American Motors redesigned its “bread and butter” cars in 1963, the Rambler Classic and Ambassador. The changes were significant enough to impress Motor Trend, which bestowed “Car of the Year” honors on the whole line. The 770 model was the top-level Classic, and the Cross Country was the station wagon designation. The seller’s car is one of them and was treated to a well-done restoration 10,000 miles back. Waiting for another AMC fan to take it home, this Rambler can be found in Racine, Wisconsin, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $17,900.
This car brings back a lot of memories, as my first automobile was a 1964 Classic 770 Cross Country. The color was white, but the interior looked the same. Mine even had the same 287 cubic inch V8. But it was a $175 clunker that I bought in 1972, and after developing an oil leak six months later, I sold it for $125. But the reminders of a teenager in high school with a station wagon with side curtains remain!
The 1963 Classics and Ambassadors looked more modern for 1963 and 1964. The cars shared the same platform and wheelbase, so the Ambassador was largely an overdressed Classic. Styling changed little between the two years, with the front grilles of the ‘63s being concave rather than flat. In the Classic range, the models were the 550, 660, and 770 (trim differences), while the Ambassadors were designed either as 880 or 990.
From the photos provided, the seller looks like a major AMC fan. Perhaps this wagon holds a special place in the family’s history, but no such details are provided. The body, paint, and interior all look tip-top, and we’re told that rust has never invaded this Classic. With an automatic transmission and likely power steering, the only shortfall (to those of us in Florida) is the lack of factory air conditioning (which my $175 special had). Thanks to Hans H for the tip!
WOW! What a nice wagon, if I could afford a collection this would be in it.
Brings back memories, I used to have a 1964 Classic 770 wagon! Mine though had the 195.6 OHV six, which with automatic trans meant you’d get where you’re going but not quickly. Interior was pretty much the same as this one aside from the aftermarket center console with cup holders. (I think I paid something like $200 for my ’64 wagon but it was a long time ago.)
This ’63 should move out well with the 287 V8. Hopefully it does have power steering since those old series AMC V8s are heavy!
cool wagon. i like the previous years a bit more though.
An American Motors assembly plant was in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Perhaps this wagon has only traveled about 10 miles from its origin, in over 60 years.
Nice car, but at this price, they buyer will need to be from that area, too.
My thoughts, as well…
Upon a second look, he may get close
Were these the ones with the fold down bed seat?
The 287 V8s were usually painted blue and the 327 V8s were red. Were there any exceptions?
We had a 63 in the late 60’s. 6 banger (now here is the oddity of our car) 3 speed with the clutch pattern but was a automatic. Something went wrong with the motor and dad junked it. Tried telling him I wanted to fix it for my first car but he wouldn’t hear it.
I had a 64 Ambassador with the 327 3speed overdrive. It was a black 2door hardtop with mag wheels I bought it in ’69, not realizing that it had been run hard, resulting in my not keeping it just a year. It was surely quite the car when it was new , no doubt.
I recently posted on Barnfinds.com, a ‘COMMENT’ about a really beautiful 1974 Javelin that was recently listed. That posting is below. I then in-turn did a copy/paste of that posting and sent it to my two younger sisters and several friends that I have in the car hobbies. But this listing for this beautiful 1963 Rambler Classic reminded me of the time when my father, (who was by no means a ‘CAR GUY’ and only thought of cars as ‘transportation’ bought me the Motor Trend issue when that magazine declared the 1963 AMC Lineup as their ‘CAR OF THE YEAR’ for 1963
Ruth/Linda: Everyone on the Cc & Bcc lists
I know some of you hate this ‘car stuff’ that I send to youse from time to time, but I just thought you might enjoy reading the ‘comments’ I posted for a 1974 Javelin that was recently listed for sale on the Website ‘BarnFinds.com.’
To see the listing with my comments click on
https://barnfinds.com/extremely-rare-color-1974-amc-javelin-in-fawn-beige/#comment-1734277 and then scrwal down through the comments.
OR
My families’ Nash/AMC history. In 1974, my two younger sisters, (who are three and six years younger then me) jointly purchased a 1974 Javelin brand new. But there car was yellow with a black vinyl top and it ran with the AMC 304 V-8
Over the years, members of my family owned the following: A 1948 Nash 600 4 door sedan that my father bought brand new, followed by a 1953 Nash Rambler Country Club hardtop that my father bought brand new because it had the GM supplied Hydromatic and because my mother was going to learn how to drive (she never did). After that 53 Nash got totalled when a oil delivery truck slid down the street we lived on in Jersey City during a severe snow store in the winter of 1960/1961 wiping out the driver’s side of the Nash, my father bought a ‘used’ a 1958 Rambler American sedan, (the first car I ever drove). After my mother passed away in 1964, my father bought a 1965 American 220 4 door sedan brand new and then having to hire a full-time, livin housekeeper, he bought her a 1965 Rambler Classic 550 2 door sedan brand new. Then in 1967 he bought her a 1967 Rebel SST hardtop new, then a 1970 Rebel SST 4 door sedan, also brand new. In 1970 I bought the first of my two, 1969 Hurst SC/Ramblers’. Then in 1974 my father bought a 1974 Hornet 4 door sedan brand new and then my two sisters bought their 1974 Javelin brand new. My father’s next to last car was a 1980 Concord 4 door sedan and the last AMC car, was my ‘second’ 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler, a restored car that I bought in 1986 and still own.
I did not include any of the photos shown below to those ‘comments’ that I posted to ‘BarnFinds.Com’ and in some cases, the photos I attached are not photos of the actual cars that I mentioned in my comments, but similar, right down to the colors. For example, I do not have a photo of that yellow 1974 Javelin that my two sisters, Ruth & Linda bought together in 1974 so I substituted a photo of similar yellow, 1974 Javelin. Likewise for the photo of the 1953 Nash Rambler, which is not a photo of my father’s real 53 Nash, BUT IS a photo of a car that was identical to his, right down to the colors.
I also screwed up by not including two other AMC’s that members of my family owned in my ”comments”. One was my aunt Mary’s black and white,1960 Rambler Classic 4 door sedan that she bought brand new in 1960, AND my wife Anna’s ‘first car’, an orange, 1974 Gremlin that we bought as a well ‘used’, used car in 1983. The final few photos show my ‘second’ 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler at two different cars shows that were held ten years apart at Chilson Motors in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The first show was held on Labor day, 2009 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Hurst SC/Rambler. There were seven SV/Rambler’s at that show. Than 10 years later, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hurst SC/Rambler, Chilson Motors hosted another show on Labor Day, 2019. That time there were 37 of them. Each time my nephew Brendan used his Toyota pickup trucks to tow my car to the shows.
The final two photos attached here show Brendan at a local car show that was held at Aviation Plaza in Linden, New Jersey back on 2019. That was the last car show I took my SC/Rambler before it stopped running, which I want to correct, ;Hint to my nephew’s Brendan, Bill and Nolan).
That’s Brendan standing alongside his 1973 Pontiac Ventura as well as my Hurst SC/Rambler.
Lots of AMC products on BF this week. Is George Romney having a garage sale? Lol!
A beautiful car that I would love to own.
WOW what a gem!
This is one clean machine. I think it would be a great DD but then it wouldn’t stay as nice as it is. It really speaks to me but alas my usual deficient funds and indoor storage space prevents me from pursuing it. GLWTS.