shift towards you. Battery hold down a bit funky ( what else is cobbled?) but a nicer car, Rambler-wise, I doubt you’ll find.
BTW, did you know, a rendition of this car was considered one of the 1st factory muscle cars? The 327,( new for ’57) V8 ’57 Rambler Rebel 2 door, made plenty of Ford and Chevy owners nervous. Dusted by a Rambler, how embarrassing.
Great car from a great company. Why have a boring 57 Chevy when you can have this. Love it.
Beautiful car that looks great from any angle. Love the exterior colors and that interior is a real treat. This Rambler would be a definite favorite at any Show ‘n Shine. Whatever it sells for, it’s worth every penny.
Clear plastic covering the seats is exactly what you would expect to see on this car, but are we to believe that is plastic from 1957? Not yellowed and not torn?
If the car has been stored in a cool place and out of the sun, the covers need not yellow.
Well, I think the answer to that is pretty simple. During the 50’s and 60’s, my father, whenever he bought a car (all of which were used, which begs the following point), the first thing he did was have those damnable clear plastic seat covers installed. We lived in Southern California, and those things would bond to your skin within 5 minutes. Hence, you covered them with towels and blankets and ????. Coverings covering the covers covering the seats. Flippin’ insane.
I have one just like this, but in factory yellow and black two-tone with green interior! Mine is also has super low mileage. Cool cars-
When I grew up in northwest Detroit and attended The Robert Burns Elementary School the Shop teacher Mr Olberg Hoggin had a Station wagon in blue just like this 4 door sedan. It was a coll car to say the least!!!!!!! GML 02-04 2020
Had a 1960 Rambler Classic; green with a white roof, that my parents gave me while stationed at a Nike Site near Pgh. PA.
Scotty–you need to mention the transmission in your articles. As with this car, the difference between a stick and a slush box is dramatic. As AMC guy said, this engine is working pretty hard with an auto and AC. With a stick, it would be fun to drive.
I used to want one of these. This one would have been perfect for me, but my true love is Cadillacs, so I will have to pass. Great find! The nicest I have ever seen.
My dad had one of these, a 1956. Main difference was somewhat smaller parking lamps. His wore a Hudson badge rather than Nash. The Hudson Rambler and Nash Rambler were otherwise identical resulting from Hudson and Nash merger to form AMC. After 18 years on the road, severe rust claimed the car. The body still looked nice, but the underbody was shot. He sold it as a part car. The interior still looked like new. At last gasp, the car had been driven 42000 miles.
Great little car. Easy to work on. Comfortable to ride in,easy on gas. I,d rather have this then any new one they are making today. With all the technology and electronic trouble. Plus fighting with them to back their warranty and price. Hand down this Ramble is better.