CEO George Romney’s decision to focus AMC strictly on Ramblers was mainly about smaller more practical alternatives to the Big Three. But even then, Rambler did some pioneering, though sometimes it was a bit questionable. The 1956 Cross Country Hardtop Wagon was an industry first, and that wood grain is just too wild for words. Now that’s a Rambler I’d love to own. Wonder if any still exist?
DId they ever offer that woodgrain on production versions? I’ve never seen one before.
I assume so. This wasn’t some “concept” like we have nowadays. This was an ad for the production version. Frankly, I don’t know when I’ve even seen a ’56 hardtop wagon; they were introduced mid-year, and not common at all. The woody one? But you have a point; I’ve never seen one on the web or otherwise.
Very surprised to see that wood trim — and I’m someone who has actually spent a lot of time going out of my way to look for and at postwar Nashes, and who grew up in a time and place when they were still commonly used as beaters (they were extremely durable cars).
It’s a stunning treatment, but surely it must have been either a very limited series or maybe even a photo of a prototype that was subsequently abandoned? The wood looks so real, I wonder if it is?
I may have pictures of my fathers’ ’56 Cross Country;I will research it but how do I present to you if I do?Was your father a pastor Paul?
Despite going to car shows for around 40 years I’ve never seen a Rambler woody like this.I’ve seen a few plain versions but they were always scarce compared to the big 3 ‘s wagons
They did offer the wood grain in 56 – but it was a plastic applique just like the later models. We had one and it pealed off after the metal disappeared under it.
Zachman will love this. (BTW I just love wagons.)
I know; and I immediately thought of you when I found this gem of a wagon.
Darn right, Dan!
I find that wood trim treatment absolutely beautiful. No, I never saw one like that, but I wish I had.
Off-topic a bit: speaking of odd-trim/color schemes; in Hot Rod Magazine, March 1974, they had an article about the ’57 Chevy. One publicity shot was the most stunning I have ever seen. it was a four-door hardtop base 150. Two-tone red and white. Below the long single side trim spear, the car was white, same for the roof, the top of the car body was bright red. Rearview mirror was on the dash! Red interior. Outstanding! Wish I kept my copy of that issue, too.
Weren’t all production ’57 Chevy 150s sedans rather than hardtops?
Other than the Corvette, I can’t recall any GM US-built models having their rearview mirrors mounted on the dashboard. (Completely different for Mopar.)
I assuming this shot was a one-off special?
No. You could get a hardtop in all trim levels. The car in question was a stunner. It had a single trim spear without the white area that the 210’s had, so it really was a different profile and the car looked totally different. If I could dig up a copy of that Hot Rod issue, I would post it, for it truly was unique.
Yes – 210. You’re correct! Thanks to you and Paul!
I think you mean a 210 hardtop sedan, like this one: http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet_Brochure_1/1957%20Chevrolet%20Brochure-04.jpg
The 150 didn’t come in a hardtop version, and had a partial trim on the rear only: http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet_Brochure_1/1957%20Chevrolet%20Brochure-11.jpg
Before the Impala appeared, the 210 was the equivalent of the Bel Air a year or two later.
Paul – Thank you so very much for finding that photo! The 210 it was. Certainly the most elegant in my opinion of the 1957 4-doors hardtops. When I saw that photo in Hot Rod, that’s the model and trim I would want.
Thanks again!
As with the dash mounted mirror, I think there may be some artistic license at work with the side trim on the two-tone blue brochure artwork. I can’t find any photographic evidence of a 210 without the extra piece on the rear quarter that mimicked the Bel Air trim..
The early brochure shows the 210 trim level with only a single side spear. However, production 210’s had the second piece, as shown in the Canadian version of the same brochure, which must have been published a little later.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet_Brochure-Cdn/1957-Chevrolet-Cdn–15
http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Chevrolet/1957_Chevrolet/1957-Chevrolet-Brochure/1957-Chevrolet-15
Stylish old beast looks great mine in blue please and a Tornado kit to go,
Can’t remember the last time I have seen a car ad with someone mulling it over a cigarette.
I doubt he is mulling over the car, moreso the two ladies in the car.
That woodgrain is absolutely awesome!
Nevermind the smoke! I call this image bogus as Milady would never consent to having the windows down while she was anywhere near the car. At least that’s been my experience.
Found a few more pictures. Can’t seem to link to them, so here are the bare links:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/64/193012296_48517ce8bb.jpg
http://www.thefreewheelers.net/OM/1956_Nash_Rambler_Cross_Country.jpg
http://www.picturearchive.co.za/Images/large_1956+Hudson+Rambler+Custom+Cross+Country+4dr+Wagon-0a.jpg
Apparently the woodgrain was an option, a two tone paint was standard. But yes, the woodgrain is awesome. Great pattern of two-toning on this wagon.
I remember those years, when Ramblers only came in four-door body styles. Our neighbor had one, a 1958 sedan in – so help me – two-tone pink, six automatic. He was the kind of a guy who would turn on his turn signal when he got to the end of his driveway to pull out onto our not-well-traveled rural road.
I do not remember seeing a wagon with that woodgrain trim either. But that doesn’t mean too much – hell, I sometimes forget about cars of that era that I actually cared about.
And what kind of guy is that? My wife always gets on my case for using my turn signal in parking lots… Oversignaling is better than not signaling at all, that’s what was drilled into my head while learning to drive.
Love that woodgrain pattern, even if it is just dinoc or painted. The shape of it is so very jet-age…
What kind of Guy ? .
One who’s polite and considerate , not so insecure that common courtesy makes him feel less Manly .
-Nate
I agree. I use my turn signals *all* the time, particularly when I reverse into a parking space or when I parallel park. I also use my 4 way hazard flashers to indicate what’s going on. Hell, even when I reverse, I use my 4 way flashers.
I did a bit of googling, and was able to find two other ads with a Cross Country wagon (in non-hardtop guise) sporting the same woodgrain side trim (one here and one here). I haven’t been able to find any pictures of actual woodies wagons. Though I did find this wagon(link) with the same side trim, only in black. So if the wood was just a decal/paint they would have been easy to produce.
I remember these, at least in sedan guise, when I was a boy. I never liked headlights placed so far inboard of the body sides, especially when they’re inside the grille.
My problem was with the roofline. It looks like they figured a way to graft the rear portion onto the sedan stamping. Another ingenious AMC costcutting move, but it made the car odd-looking.
Really like this wagon, I agree the woodgrain adds much to the look. I remember reading an interview with a retired AMC stylist about that roof. They thought it looked awkward without a roof rack, so they made it standard to trick the eye into focusing on the luggage rack and not the unusual roof proportions.
My dad had a ’56 Rambler Cross Country with the wood side trim. He took it to England for 3 years. When we came back to the states He traded it in on a “new” ’60 Rambler. It was not real wood. The door trim was stamped to look like leather tooling.
My friend has a 56 Rambler original pink/white everything is in tact but no radiator ……does anybody know what it might be worth?
You should contact an appraiser. An appraisal on even a rough looking vehicle can result in a pleasant surprise as to its value.
Just my humble opinion. That mint green and woodgrain plus white wall tires combination just has to be one of the nastiest car color combinations ever!
No way!
Although I could do without the woodgrain look, the rest of the car looks awesome! It’s a car I could drive. 🙂
Not hard to understand why this hardtop wagon didn’t sell in its day (expensive, quirky luxury wagon from an economy car company), but dang, the coolness factor is off the charts in 2014. I want one!
I’ve never seen the DiNoc treatment before. I don’t remember seeing too many of this vintage but it seemed like the ’58 and later versions were everywhere growing up in northeastern Illinois.
I remember these Wagons , I never saw one with the Ni-Doc though .
A few years ago SWMBO pestered me hard about getting a MiniVan to haul our 6 Foster boys around in , I countered with a Station Wagon and she said O.K. so I found an old man’s 1959 Rambler Cross Country _9_ passenger wagon fully loaded , tri tone pink & white paint , OHV I6 cylinder engine , three on the tree tranny with overdrive , it even had factory AC and the ‘ Westerner ‘ interior ! .
I showed it to her and she balked , so she wound up with a European Spec. Mercedes Diesel Wagon W-123 chassis also fully loaded , it’s cherry but I don’t really like it all that much .
-Nate
That’s actually pretty awesome!
I have seen the occasional one of these with a 2 tone paint job, but never a woodie. I like it better with the di-noc – it helps me get past the funky roof shape.
I will admit to also having a thing for 4 door hardtop wagons. Was the 64 Chrysler and Dodge 880 the last one?
I remember seeing a couple of these when I was a kid back in the sixties. It seems to me that the wood grain was kind of a gray color on those. I remember thinking that the gray color was kind of odd compared to color of wood grain on all the other wagons at the time.
Apparently 1956 was the year DiNoc went rogue. Witness the Miller-Meteor Crestwood – the world’s first woodgrain hearse:
That has Wagon Queen Family Truckster written all over it.
between that goofy face grille and the umm…different….woodgrain pattern, this car has some funky styling cues. But a hardtop wagon is a GREAT idea….
The car in your photo must be a show car. The brochure for the ’56 Rambler shows only a pillared wagon.
But here’s an odd (maybe) fact about the show car I don’t think anyone’s noted yet: it’s right hand drive. At least I think so looking at it. Hmmmm . . . .
The reference book “Standard Catalog of Independents, The Struggle to Survive Among Giants, Edited by Ron Kowalke, Krause Publication, list production numbers for the 1956 Nash Rambler 4dr Country Club Station Wagon at 402 units, the Custom 4dr hardtop sedan at 2,155 units. There is no breakdown for the number of 1956 Hudson Rambler hardtop station wagon units produced.
Even rarer is the 1957 Rambler V-8 Series 20 hardtop station wagon: 182 units. None of the Rambler Ambassador hardtop station wagons sold in great numbers: 1958: 294; 1959: 578; 1960: 435.
Good luck finding any survivors now. Having grown up in that era, I saw plenty of Rambler wagons but never the hardtop version. Only one ’60 Ambassador 4dr hardtop sedan did show up in our town, driven by an elementary school teacher and her farmer husband. It was carnation pink, white top, continental kit and all.