From 1927 to 1974, the Ambassador was one of the longest-running nameplates in the U.S. auto industry. Beginning with Nash, it survived well past the American Motors merger in 1954 to be the company’s top-of-the-line product. This example from 1970 is the SST model, the snappiest car you could buy from AMC at the time. This one has just 43,000 miles, minor imperfections, and was purchased from a collection. It’s in Racine, Wisconsin, and is available here on eBay where $11,350 has yet to crack the seller’s reserve.
In its later years, the Ambassador shared styling with the mid-size Rebel but rode on a longer wheelbase and was more lavishly equipped. It would be the last full-size automobile the company would market, and they pulled out all the stops to compete against the Chevy Caprice and Ford LTD. That included sending a chauffeur out to your house to pilot you around in a new Ambassador SST. Sedans tended to dominate the scene, although 2-door hardtops were in the mix, like the seller’s sweet ride that includes bucket seats and a pull-down “buddy seat” which we’re told was a rare option.
This automobile is equipped with a 360 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor. It was a step up from the base 304 but downstream of the optional 390 that came with the AMX muscle car and the Rebel Machine (a 1970-only product). We’re told this vehicle runs as nice as it probably did when new and has been treated with kid gloves for more than 50 years. Is it perfect? No, it has a minor ding or two in the paint and the carpeting might be a tad faded. But what’s not to love?
As part of a collection, we doubt this auto has seen much use in the past several years. But the collector-owner continued to service it religiously, giving it annual treatments every Spring, “needed or not”. It might be hard to find a 1970 Ambassador in any nicer condition than this one, though the photos don’t help much. Most of the pics are taken in a dark garage rather than outside in the daylight. If the vehicle doesn’t reach the seller’s reserve, he/she says the car will stay right where it is.
Nice car – check out that Javelin in the backround. This seller may bleed AMC, er, Red, White, and Blue? And, he’s in Racine, WI.
I’m looking foward to Howard’s comments, maybe with an an antidote thown in for good measure. Some may think he is opinionated, but he is articulate and always has good points, with some humor to boot. It’s called respect…
Thanks, pal, again, just a spoke in the wheel here.
Neat car, never saw one with bucket seats. I hope it finds a good home.
I owned a ’67 Ambassador DPL with the Custom package. It had bucket seats and the fold down armrest.
I must be getting old because Ramblers are starting to look good ( not gonna be 80 for a few more months). This one is nice and I definitely would not be embarrassed to drive it. Nice car and excellent interior selection. Hope next owner takes care of it and good luck to it’s current care taker.
Well figure I am 63 and have had amcs since I was 16. My 1st car was a 70 amx that I bought Jan 1st 1977. Still have it.
This is nice and so seldom seen. Always a handsome car just not a pretty as others. There’s something dignified about an Ambassador.
I disliked the amc offerings growing up as the family had Caddys, Chevys, Pontiacs and an occasional Ford. Its taken almost a lifetime to realize that amc built some quality cars and not just ramblers.
These AMC 360s deliver the torque. 😎
Is it worth it? Who knows? It may be the best one left, but AMC parts can be stupid expensive, and honestly, who is actively looking for one?
If someone gave me a blank check and said they’d cover the cost of a car I’d pick an Ambassador instead of a belly button alternative.
I wonder if I’ll ever see an AMC with electric windows. I’ve said this before and a couple of people responded “oh yeah, I’ve seen ’em”, so maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough and I left it alone, but still, not a one. I wonder if they even could be ordered. I know AMC is famous for, and many are equipped with a/c, so it stands to reason you could get other accessories, but beyond a/c? I haven’t seen it. Electric seats or locks either… Anybody?? 🤔
Back in the early 1980s my buddy picked up a 70 Ambo as a parts car for his rebel machine. Ambo was loaded 390 a/c power windows. He was going to swap all that into his rebel but wound up.moving and sold both cars to one guy. I do have a 70 rebel set 2 door hardtop. Was ordered by the owner of an amc dealership. 390 auto bucket s eats console tilt wheel cruise control. Has every option available right down to the compass and tissue dispenser
I’ve always wondered about that and have never seen it either. Pwr windows dr locks seats and tilt wheel? Anyone ??
My 70 amx has factory tilt and my 70 rebel has factory tilt. Power windows were only available in the ambassador.
Windows and tilt, yes. Power seats and locks, not in this era. Later AMCs like Concords had power seats and locks.
Our family owned an AMC dealership during the mid 60s to mid 70s. The Ambassadors were advertised as competition to Cadillac and Lincoln. We had Ambonwagons and sedans in the family for years.
Windows and tilt, yes. Power seats and locks, not in this era. Later AMCs like Concords had power seats and locks.
Our family owned an AMC dealership during the mid 60s to mid 70s. The Ambassadors were advertised as competition to Cadillac and Lincoln. We had Ambo wagons and sedans in the family for years. I spent many a long road trip in the third row seat as we traveled the east coast.
Speaking of which, when Nash mergered with Rambler in `54, on the top shelf `54 Nash Ambassador custom you could get electric windows! I’ve seen two of those in my lifetime. And again in `58-`61 period you could order power windows on Ambassadors. Saw a `63 Ramber Cross Country wagon with them in Hemmings not long ago too, so they are around but very scarce indeed.
My first car was a 54 Nash Ambassador custom Lemans which my father bought new. It had power windows and a rear window wiper/washer.
Nash merged with Hudson.
My Rebel has power windows. Trust me, you don’t want them on a car this old!
What year is your rebel? Oddball.option for that car
@Mike, it’s a 1967 Rebel. 343 V8 (biggest offered that year), bucket seats, console with floor-shift automatic, and power windows – but manual drum brakes and vacuum windshield wipers.
Before anybody responds with “it wasn’t a popular option” (re: elec windows, seats, locks, etc), you’re singing to the choir. I would like to know if any exist at all.
Newcomers to the site may notice, certain commenters have very distinct interests, mainly due to their location. The banner headline is a conundrum of sorts, aside from the racing history ones, very few AMC cars were ever collectible. I’ll admit, this is one of the nicest ones I’ve seen, but due to it’s location, bolsters what I’ve said all along, people in Kenosha( Racine is the “twin city” of Kenosha) weren’t schmoes and knew how to option a nice car. Fact is, they may have even helped assemble the car, adding a lockwasher or 2 here and there,,,however, outside the midwest, very few bought AMCs. We called that “Studebaker syndrome”, because Studebaker had a similar fate.
If this was a 4 door, was the same vintage as the old mans ex-forest ranger car, with all the police mods, including the 390 AMX pursuit motor. It was dubbed the “burnout king” by many. This is the total opposite of that car, and while Adam-12 did a lot for the image, these cars just didn’t appeal to the masses. Their loss, as this was the zenith of AMC cars, right here. I read, the 360, while thirsty, was the most popular V8 motor AMC made. Found it’s way into a slew of vehicles, none better. Great find and everyone featured warms my old Wisconsin roots.
Amcs were big in new york. On the 1970s t thru early 80s they had nys gov fleet contract. The nys thruwsy had hornets rebels and matador. Nys prison system had fsj jeep pickups. I had one of those.my uncle had an amc/rambler dealership back.on the 1960s/ 1970s.
I’m from Long island and my dad had an Ambassador wagon in 66-67. It was before I could, but my sister did and she rear-ended somebody pretty hard. My
father never fixed it beyond having the body shop attached a chain and pull it out from hitting the fan. It was his company car. He returned the car like that and started working someplace else the same day 🤣
Your comments today remind me of an article I read years ago. The author said when he was 10, he and his best friend sat on the front porch counting cars. They then concluded that 7 out of 10 cars in USA were Studebakers. They lived in South Bend, Indiana
Had 1 but the 403ci 4dr heavy duty everything, ex FBI car that was traded in – rolled down to Diamond Oil Co & filled it w/115 octane racing gas & cranked up the timing – it blew flames out of the exhaust tips & after a few miles of romping blew the Transmission & I had to drive in reverse across town…it made for a scene 😭🤣.
Idk whatever happened to it, I’m sure someone yanked that engine & rear end.
Never came with a 403 that was an.oldsmobile engine
I think he meant the 401 V8 AMC had in the 70’s.
My oldest brother had a Rebel Machine with the 390 automatic drive train. It was a really “cool” car. Best thing about it was the tach in the hood. Now that was COOL! Wanna know what else was cool? He bought it from the local Chevy dealer. A guy named Fred Gibb. Yes, Drag Racing fans, THAT Fred Gibb.I knew both Fred and Herb Fox, a part time driver and salesman. Went to school with his son. At the time I had no idea these guys were semi-famous. Bought a lot of parts for my ’57 from Fred. When Fred had his “retirement sale” it was said that the NOS parts that came out of that (little) storeroom were unbelievable. I, of course, wasn’t there and missed out. Rest in Peace guys.
Re my comment: missing word is DRIVE 😉
I miss AMC.
My dad worked for AMC at the Detroit Headquarters. He was a clay modeler. In 1968 Dick Teague promoted him to Lead Stylist, with the $$ raise he also got a company car. He brought home so many different cars off the lot where he worked, AMX, Javelin, Rebels and Gremlins. I remember him picking me up from High School swim practice in a Hornet SC 360 4 speed. Needless to say he taught me what the right foot was for. In 1968 he bought my mom a red with white top 1968 Ambassador 2 door convertible with power top and windows no a/c or power locks or seats. I got in trouble because I wouldn’t leave the window switch alone, I had never been in a car with power windows before and they were so much fun, I was 14 yrs old then.
Yeah, I recall as a kid having an insatiable fascination with power windows. Just not something we had at home. lol
That’s pretty cool, Ronald, some kids had all the luck. When I was taking Dr. Ed. ( crickets) in 1971, that I passed with flying colors, btw, a local Milwaukee AMC dealer, Kuehn and Sons, supplied all the cars for the program. Classroom was a bore, but “driving day” on the tarmac( teachers parking lot) we all bolted out the door. Naturally, the Javelins went 1st, and stragglers got the Gremlins. They took a beating as this ad depicts. His name was Herb Edelman and captured the look perfectly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZER63EzKd2c
When I was a young man the local police department had 343 Rebels for police cars, and they were green. Ah, the good old days
Power windows were very rare. Somewhere around 1%. Most were in Ambassadors with a few in Marlins & Rebels. This car is very nice, but the Ambassador was not the “snappiest” car available from AMC in 1970. Also, to prevent confusion, the Rebel Machine Y-code 390 was only available in the Rebel Machine with one exception: the mid-engine AMX/3.
$10.000