The Rambler Marlin was largely a fastback version of the Classic. In fact, the car drew mostly from the Classic and Ambassador parts bins. AMC would later repeat this process by turning the Javelin into an AMX and a Hornet into a Gremlin, among others. The arrival of the car would come between two other hybrid fastbacks in the market, the 1964 Plymouth Barracuda and the 1966 Dodge Charger. If we interpret the seller’s ad correctly, this car began life as a prize on the TV game show, The Price is Right, and stayed with that owner until not too long ago. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, this Marlin is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,950 as it will need a complete restoration.

Positioned as a personal luxury car, the Rambler Marlin would only see three years of production. Its fastback rood design was first seen on the 1964 Tarpon show car based on the Rambler American. For the car’s first two years, it borrowed from the 2-door hardtop Classic, then shifted to the Ambassador chassis for its final year (so it was a bigger car for 1967). 17,419 Marlins were built in total, with 10,327 coming from 1965 alone. More than half the Marlins built that year came with AMC’s 327 V8, with 1,702 having a 2-barrel carb and 4,311 with a 4-barrel. The seller’s car has a 327, but we don’t know which set up is present.

Apparently, some lucky person won this car brand new in 1965 on The Price Is Right, hosted by Bill Cullen (Bob Barker didn’t take over until 1972). A restoration may have already begun as the engine is out of the car and at the machine shop. We’re told the automatic transmission and rear end are in good condition. But the intended owner of the car once it would be complete has taken ill, so there is no longer any interest in the project. The Marlin has 79,000 miles on it and all of it will need to be gathered up for a move to another home.

The color is described as blue, but it looks turquoise to me and that was an attractive color on the Marlin new, especially when it was combined with white as a two-tone paint job. The lighting isn’t good in the garage or barn where the car is now, so it’s hard to tell if rust has been an issue. But what we do see of the car looks pretty straight. The hood is still there, just not pictured. The white interior is going to need most everything done, from seat covers and carpeting to headliner and door panels.

According to Hagerty, these Marlins top out in the 20s in terms of resale value. So, the seller’s asking price leaves some room to complete the restoration, but probably not enough. For fans of American Motors cars or Marlins in particular, this could be a good find. Due to their low production and likely lower survival rate, you won’t see another one of these at Cars & Coffee anytime soon. I can here Johnny Olsen calling out “Come on down!”