To me, the fastback Rambler Marlin has always been a kind of Rodney Dangerfield character. It didn’t get much respect when it made its debut back in 1965, and it still doesn’t some 61 years later. I always liked the rear end fastback treatment. But the bland front end styling and its side view (and overall proportions) are what kept the Marlin from being a big seller. Introduced in March of 1965, a total of 10,327 first-year Marlins were snagged, and this has to be one of the best highly-original examples around. It was featured on Barn Finds back in March for $21,000, but is being advertised again for $19,900. It’s located in Finley, California, and is listed for sale here on craigslist. Thanks again to T.J. for reeling in this cool Marlin and sending it our way!
Other than being a California car, no other information is shared about how this Marlin became a time capsule. The original Antigua Red paint with its contrasting Classic Black sweeping fastback roof treatment looks terrific. I’m not spotting any rust or major bumps and bruises, and the chrome, trim, badging (I’ve always liked that Marlin logo) and glass look to be in ship shape.
The Marlin’s originality theme continues inside with the original black interior. The driver’s seat shows some deterioration, but overall, what we can see of the front bucket seats, rear seat, arm rests, door panels, instrument panel and steering wheel looks remarkable good for a 61-year-old car. The seller says the Marlin has power disc brakes and power steering, and that the factory air conditioning works well.
Although the 232-cubic-inch six-cylinder was the base engine, this fish has the desirable 327-cubic-inch V8 that generates 270 horsepower and 360 ft/lbs of torque. 106,000 miles are on the odometer and it’s mated to a floor shifting automatic transmission. The seller says the Marlin “runs as it should” and this first-year survivor doesn’t appear to need anything but a new owner. The red and black paint scheme looks terrific and you won’t find many survivors like this still around. The Marlin was inspired by a 1964 fastback show car called the Rambler Tarpon. It was based on the smaller Rambler America and was a sleek, sharp-looking 2+2. (Color photos of the Tarpon show that it was painted in the exact red/black paint scheme.) Unfortunately, the “suits” at AMC meddled with it and changed it from a pony car to compete with the Mustang, to an intermediate sized Rambler Classic “luxury car” for six with a stretched-out fastback. Too bad.
The plane of that “stretched out fastback” (IMO) is what makes this car look awkward, kind of like a hump backed whale. The ’67 body rectified this problem with a slight rise in the rear hips and a sleeker look but it was too late, and this fish was thrown back! This ’65 does look to be in exceptional condition though, GLWTS!! :-)