It's very important that we qualify any statement about the "original" Rambler by referring to "the original Nash Rambler," for the Nash compact was not the first car to bear that name. The Thomas B. Jeffrey Company of Chicago, Illinois built the first prototype Rambler automobile in 1897. Jeffrey was a former bicycle manufacturer who took a fancy to the idea of the automobile, still a radical idea in the Gay Nineties. Jeffrey did not apply the Rambler name (which his previous company had applied to bicycles) to a production automobile until 1902. By that time, the company had moved to a new headquarters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Rambler automobile was neither particularly small nor very cheap. Its low-line models were around the price of an early Cadillac, while the most expensive model was $2,500, a lofty sum for the time. It did feature two novelties that would later become commonplace: a front-mounted engine and a steering wheel, rather than the more typical tiller. It sold reasonably well in a fledgling market.

Thomas Jeffrey died in the spring of 1910, and his son Charles assumed the presidency of the company. Charles Jeffrey took the company public for the first time, and grew its business significantly. In 1914, he decided to abandon the familiar Rambler name and re-brand the company's automobile the Jeffrey, in honor of his late father.

In May 1915, Charles was a passenger on the ocean liner RMS Lusitania when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Although he survived the sinking, the disaster led him to reassess his priorities in life. He began looking for a buyer for his father's company.

Charles Warren Nash was, along with David Dunbar Buick, one of the founders of the Buick Motor Company. After the formation of General Motors, Nash remained with Buick, which was now a GM division. When GM's creditors forced Durant out in 1910 (an event discussed in our biography of Henry Leland), Nash became president. In 1912, the board named him president of General Motors, which he proceeded to run very successfully. In May 1916, however, Billy Durant succeeded in wresting back control of GM. He offered Nash a king's ransom to stay, but Nash resigned, vowing he would never work for anyone else again.

In July of that year, Charlie Nash bought the Thomas B. Jeffrey Company for a little under $10 million. In 1917, he renamed the company Nash Motors.

As we have previously described, in the mid-thirties, Charlie Nash orchestrated a merger between Nash and the Kelvinator appliance corporation, primarily to secure the services of its talented president, George W. Mason. Mason took over as president of the new Nash-Kelvinator corporation in 1937; Charlie Nash remained chairman of the board until his death in 1948.

Mason was a big man, over six feet tall (over 1.8 meters) and close to 300 lb (137 kg), but he became interested early on in compact cars. Back in 1935, Nash engineering vice president Nils Erik Wahlberg had built an experimental unibody compact with a four-cylinder engine. It didn't take long for Wahlberg and chief engineer Meade Moore to convince Mason of the value of smaller cars and unit bodies.

Adopting unitary construction required Nash to develop a new engineering approach, including a major retooling of Nash's assembly plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that cost the company $7 million. Nash also recruited a variety of engineers from The Budd Company, including Tedd Ulrich, who would play a key role in the development of Nash's later small cars. The first fruit of their labors was the 1941 Nash 600, America's first true unibody production car.

There may well have been preliminary conversations about compact cars even before the war, but Moore indicated that the impetus for the Nash compacts was in 1942-43, when he was doing war-related work in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During his daily commute he noted the number of big cars parked on the street, most of which he knew (particularly with the implementation of fuel rationing) were driven mostly on very short trips. The idea of driving a land yacht for around-town errands struck him as absurd. Rationing also made him increasingly conscious of fuel economy, which had not previously been a big concern for most American buyers. The trend before the war had been toward bigger cars -- the smallest of the "Low-Priced Three" in 1941 was almost 195 inches (4,953 mm) long -- and there was no reason to think it wouldn't continue after the war. Meade thought there would be a market for a smaller, more economical car for urban driving.

Meade shared his thoughts with George Mason, who soon became an enthusiastic proponent of the compact city car. Mason supported Meade's logic, but he was first and foremost a businessman. What excited him most was the opportunity to offer a product the Big Three did not.

In fact, the Big Three were thinking about smaller cars both during and after the war. Chevrolet had its Cadet, developed by Earle MacPherson; Ford had its "Light Car"; Chrysler considered the four-cylinder Project A-106. None of these came to fruition (although the Ford Light Car became the French Ford Vedette), and the Big Three gave up on the idea of compacts for another decade.

Why? From a business standpoint, smaller cars seemed like a losing proposition for the Big Three. They quickly discovered that they couldn't build compacts for much less than their full-size cars, which meant that selling them for less would mean smaller profits. Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth already dominated the market, so any compacts they sold would likely be at the expense of the full-size cars. If the compacts sold poorly, it would be harder to recoup their tooling cost, but if they sold well, it would steal sales from more profitable models. It was not until they began losing sales in the late fifties that they saw a business case.

Nash, however, was in a different position. Mason figured that most of the sales of a compact car would be new buyers, lured away from the Big Three by products the Big Three couldn't match.

In 1948, Mason hired Romney, who at the time was president of the Automobile Manufacturer's Association (AMA), as his special assistant. Romney was a hot commodity in the auto industry, and to take Mason's offer, he actually turned down a far more lucrative offer from Packard. Romney later told author Michael Lamm that the small car project was a major part of his decision. He had concluded during his time at the AMA that there would be a strong market for compact cars.

While Romney was even more convinced of the value of compact cars than his boss was, they were in the minority even among Nash's own executive staff. Most senior sales executives were staunchly opposed to the small-car idea, as was much of the Engineering staff. Nevertheless, Mason and Romney would not be dissuaded, and they opted to pursue not one but two small-car programs. One, Bill Flajole's NXI project, became the Nash Metropolitan; the other became the Rambler.

George Mason considered the same price issue as the Big Three, but he came to a different conclusion. Mason felt that it was a mistake to market a small car based solely on its low price, rather than promoting the virtues of smaller size, like ease of parking and greater fuel efficiency. Focusing on offering the lowest possible price would condemn the compact to Spartan trim, limited equipment, and a downmarket ambiance that would make it less desirable. That proved to be the fate of Kaiser's compact Henry J. developed at the same time.


Kaiser's Henry J bowed in 1951, just five months after the Rambler. At 174.5 inches (4,432 mm), it was slightly bigger than the Rambler (although it rode the same wheelbase), but substantially cheaper, offered with either four- or six-cylinder engines. Sears-Roebuck offered its own version of this car under the Allstate name in 1952-53. The Henry J, now renamed Henry J Corsair, got a facelift in 1953; Corsair Deluxes, like this '54, were now 184.6 in (4,690 mm) long, although their wheelbase was the same. (Photo © 2007 Anne Mitchell Lape; used by permission)

Instead, Mason wanted to position Nash's compact as an upscale second car for local trips, a companion to a full-sized car in the same way a ship's boat might complement a yacht. That upscale image and price had a second benefit, which was a larger profit margin. That was particularly important, because the compact's $13 million development cost was a big investment for Nash. Nash was doing well in the forties, thanks to the postwar boom, but it didn't have the deep pockets of General Motors.

The new compact's development was overseen directly by Meade Moore, in part because he was one of the few senior engineers who believed in the concept. Its body structure was largely designed by Ted Ulrich, who apparently also dictated much of its styling. (George Walker, who was a design consultant for Nash until 1946, later denied any involvement with it, as did several of Nash's own designers. Those who recalled the Rambler said it was designed more based on engineering blueprints than styling studies.)

The new compact was a fully unitized design. Unlike the big Nash Ambassador and Statesmen, which also used what Nash called "Airflyte" unitary construction, it didn't use a bolt-on subframe for the engine and front suspension, just a reinforced cross-member. It rode a 100-inch (2,540-mm) wheelbase and stretched 176 inches (4,740 mm) overall, making it roughly the size of a modern C-segment car (e.g., Honda Civic). It was all steel, except for the upper part of the door frames, which were extruded aluminum, forming the window channels. To help maintain rigidity, it used stiff side beams in the roof, above the doors. Despite its heavy cast-iron engine, it had a modest curb weight of 2,430 lb (1,102 kg), although the body was quite strong.

Mason didn't want to launch the car as a mundane two- or four-door sedan, part of his plan to make the car seem more upscale. (In any case, the engineers didn't think they could make a viable four-door on the 100-inch wheelbase.) Instead, its first body style would be an unusual convertible landau. Convertibles are a problem with unibody designs because the roof is a structural element, and cutting it off is much like sawing the top off a milk carton -- the rest starts to flop around. Rather than sacrifice the side beams in the roof, Ulrich opted to leave the door frames fixed and incorporate the tracks for the retractable fabric roof into them. The top was power operated by a simple electric winch, rolling back into the trunk in the manner of a roll-top desk.


An early 1950 Rambler Custom Landau at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, with its top down. When the Rambler was first introduced, this was the only body style; a two-door wagon was added about two months later. (Photo © 2007 Douglas Wilkerson)

The engine was the same flathead six as the old 600, a larger version of which powered Nash's full-size cars. In the compact, it displaced 173 cu. in. (2.8 L) -- big by modern compact standards, but modest for contemporary American engines -- and made 82 gross horsepower (61 kW). A three-speed manual was standard, with overdrive the only transmission option.

Big Nashes used torque-tube rear axles with coil springs, like contemporary Buicks and Chevrolets, but the compact had Hotchkiss drive in back. Front suspension was unequal-length A-arms, but an unusual feature was the high-mounted springs. Rather than being mounted on the lower control arm, as was typical, the coil springs sat on the upper arm. This reduced unsprung weight considerably (in part because the lower control arm, no longer needing to support the loads imposed by the spring, could be lighter), benefiting ride quality. Unfortunately, it also resulted in a very low roll center, which, combined with the fairly high center of gravity, made the car tipsy in brisk cornering, especially since it had no anti-roll bars and very soft springs.

The other handling oddity was caused by the enclosed front wheels. This feature was introduced on the 1949 full-size cars, and George Mason decided that it was a good stylistic trademark for the entire Nash line. Unfortunately, it made tire changing more difficult, and it limited steering lock, resulting in a larger turning circle. Neither the engineers nor the stylists were happy with the enclosed wheels, but Mason insisted.

George Romney suggested calling the new compact "Diplomat," which would have complemented Nash's bigger Statesman and Ambassador models. Unfortunately, Chrysler had already registered that name, which was used on and off by Dodge for many years. Instead, Nash looked backward to the protean beginnings of the company, and adopted the name Rambler. The fact that the original Rambler had been an expensive car might have had something to do with the decision, although after more than 25 years, it's debatable how many buyers remembered it.

The Rambler went into full production in February 1950 and made its public debut in early April. The landau convertible came only in what Nash called Custom trim, which included plush upholstery (styled and selected by former Paris fashion designer Helene Rother), turn signals, courtesy lights, and wheelcovers. More unusual, it included a pushbutton radio and Nash's excellent "Weather Eye" heater. About the only thing not included as standard was overdrive, which cost about $100 extra. On a Ford or Chevy, the Rambler's load of accessories would have cost $200-$300 extra.


Rambler interiors were not lavishly appointed, but they were well equipped and well trimmed for their time, providing an unfussy but upscale ambiance. Nash's Weather Eye heater, developed by Nils Erik Wahlberg in the mid-thirties, was the most sophisticated in the business, offering thermostatic control of both hot and cool air. It was in many respects the forerunner of the heating and ventilation systems now universal on production cars. Rambler's oversize steering wheel was shared with Nash's full-size cars. (Photo © 2006 Christopher Ziemnowicz; used under a CreativeCommons Attribution ShareAlike license)

That was well, because the Rambler was definitely not inexpensive. The landau cost $1,808 FOB Kenosha, which was nearly $400 more than a Ford Tudor DeLuxe sedan and only about $40 cheaper than a Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop. It was cheaper than a Ford or Chevy convertible -- the tiny Crosley Hotshot was the only cheaper ragtop on the market at the time -- but it was not for budget shoppers.

The first journalist to test the Rambler was Tom McCahill of Mechanix Illustrated, who actually drove a Rambler months before its public announcement. Visiting the Nash proving grounds to road test the new Ambassador, McCahill had stumbled onto a group of Rambler development mules undergoing final pre-production testing. McCahill talked the engineers into letting him drive one of the cars in exchange for embargoing the story until after the official press preview. His glowing commentary finally appeared in the May 1950 issue of Mechanix Illustrated, which appeared on newsstands just as the Rambler went on sale.

McCahill was very enthusiastic about the new compact, particularly about its ride and its performance. The Rambler actually had a fractionally better power-to-weight ratio than a 1950 V8 Ford, and McCahill quoted a 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) time of under 17 seconds, and estimated a top speed of around 85 mph (135 kph), both quite respectable for its time. No one was claiming that the Rambler was a fast car, but it could get the jump on many bigger cars at stoplights. It also returned more than 30% better fuel economy then the Low-Priced Three -- around 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) in mixed driving, with 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km) possible in gentle cruising. Handling was less adroit. The Rambler's soft springs and abundant body lean did not encourage vigorous cornering, and its enclosed front wheels made maneuvering in tight spaces cumbersome. Still, it rode well, which was more important to contemporary American buyers than high-speed cornering.

The Rambler didn't have an abundance of leg room, but it was relatively wide, so it had reasonable space for four. Luggage space was another matter; the Landau's trunk held both the spare and a shield to protect the fabric top, leaving little space for baggage. As with a modern Mazda MX-5 Miata, it was fine for commuters, but it didn't lend itself to either major shopping expeditions or long trips.

If that was a problem, in June 1950, Nash added a two-door Custom station wagon, priced at the same $1,808. The Landau was cute, but the wagon was genuinely useful, particularly for small businesses that had to make local deliveries. (Nash later introduced a slightly cheaper version called Deliveryman, aimed at precisely that market, although it was not well publicized, and sold in limited numbers.)


The Rambler Custom two-door wagon was the same size as the Landau convertible, but vastly more practical. For several years, these little wagons were the Rambler's most popular body style. The "grille" where the fender meets the hood is purely decoration, covering up the awkward gap between the fender and the beltline of the body sides. (Photo © 2006 Christopher Ziemnowicz; released to the public domain by the photographer)

The Rambler's 1950 sales were limited by the late introduction and shortages of raw materials. At the time, the U.S. government still controlled strategic resources like steel, which were allocated to automakers based on market share. (This was one of the many reasons for the collapse of the independent automakers in the early fifties.) Still, Nash sold about 11,400 1950 Ramblers, which wasn't a bad start.

The temptation to add a basic two- or four-door sedan was no doubt strong, but Mason stuck to his policy of offering what he called "fringe models." The next Rambler model added was the Custom Country Club hardtop coupe, priced at $1,968. In a slight concession to economy, a cheaper Super Suburban wagon with trim, priced $108 cheaper than the Custom wagon, also appeared for 1951. Sales climbed to around 70,000, accounting for about a third of Nash's total sales. Nash was up nearly 34,000 units for 1951, so the Rambler was not just cannibalizing Statesman and Ambassador sales, either. However, the Rambler was outsold by Kaiser's new Henry J, which went on sale in late September 1950. The Henry J. sold nearly 82,000 units in its first year, mostly because it was some $400 cheaper than a Rambler.


The Rambler wagon was all steel; the wood trim is a Di-Noc woodgrain applique. It was standard on Custom wagons, adding an upscale look. Priced at $2,119 in 1952, the Rambler Custom wagon was actually more than $200 pricier than a Ford Ranch Wagon, but its handy size made it popular. Just under 20,000 were sold this year. (Photo © 2006 Christopher Ziemnowicz; used under a CreativeCommons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 license)

These encouraging numbers tumbled worryingly the following year, as the entire U.S. auto industry took a sharp downturn. The principal reason was the Korean War, which led to government production restrictions. Automakers and the Automobile Dealers Association convinced the Department of Defense that completely shutting down civilian auto production was unacceptable, but manufacturers were capped at around 80% of their 1950 output. Raw materials shortages continued to be a problem, as did wildcat strikes at automotive suppliers. Nash sales were down significantly for 1952, and Rambler sales fell to about 53,000. Higher prices may not have helped -- even the cheapest Super Suburban wagon was now over $2,000. Even so, the Rambler outsold the Henry J, which managed only about 35,000 sales for 1952, and the new Willys Aero, which sold about 32,000.


Four-door sedans, riding a longer 108-inch (2,743-mm) wheelbase, didn't arrive until 1954. Starting in 1953, the standard Rambler engine grew to 184 cu. in. (3.0 L), with 85 hp (63 kW). Cars with the optional Hydra-Matic (purchased from GM) got a 196 cu. in. (3.2 L) version with 90 hp (67 kW). Note the lower hood and the less-obtrusive ventilation intake at the base of the window, two major parts of the '53 facelift. The Rambler's 1953 facelift was actually supervised by new Nash styling chief Edmund A. Anderson, whom Mason had hired in 1950. Italian designer Giovanni Battista "Pinin" Farina was a consultant for Nash in the early fifties, but most of his ideas were heavily redesigned by Anderson's small team. Nonetheless, Pininfarina continued to receive credit in Nash advertising, in part because George Mason didn't want to build up any company stylists who would then defect to other companies (as consultant George Walker had in 1946). (Photo © 2009 Jim Duell Jr.; used by permission)


The Rambler Custom sedan was the second most popular body style for 1954; the most popular was the new Cross Country four-door wagon. Reverse-slant C-pillars were also used by big Nash models. The "Continental kit" spare tire was optional -- it left more space in the tiny trunk, but made access difficult. (Photo © 2009 Jim Duell Jr.; used by permission)

Sales for 1953 were even worse, although the Korean War ended that summer, and most of the labor and supply issues were resolved. The problem this time was not competition (although Hudson's new Jet joined the fray that year), but a brutal price war between Ford and Chevrolet. Ford, eager to regain its former dominance of the low-price field, pumped up its output by nearly 90% and forced its dealers to accept more cars than they ordered. Dealers, stuck with excess inventory, resorted to steep discounts and aggressive sales tactics to move the metal. Chevrolet took this as a declaration of war, and responded in kind. The independent manufacturers -- Hudson, Nash, Kaiser, Studebaker, et al -- already had slimmer margins, and simply could not afford to keep up with this blitz.

As a result, Rambler sales slumped to 31,790, despite its first restyling, bigger engines, and the availability of automatic transmission (GM's Hydra-Matic). Nash's overall sales fell nearly 20%.

For 1954, Mason finally agreed to introduce the cheaper models he had long resisted, including a simple two-door sedan in plainer Deluxe trim, priced at a modest $1,550. Heater and radio were no longer standard on all Ramblers, although air conditioning was a new option.

More significant was the introduction of four-door models, a Custom sedan and a Custom Cross Country wagon with a "Fashion Safety Arch" roof (designed by stylist Bill Reddig) and standard roof rack. Because Ted Ulrich and Meade Moore continued to insist to Mason and Romney that they couldn't build a practical four-door on the 100-inch wheelbase, so the four-door cars rode a 108-inch (2,743-mm) wheelbase and stretched 186.4 inches (4,735 mm) overall.

Despite the new models and reduced prices (thanks to reduced standard equipment), 1954 sales weren't much better than '53, totaling 36,231. Only 221 of those were the Landau, which had been overshadowed by the more practical hardtops and wagons. It was discontinued at the end of the year.


One of the more unusual Nash options in this era was a "Petty Girl" hood ornament, designed by famed pin up artist George Petty. It was introduced on big Nashes earlier in the decade, and became available on Ramblers in 1953.

Mason knew even as the 1954 models went on sale that Nash could not survive the onslaught of the Big Three alone. He had been pushing for a merger with Hudson, Packard, and Studebaker since 1946, and now it was becoming urgent. Both Packard and Studebaker still demurred, but Hudson realized they no longer had a choice. In January 1954, the Hudson board voted for the merger with Nash, forming the American Motors Corporation.

Since Nash-Kelvinator was in a much better financial position, it became the dominant half of AMC, with Mason as president and George Romney as executive vice president. They moved swiftly to consolidate Nash and Hudson production, which began to converge with the introduction of the 1955 models that fall. Hastily re-skinned Nashes replaced the big Hudsons, but there was neither time nor money to facelift the Rambler or subcompact Metropolitan. Instead, AMC resorted to simple badge engineering, selling identical models with both Hudson and Nash badges.

In the fall of 1954, Mason was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. He developed pneumonia, and died on October 9. With his death, George Romney was left in charge of American Motors, which also ended hopes of adding Packard to the mix. Packard's president, James Nance, had little respect for Romney, and it was clear that neither he nor Romney would cede control of their company to the other.


As soon as George Mason died, Edmund Anderson hastily redesigned the front fenders of the 1955 Rambler to open the front wheel wells. Anderson, Farina, and Meade Moore all hated the Rambler's enclosed front wheels, but Mason had insisted on keeping them, feeling they provided immediate identification of all Nash models, much like Cadillac's fins or Buick's portholes. (Photo © 2007 Lars-Göran Lindgren; used under a CreativeCommons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license)

Ordinarily, badge engineering does nothing good for sales, especially for companies already in trouble, but sharing the Rambler with Hudson paid off for AMC. It may have helped that both the Henry J and Hudson Jet were dropped after 1954, eliminating two major competitors, but in any event, Nash sold 56,023 1955 Ramblers. Hudson dealers moved an additional 25,214, accounting for a high percentage of AMC's combined sales.

The success of the Rambler gave George Romney bold ideas. He had always been more committed to compact cars than even Mason, and he was now convinced that they were the wave of the future.


Although it isn't easy to distinguish from a 1956 Nash Rambler, this is a '56 Hudson Rambler custom sedan. The white-and-turquoise car behind it is a similar '57 Nash model. (Photo © 2008 Kelley & Tim Kramer; used by permission)

Most auto execs in Romney's position would have retrenched in the big-car market and either dropped the Rambler or let it languish and die a natural death. Indeed, many at AMC wanted to do just that. Rather than invest in new tooling for the ailing full-size cars, however, Romney opted to redesign the Rambler line for 1956, making it somewhat bigger -- about 8 inches (203 mm) overall -- but still firmly in the compact class.

The 1956 Ramblers were still unitized, but they were a good deal more contemporary, with taller windows, more glass area, trendy wraparound windshields, and some bizarre two-tone paint jobs. Romney decided to drop the short-wheelbase models entirely, consolidating all Ramblers on the longer 108-inch (2743-mm) wheelbase introduced in '54. Overall length was up to about 191.1 inches (4,854), curb weight to between 3,100 and 3,300 lb (1,400-1,500 kg). Passenger space wasn't much better than before, but the trunk of the sedans was usefully larger. The '56 Ramblers also traded the old car's Hotchkiss rear suspension for a torque tube on coil springs (like contemporary Buicks), with a modern ball-joint front suspension. The optional 196 cu. in. (3.2 L) engine got a new overhead-valve head that pushed power to 120 hp (90 kW), and power steering was added to the options list.

Despite all these changes, Rambler sales dropped to 66,573 for 1956. The peculiar styling might have had something to do with that, but buyers were also understandably concerned about the company's future -- AMC lost $19.7 million in 1956. Still, the Rambler accounted for close to half of AMC's total volume.

By then, Romney had already decided that the Nash and Hudson brands were doomed. The 1957 Ramblers no longer carried either badge; they were simply badged as "Rambler." In November 1956, the AMC board agreed to terminate Nash and Hudson; since AMC sold 91,469 Ramblers and less than 10,000 Nashes and Hudsons in 1957, the decision was not a difficult one. Starting in 1958, all AMC cars would be Ramblers.

By 1958, the Rambler had drifted considerably from its original mission as a compact commuter car. It was still small by American standards, although it was bigger than a full-size Mercedes of the time. Starting in 1957, it could even have a V8, a new 327 cu. in. (5.6 L) engine with 250 gross horsepower (187 kW). The V8 added 275 lb (125 kg) to the nose and cut fuel economy by more than 20%, but it boosted sales.


The 1959 Rambler Six, seen here in Custom sedan trim, is 189.5 inches (4,813 mm) on a 108-inch (2,743-mm) wheelbase, weighing around 3,100 lb (1,406 kg). Its 196 cu. in. (3.2 L) six had 127 hp (95 kW), or 138 hp (103 kW) with the optional two-barrel carburetor. It was a good deal smaller than a full-size Chevrolet, Ford, or Plymouth, but bigger than the subsequent Big Three compacts. At $2,383 to start, its price was very close to Chevrolet's Bel Air or the full-size Ford Fairlane.

In 1958, AMC restyled the entire Rambler line and added a new "full-size" model: the Ambassador, reviving the name of the previous top-of-the-line Nash. The Ambassador was a rather cynical marketing exercise, for while it was over 200 inches (5,096 mm) long on a 116-inch (2,946-mm) wheelbase, weighing more than 3,700 lb (1,678 kg), it was structurally identical to the standard Rambler from the firewall back, with the same interior space. John Conde said that the main reason for the Ambassador was to placate AMC's own executives, who would otherwise have been obliged to drive a compact Rambler Custom or Rebel, something they found too humiliating to contemplate. Romney regarded the Ambassador, which was precisely the sort of "Detroit dinosaur" he'd come to publicly decry, with bemused chagrin.

As if in penance, Romney reintroduced the 100-inch (2,540-mm) wheelbase to the Rambler line for 1958. Now called Rambler American, it was basically the discontinued 1955 two-door, with new styling by Anderson and Reddig. It was a rather pretty little car, actually more Italianate than the Pininfarina-badged Nashes of the early fifties.


This is a Deluxe two-door sedan, at $1,795 the second cheapest of the 1960 Rambler American line (there was a business sedan with no rear seat for $14 less). Powered by the same 196 cu. in. (3.2 L) flathead six introduced for Hydra-Matic cars back in 1953, it had 90 gross horsepower (67 kW). Despite the earlier protests of Ted Ulrich and Meade Moore that it was impossible to build a four-door sedan on the 100-inch (2,540-mm) wheelbase, there was eventually a four-door version of the American.

With the reintroduction of the Rambler American, AMC now had models in three distinct sizes, something that the Big Three wouldn't be able to match until the mid-sixties. This coincided with the onset of the Eisenhower recession of 1957-58, which sent buyers fleeing from thirsty, over-styled big cars to smaller, more economical compacts and imports. Rambler sales climbed to 131,542 for 1958, and the company made a profit for the first time since the merger.

The Rambler American sold well throughout this period: 91,491 in 1959, 120,603 in 1960. It was redesigned in 1961, with squared-off styling, and sold even better, over 136,000 units that year. That was particularly impressive considering the proliferation of new compacts from other manufacturers, who joined the fray in 1960.


Although it has new sheet metal, the 1958-60 Rambler American is very similar to the 1955 short-wheelbase Rambler -- it was built using much of the same tooling. Styling, by Edmund Anderson and Bill Reddig, is quite pretty (although the depth of the wheel wells, a relic of the former enclosed wheels, is disconcerting). Although the American is the size of a modern compact, its packaging efficiency is mediocre; the wheel arches and rear axle intrusion cut into rear-seat room.

The American retained its 100-inch wheelbase through 1963. By that time, Romney had parlayed the success of AMC into a political career, and Roy Abernethy had taken over as chairman. Under Abernethy's direction, the 1964 Rambler American adopted a longer 106-inch (2,692-mm) wheelbase and new styling, developed by design chief Richard A. Teague. It sold well at first -- over 160,000 units in 1964 -- but it then began a slow decline through the rest of the decade, before expiring in dramatic fashion in 1969.

Abernethy moved gradually away from both the Rambler name and its compact economy-car identity. He gradually phased out the nameplate in favor of "AMC," starting in 1967. By 1970, AMC's cars were no longer greatly smaller or more economical than their Big Three rivals.

The original Rambler was ahead of its time in more ways that one. Its unusual front suspension design was widely imitated (principally by Ford, which applied a very similar format to the Falcon, Fairlane, Mustang, and Maverick). George Mason's marketing strategy, meanwhile, was applied with great success to the plush Chevrolet Corvair Monza and Ford Falcon Futura of the sixties. With its modest exterior dimensions, unibody construction, and small(ish) engine, the Rambler is also a good deal closer to a modern car than most of its contemporaries.


This is a base-model (Deluxe) 1962 Rambler American two-door sedan, the third generation of the short-wheelbase Rambler. It's the same size as before -- 173.1 inches (4,397 mm) long on a 100-inch (2,540-mm) wheelbase -- but a new OHV version of the 196 cu. in. (3.2 L) six offered up to 120 gross horsepower (90 kW). Base price for this model was $1,846.

More significantly, the Rambler demonstrated that there was a market for a well-appointed, comfortable small car, even if it didn't have a rock-bottom price. That is a lesson that Detroit has been very reluctant to learn over the years, but if you doubt it, look at how many current B- and C-segment cars now come standard with equipment like air conditioning, power windows, and keyless entry. Today, you can buy a Honda Civic or Mazda3 that is more lavishly equipped than most high-end luxury cars of 20 years ago, and that's not counting premium-branded models like Mercedes' A-Class or the BMW 1-Series. We may not have George Mason and George Romney to thank for that, but we can't deny that they were there first.

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Our principal source for the history of the 1950 Nash Rambler was Michael Lamm, "1950 Nash Rambler: America's First Successful Post-war Compact, Special Interest Autos #24, September-October 1974, reprinted in Richard A. Lentinello, ed., The Hemmings Book of Nashes (Bennington, VT: Hemmings Motor News, 2002). Lamm's article was based on interviews with George Romney and former AMC executive John A. Conde, as well as an unpublished reminiscence by former Nash chief engineer Meade Moore, written in February 1959. Additional details came from Arch Brown, "1941 Nash 600: Bristling with innovations, this pre-war economy car offered excellent value" and "The Man Behind the '600': George W. Mason," Special Interest Autos #60, November-December 1980; John A. Conde, "Golden Anniversary Nash," Special Interest Autos #46, July-August 1978; John A. Conde, "Rare Pair: Twin 1948 Nash Convertibles," Special Interest Autos #37, November-December 1976; and Michael Lamm, "Bathtub!" Special Interest Autos #9, January-March 1972, all of which are also reprinted in Richard A. Lentinello, ed., The Hemmings Book of Nashes (Bennington, VT: Hemmings Motor News, 2002).

Additional data came from the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide, "1950-1952 Nash Rambler" (28 August 2007, HowStuffWorks.com, http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1950-1952-rambler.htm, accessed 22 August 2009) and "1953-1955 Nash and Hudson Ramblers" (29 November 2007, HowStuffWorks.com, http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1953-1955-nash-hudson-rambler.htm, accessed 21 August 2009), and Michael Lamm and Dave Holls, A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design (Stockton, CA: Lamm-Morada Publishing Co. Inc., 1997).

We also consulted the following period road tests: "'56 Rambler Road Test," Motor Trend, January 1956; "Car Life Consumer Analysis: 1956 Rambler," Car Life, April 1956; "Driver's Report: The 1957 Rambler," Motor Life, December 1956; James Whipple, "Car Life Consumer Analysis: 1957 Rambler," Car Life, February 1957; Joe H. Wherry, "America's New Economy Car," Motor Trend, February 1958; Jim Whipple, "Speed Age Expert Test: Jim Whipple Tests the 1958 Rambler," Speed Age, February 1958; "Ambassador Road Test," Motor Life, June 1958; "Rambler Ambassador Road Test," Motor Life, January 1959; Doug Blain, "Wheels New Car Tryout: Poetry and This Year's Rambler," Wheels, March 1959; "Road Test: Rambler American: Sometimes a step back is a step ahead," Road & Track, March 1959; "Testing the 60's: he heart of a big car behind the personality of a compact: Rambler V-8" and "Testing the 60's: Rambler American: a new look at the most experienced of the compacts," Motor Life, February 1960; "Road Test: Rambler Six: Romney's compact Rambler, the one that started it all," Road & Track, February 1960; "Full Range Road Test: The Rambler Classic V-8s," Motor Trend, February 1961; "Road Test: ambler American," Motor Trend, May 1961; "Rambler American," Car Life, November 1961; "Rambler American," Car Life, November 1961; "Car Life Road Test: Rambler Ambassador 400: a potential bargain in not-quite-compact form," Car Life, May 1962; "Car of the Year: Rambler Classic and Ambassador" and Wayne Thoms, "Rambler American: American Motors' original compact still rolls strong," Motor Trend, February 1963; and "Rambler American: An improved Rambler is nobody's Car of the Year in '64," Car and Driver, April 1964, all of which are reprinted in R.M. Clarke, ed., AMC Rambler Limited Edition Extra 1956-1969 (Cobham, Surrey: Brooklands Books Ltd., 2004).

Background on Thomas B. Jeffrey came from Jeffrey's Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B._Jeffery, accessed 21 August 2009); the Wikipedia entry for the company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B._Jeffery_Company, accessed 21 August 2009); Charles W. Nash's Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_W._Nash, accessed 21 August 2009); Arch Brown, "Timely Exit," Special Interest Autos #115, January-February 1990, reprinted in Richard A. Lentinello, ed., The Hemmings Book of Nashes (Bennington, VT: Hemmings Motor News, 2002); and "The Jeffrey Four," Wisconsin Historical Society, http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1108, accessed 21 August 2009, which includes a facisimile of the 1916 Jeffrey brochure.

This article's title was suggested by a song by the Dropkick Murphys, which appeared on their 2001 album Sing Loud, Sing Proud.

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