We’ve featured several well-preserved 1966 AMC Ambassador DPL’s (short for Diplomat) here on Barn Finds including this one. Last August, fellow staff writer Russ Dixon did a nice job of spotlighting this most attractive AMC and it sold for the $16,500 asking price. That seller now needs some money for his business and is looking to sell this upscale hardtop coupe for $15,000 or best offer. This 1966 AMC Ambassador Diplomat is currently near Seattle, Washington (Puyallup City to be exact) and is for sale here on craiglist. Another thank you to Barn Finds Ambassador Pat L. for sending this fine automobile our way.
Dick Teague, the principal designer for American Motors Corporation, deserves more credit for creating stylish automobiles on a shoestring budget. Here’s one of them. The all-new looking Ambassador 880 and 990 series was redesigned for 1965 with stacked quad headlights, vertical taillights, and a longer, sleeker, chiseled look. It was well received and even praised by Motor Trend magazine who called the new Ambassador a “strikingly handsome automobile.” Changes were minimal in 1966 and this Antigua Red with a black vinyl roof example is indeed “strikingly handsome.” The condition is almost museum quality and the seller shares that it was once a member of the Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. The photos tell the story here. It’s solid, straight, all there, and in amazing condition for a 58-year-old automobile.
AMC wanted their “prestige” car to be comfortable, luxurious, and also distinctive. Their sales brochure even touted, “You can’t make an Ambassador more luxurious, but you can give it more luxuries.” Good stuff. And this Ambassador was ordered with the optional Houndstooth Check fabric on the seats and side panels – plus two matching rear seat pillows! Based on online photos, the seats have been reupholstered with a smaller houndstooth fabric pattern than the original. (I personally prefer the smaller, “quieter” houndstooth.)
Overall, the Ambassador’s distinctive, Oh-So-1960’s red and black interior with the walnut trim, thick, cushy seats and front and rear fold down armrests looks great. No details are given about the DPL’s options (there are window cranks visible, so no power windows) or if the gauges work. One assumes they do.
Although Ambassadors came standard with AMC’s new 232-cubic inch Inline-6 engine, this DPL left the factory with the largest engine option in 1966: a 327-cubic inch V8 that’s mated to an automatic transmission. Mileage is listed at 129,321 (it was 125,000 when listed last August), but no information is shared about rebuilds or other servicing. The seller says, “The 327 runs AND drives at 80 mph without mechanical issues or overheating problems.” This is still one sharp-looking hardtop coupe that’ll be sure to stand out at any local car show. Happy bidding!
Really nice ride. It’s not Puyallup City, it’s Puyallup, or maybe city of Puyallup but not Puyallup City
You’d think they Snohomish better by now. Sorry.
That looks to have every option with those pull down arm rests and all. I’ve never seen one with those.
Hopefully they won’t Walla Walla in self pity.
I’d like to see this POS at 80mph, no Offense, experience with AMC’s was limited, Manager at Burger World who bragged about how he got such a great deal on a 79′ AMX instead of a WS6 Trans Am, and a Professor at Auburn who drove a 70′ Javelin (in 1983) “how do you like your Javelin??” “It’s a POS”
Frank
I’ve had my ’65 Marlin up to 80 mph with no drama, same engine, transmission, and chassis as this car.
Used to do 130 in a 64 wagon with the 289. It did start to float at 120. 80 should not be a problem
I CERTAINLY wouldn’t categorize this as a POS!
AMC 232 six could easily do 80mph and the 327 V8 way more than that!
I’ll sort of borrow the Packard slogan, “Ask The Man Who Owned One,” and let readers know that the ’66 Ambassador 880 4-door I owned was one of the quietest running and smoothest riding cars ever.
I also owned a ’67 DPL hardtop and a convertible, and I told the curious that DPL stood for Dignified, Plush and Luxurious.
Probably close to 90% of the time when cars appear on BF with a vinyl top, they look like they are hiding major rust. Here is the exception. This one looks perfect.
As far as options go, under the hood aside from the 327 V8 we see the car has power drum brakes and power steering. The big thing lacking is air conditioning, but the original owner also didn’t spring for electric windshield wipers. Hard to tell from the supplied photos but I don’t think this car has windshield washers either. The radio looks like the factory AM-only job that most of these cars were ordered with. (AM/FM with VibraTone echo-chamber rear speaker was available but rarely ordered. I used to have a ’64 Ambo with that setup!)
This car does look amazing! (Hope it looks as good underneath!)
I would say the car has windshield washers. There’s a hose of some kind running along the driver’s lower side of the engine compartment, as if it’s coming from the reservoir, which was mounted at the front corner. Plus there’s a fitting and hoses connected to it near the brake booster.
I’m betting it has washers.
🔊 paging Howard for comment 😃
Hi Stan, thanks, still gasping at disbelief on “Franks” comment, although, amazingly, dealt with that stigma as long as I can remember. Comparing this to a Javelin just isn’t fair. These were built by folks that loved what they did, in many cases, adding a lockwasher to a family members or their own car being built, much how H-D employees felt. Wisconsins industries had the luxury of appealing to some of the most talented people in the world, whether they spoke English, or not. These cars used all the same parts as any other, assembled by people, in some cases, my neighbors, who really cared. From the person screwing in dome lights, to the machinist getting that crank dead on. And the painters, best in the business, right from Germany, I bet. To call it a “POS” only shows someones ignorance. The Javelin was merely a rebound reaction to the waning musclecar fad, and if I remember, in 1970, the Javelin kicked many a Trans Ams axx.
And another thing( there’s more?) Many people that don’t like these cars, are missing the point of being one of the few states that had an automaker that buried them all( independents). Oh sure, Studebaker gave it it’s all, and we had a kindred feeling about the folks in South Bend, but AMC stuck with it until the bitter end. I’ve long said, how ironic, a company called “AMERICAN” Motors, fails. This was the best we had to offer, and consarnit, wasn’t so bad after all.
In case some don’t know, my grandfathers last car was a ’65 Ambassador, 4 door. Practically living in Milwaukee his whole life( coming from Austria as a lad) he was very proud of the city and that car, as good as he cared to get.
Great looking vehicle imo. 54 minutes to Puyallup City lol. Maybe we take a ride…
Sometimes I don’t get it. OK, allot of times. The comments seem a little negative and all I can think of is I would love to have this car.
Lots of people enjoy doing “drive bys” and they don’t even know what they are talking about. Must live miserable lives.
Ambassador was one of the longest running car models in history. It started as the top-of line Nash Ambassador. After Nash name was discontinued the model name continued as the top-of line Rambler Ambassador, and after the Rambler name was discontinued in late 1960’s it became the top-of-line AMC Ambassador.
Note that AMC was ahead of its time by already having a dual master cylinder (brake system) by 1966 (not sure when they first started that). Mopar started in 1967.
AMC first used the dual chamber master cylinder in 1962.
My dad’s 1962 Rambler Cross-Country Classic wagon had a dual brake master cylinder. I believe that AMC/ Rambler was the 1st of the 4 American car companies to use dual master cylinders in all cars.
Only Cadillac and RR had a dual master cylinder in 1962. AMC was did also, always ahead of its time.
Dual master? Not in the Canadian-built export models they didn’t.
My 63 Ambo 990 still has the single, but with the factory servo, boy those are great drum brakes.