In 1965, American Motors continued to use the Rambler nameplate on its products. That would change in 1967 when only the American was so branded (then gone altogether when that little car was cancelled in 1969). This 1965 Rambler Classic 770 looks like a nice survivor that may need nothing but a new home. From a dealer (we think) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this Cars & Coffee candidate can be yours for $5,900 and is available here on craigslist. Reviews like this wouldn’t be possible without tips from barn finders such as Chuck Foster!
After an award-winning redesign in 1963 (Motor Trend’s Car of the Year), AMC’s Classic and Ambassador got a major facelift in 1965-66. They no longer shared the same wheelbase with the Ambassador receiving a stretch. The Classic was a bit bigger, too, now similar to others in the “new” mid-size field. Three trim levels were offered, 550, 660, and 770, with the latter being the better-dressed car. AMC marketed these automobiles as “Sensible Spectaculars” which is a good way to think of a Rambler.
The 145 hp, 232 cubic inch inline-6 was standard in the 770 and is the engine in the seller’s car. We’re not sure if it’s original given the way it’s described. The 232 was used in later years by Jeep, too, so it could be from that arm that AMC acquired in 1970. The transmission is a 3-speed automatic sourced from Borg-Warner back in the day. This car looks quite solid for its age with 85,000 miles reported on the odometer.
Details are few about this auto, such as its history over the past 60 years. The body and paint look good as does the interior which may be original except for the carpeting which is new. The selling dealer says you can drive it anywhere, but I’d be inclined to stick with cruises and car shows. The Classic’s run would come to an end after 1966, switching to the Rebel and later the Matador monikers.
Nice car! Note that the Rambler name was still being used in 1967 on the Rebel. (I have one!)
The Rambler name was used until 1969. 1970 the name became AMC!
Wow, I love this car. So Howard, was this car positioned against the ’65 Chevelle, and the ’65 Falcon, and the ’65 Dart?
It’ a great design. Dick Teague?
I’ve owned a few of these over the years (a ’65 Classic was my first car) and love them but they must have been a real tough sell against the Chevelle and other “A Body” GM cars.
This was made in the exact time that AMC was bucking the burgeoning muscle car trend. In fact one of their ads read, “The only race Rambler cares about is the human race”. So no doubt the new slightly bigger Ramblers were not performance cars even though a V8 was offered as an option.. Of course, AMC would later start caring about other races with the release of the Javelin and then the AMX.
You listed the Javelin and AMX, but you forgot the Pacer…
I’m talking performance, not paperweights.
🤣🤣🤣
I learned how to drive in our 550 sedan in puke green. The previous family car was a ’57 Fairlane sedan, also in green! The next family car was a ’72 Lemans sedan in gold. I do have a soft spot for Rambler. O.
What a great Classic! (Pun intended)
A young lady I was dating at the time
had one of these. Only difference between her car and this one was the dark green roof her car had that went very well with the frost green paint this car wears. And lemme tell ya, that car served her well for at least five years that I knew of. The 232 never missed a beat and the only thing that ever went wrong with the car was a stuck thermostat which I
fixed in no time. But not before it boiled over on a hot day and doused my bass player with a guyser of hot
Coolant after the damned fool popped the cap off before we sprayed
the tank down with a garden hose to
cool it off. He played that night with
1st and 2nd burns all over his back after the cap blew off and the spray from that hot radiator got him. I look at this car and buy, do I want it! With
the cash you save buying this car, you
could save as much as $1500 a year in repair costs if you use it as a daily
driver. Oil changes? No problem!
Just visit the Rent A Bay or pull it up on some ramps and pull the pan plug.
And the filter? Just as easy as that oil change you just did. Yessir! Now that’s my kind of car! Only thing is that you can’t pull the u-joints without
pulling the rear axle as these are torque tube drive. But if that’s the only strike against this car, I’d still buy it if I had parking space and my girls would let me do it.
Bass player. There ya go.
What’s the difference between a Bass player and a pepperoni pizza? A pepperoni pizza can feed a family of four. (Don’t judge me.)
Yeah Wademo, he was out there in left field somewhere, but the mountain of musical knowledge he had more than made up for what shortcomings that he had. And that was the criteria I used when I put my band together in the late ’70s. I hired
any musician with disciplinary issues.
And most of my guys were blackballed by the Musician’s Union
for not working and playing well with
other. That’s why I named my band KC and the outlaws. Offstage, they were a rather undisciplined lot. But when it was showtime, we all played well together and had a sound no one else could match. So yeah, the guy was a real dumbass, but he sure could play.