Now I love Ramblers (I own four), and this 1963 Rambler Ambassador on eBay looks really stunning in the photos, but it really is a stretch to call it, as its seller claims, "the first muscle car." If any AMC Rambler can lay claim to that title of being the first muscle car, it would have be the 1957 Rambler Rebel, which in 1957 would only be bested by a Chevy  Corvette (it was even faster than a Chrysler 300). More...
By the classic definition of the species, a muscle car is intermediate sized 2-door coupe or convertible with a wheelbase of 116 inches or less stuffed with the biggest V8 possible, typically 6-liters or more. (the muscle car archetype is the 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO equipped the 389 cubic inch V8). Now this Ambassador is the right size dimensionally, riding as it does on a 112-inch wheelbase, but the boat anchor 327 V8 (not to be confused by the Chevy V8 of the same displacement--they are two entirely different engines) is not exactly a high-powered motor, even though it has a 4-barrel carb and high compression. With a 0-60 time of around 8 seconds, it was certainly quick for its day, but with big block Impalas, Galaxies, and various intermediate-sized Mopars running around with 413 Max Wedges under the hood, all that this cool Rambler would see would be their tail lights.
With all that being said, this is one really cool car. It's about the same size as a then contemporary Mercedes 220. It has individual bucket seats that have backrest recliners (name another American car of that era so equipped) and it's equipped with AMC's unique console-mounted Twin-Stick overdrive, a floor mounted 3-speed manual with an overdrive gear, giving the car extremely long-legged cruising capabilities. Personally I think that the 1963 Ambassador is the apogee of AMC. 1963 was AMC's second-best sales year up to that time, and the Ambassador was the fourth best selling nameplate that year. And to boot, it was the same year that the entire American Motors line-up garnered Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award.
As the seller accurately states, show up at a cruise night in this, you’ll surely attract attention. Most people will think, judging by the decals on its valve covers, that it's Chevy-powered, even though the V8 externally resembles an SBC only in that they share the number of cylinders bores; visually they are as different as two V8s can be.
Visually, the 112-inch wheelbase 1963 and 1964 Rambler Classics and Ambassadors, look very similar, and their styling, if you can call it that, has held up well over the years. They also share some design similarities with the 1964 to 1969 Rambler Americans and Rogues and share many structural elements. Personally, I’ve always wanted to own a V8-powered 1963 or 1964 Rambler, especially one of the rare 1964 2-door hardtop models, one of which is currently available on eBay as well. I view them as being hyper cool, sharing the basic roofline as my own 1968 Rogue. Also cool are the 1963 and 1964 Rambler Classic and Ambassador station wagons, especially when factory-equipped with the 287 or 327 V8, the Twin-Stick overdrive and bucket seats (one equipped that way showed up on eBay about a year ago and I still kick myself for not buying it).
I’m going to watch this sale carefully, but with four AMCs currently in my stable (a 1964 American 440 ragtop, the aforementioned 1968 Rogue, a 1969 American 440 station wagon, and a 1988 AMC Eagle station wagon), I would need this one like I need... well you get the picture. Still, it will be fun to see if it makes reserve and if so, what the ultimate sale price will be. I just hope that it will end up in the collection of a true AMC collector, someone who will appreciate it for what it is, a very unique car built by a very quirky car company.
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