I’ll admit it, I like sixties’ vintage convertibles. Yeah, they’re usually noisy in top-up mode, frequently leak in heavy rain, and provide a bit of cowl shake, but I still appreciate their simplicity and lack of pretension. A perfect example of just such a car? How about this 1962 Rambler American? Maybe it’s not the most exciting choice, but it is purposeful, and this example appears to be in pretty fair condition. Curvette found this ramblin’ ragtop for us; it’s located in Seattle, Washington, and is listed here on craigslist for $6,500.
Often, a convertible model was made or is made available on the top trim level, but that wasn’t the case with the Rambler American. Three trim levels covered Rambler’s American in ’62: 400, Custom, and Deluxe, with the 400 anchoring the starting point in the hierarchy – and that’s where the convertible was domiciled; no availability in the higher trims. As for popularity, AMC moved 13K American convertibles in ’62, which seems pretty decent for an independent marque and a body style that was slowly losing favor with the consuming public. All in all, AMC had a pretty good year in ’62, coming in fifth place in the great domestic automobile production race by churning out 442K examples. They were only upstaged by Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile – in that order. As for condition, there are just a few listing images, but the body appears to be sound. I don’t see evidence of rust or damage; the refrigerator-white finish is still dense, and the chrome bits shine. Of course, being a convertible, I’d like to take a look at the trunk and underside. The seller does state, “comes with a new (in box) $1500. TOP. You install. Motorized top, extra 4 hubcaps, fender, grill, radiator. Good spare tire w/jack.”
The listing provides no engine details, but the powerplant appears to be a 125 gross HP, 196 CI, in-line six. The seller adds, “runs easily and smoothly with plenty of pep! Easy three-speed shift on the column.” The odometer shows 94K miles of use, and assuming it’s an accurate reading, it provides a bit of direction as to how this Rambler will run and ramble.
I can’t tell you much about the interior other than to state the obvious: there’s a multi-colored blanket lying across the bench seat bottom. That usually indicates an upholstery problem, and the seller admits, “A couple of small tears in the front seat bottoms.” The only other notable item is the red dash topped by a gray or white dashpad; original? I can’t say, but I like the look.
So, the biggest unknown here? Probably the folding top (no imcluded images), and that’s the reason a replacement is included in the sale; it has problems. Beyond that, nothing jumps off the listing page that I’d say is alarming. The seller exclaims, “FUN! FUN!” and I can see that. Exciting? Probably not, but FUN? Sure. Let’s talk price. With a $6,500 ask, is this Rambler American convertible priced right or not quite?
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