I guess I have ramblin’ on my mind, as two weeks ago I covered this extremely sharp, restored 1960 Rambler American, and today, courtesy of Ted, I have a 1961 Rambler American convertible for your review. This one’s a restoration too, and it’s just perfect! Driven less than 500 miles in the last ten years, this sharp drop top is located in Valley City, Ohio, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $26,500.
We truly had a big three and a half in ’61 as American Motors came in third in the domestic auto production race, with 378K units, though well behind number two Ford and number one Chevrolet. As for the Rambler American, 134,000 signed up for a purchase, with almost 13,000 opting for the wind-in-your-air Custom convertible. Other trim lines were the Deluxe and Super, while body styles also included two and four-door sedans and station wagons. It seems that the compact car craze had taken hold, and AMC was well rewarded for its efforts.
Unfortunately, the listing details on our subject car are limited, so the images will have to do the talkin’. This neat convertible appears to be finished in “Berkley Blue”, a popular AMC shade from back in the day. I’d suggest that it has been expertly applied and makes for a stunning presentation. The chrome, trim, convertible top, and full wheel covers complete the look – suddenly it’s 1961!
The blue and white vinyl upholstery is the perfect match for this convertible, and its use appears to have been nonexistent. Well, that is the case if this car has only experienced 500 miles of use since it was restored. The instrument panel is one of those less-is-more sort of affairs; I really appreciate simplicity and functionality. There’s no worry about a damaged or ill-fitting replacement dash pad, as there isn’t one – this Rambler was built in the days before that became a federal requirement. Seatbelts weren’t a mandate either, but fortunately, they have been installed.
Ramblin’ in this Rambler is possible thanks to its 127 gross HP, 195 CI, in-line six-cylinder engine. It, and its surrounding compartment, are spotless, so I’d assume a redo when this American was restored, but mum’s the word on specifics or regarding running and driving attributes. A Borg-Warner-sourced “Flash-O-Matic” three-speed automatic transmission makes the rear wheel connection.
So, this car looks fabulous – I really appreciate its simple retro design (which wasn’t retro in ’61) and undoubtedly, someone spent some big $$$ on its restoration. It’s unfortunate that the listing is so laconic; a car of this quality deserves more detail and promotion. Anyway, will the investment be recovered at the asking price? Don’t know, and I’m not sure it matters; car restoration isn’t always about dollars and cents. Which leads me to the question, at $26,500, is this Rambler American convertible priced right or not quite?
Absolutely beautiful Rambler. The interior, body, paint all look top notch. A lot of hours of work here. I don’t think you could restore one for that amount of money for sure. Love the color combination too. Personally, if you’re Jonesin’ for a drop top Rambler, this would be a great candidate for you to consider.
3rd Rock from the Sun.
I know someone who worked on that show who would probably love something like this but unfortunately it’s too far away. (I even got a personal tour of the set and got to sit on the roof the aliens usually sat on at the end of each episode!)
Very nice condition. Unfortunately, the body lines are pretty close to a bar of Ivory soap. I appreciate the car…but I don’t want it.
I was amazed to learn that AMC was 3rd in U.S. production in ‘61!
A mighty attractive bar of soap, I think.
Under the skin it’s still mostly a 1950 Nash Rambler. The convertible is probably the most attractive of the 1961-1963 Americans.
Hi, rambler is so underrated! We had a rambler wagon in 60′ I think it was a 59′. It was there for the entire 60’s ! It did have rust…the tailgate fell off! outlasted lots of other cars.
mine (’62? 4?) hada i6 motor so smooth folks thought I’d stalled out @ the only light in town (’69). Black on white (vert/body color) it wuz an ‘economy car’ that was H U G E by today’s standard ec0no-box. Love to have mine back, shunned by others (my teen mates) for being ‘one of those’ (an AMC, the 4th slot in the Big 3’s race for domination).
Not sure but I think this is another ‘transition car’ (one automotive era to another in a single model). The Nash rambler ’58/60 (lines penned by Pininfarina) to AMC rambler -A Flat head to OHV i6- motor change (in the 2nd gen or during/within the AMC rambler model, ie it had both)?
Actually the flathead was the base engine for the American through the 1965 model year. Overhead valves were not standard in the Rambler American (at least base models) until 1966.
humm, nother of my posts never made it…
I mentioned my 59 Rambler American yesterday, the one that I drove across country from CA to PA towing a Ford pickup box trailer. That one had the 196 6 flathead variety. Then in PA around 1976 I had an American 61 or 62 wagon and a four door too, but I don’t remember any of the later ones having an overhead valve 196. Was that reserved for the top-of-the-line Americans like this convertible or is this one a transplant from a later year?
OHV 6 was an option from the factory.
I think the OHV engine was reserved for the higher trim models. If you bought even a 1965 base model Rambler American you still got a flathead engine. This was the last flathead used in an American car.
Another situation where the owner paid a lot more for this restoration than will be recovered from this price. 500 miles in 10 years suggests it might have been driven mainly just to car shows. Probably ends up in the hands of an AMC collector, as it should be. A nice museum piece.
I like the ‘61’s grille the most out of the ‘61, ‘62, and ‘63’s. Owned a red-over-grey ‘61 two door hard top in college. Flat head, and a three-on-the-tree. It was a fun to drive and a simple vehicle to work on. Would love to own another someday. This one shouldn’t be on the market for long.
This is a really beautiful restoration.
I haven’t been a big Rambler fan but this one is cool in my book, and I like the “mini fins” (maybe because my mom had a ’59 Impala that I really liked) and that it’s a drop top. I’d drive it if it was in my garage tho and it would have an lot more than 500 miles on it.