(photos by Curtis Perry) Although the mid-sixties are known for the hot V8s that dominated the tracks, red light races and the public perception, the lowly six cylinder engine wasn’t totally ignored either. In fact there were several excellent new pushrod sixes that all performed better than lots of folks assume. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, it was Rambler’s new Torque Command 232 six that was arguably the best of all of them, especially in terms of performance.
Fitting for a company that was so heavily dependent on sixes, AMC decided to create a special version of the Rambler Classic 770 coupe just for the introduction of the new six in April of 1964, dubbed the Typhoon. Given that 1964 was the year Pontiac introduced the GTO package on its mid-sized coupe, the Typhoon was clearly making a statement of its own, and one used right on Rambler ads: “The only race Rambler cares about is the human race!” But don’t try racing against the new Rambler six with your six or even a mild V8; you were almost certain to lose.
As to the question at the top of this ad, the answer is simple: Rambler didn’t actually have a genuine “high performance V-8”. Yes, back in 1957, the 270 hp 327 V8 in the quite light Rebel of the times was genuinely hot, one of the fastest stock sedan that year, although AMC didn’t take it to any stock car races either. It was quickly dropped after 1500 were built. By 1964, it was still a decent performer but not even remotely in the same league as the hot V8s from the Big Three. Now if NASCAR still had a compact car series as they did back in 1960, it might have been a different game.
What makes me so hot on the new AMC six? I always knew it was an excellent engine and a good performer, but when I wrote up this vintage review of a rather similar 1965 Rambler American 440-H coupe, I was rather shocked. Despite it being saddled with the generally less-than-stellar Borg Warner 35 automatic, it zipped from zero to sixty in a very brisk 10.9 seconds. That’s the best 0-60 time I’ve ever encountered for a six except for the high-performance four-barrel OHC Pontiac Sprint six, and which only managed to improve on that slightly with a 10.0 second time in the recent vintage review of a 1967 Firebird Sprint, and that was with a 4-speed manual. This was the whole reason I went off the deep end with my analysis and projections, dubbing the Rambler American as the fastest pushrod six in the land, with a projected 0-60 time of 9.3 seconds in the lightest body style and with the 3-speed manual transmission.
So how quick was the Typhoon? There’s no ready vintage reviews, but since it weighed some 180 lbs more than the 440-H and had 10 fewer horsepower (one barrel carb vs. two-barrel), one must assume it was a wee bit slower, maybe 11.5 seconds to 60? But that’s with the automatic; with the stick, it would almost certainly be closer to 10 seconds. Just to reiterate: that was quick back in 1964, likely even a tick quicker than the ’63 Chevy Biscayne 283 V8 with 3-speed manual in this vintage review that clicked off a nippy 0-60 time of 10.7 seconds. Hot Rambler! Who needs a V8, especially since the old AMC V8 was excessively heavy and really impacted handling negatively.
Print materials, naturally, embellish AMC’s efforts to some degree; still, cooler heads did approve the new powerplant. A period CL review went into detail: “The new engine follows the pattern of its forebears in being a straightforward, simple design. Although 3 in. longer than the 196 block, it is 2 in. shorter in block and height, and all-up weight remains the same…
The crankshaft is the main departure from the norm –it runs in seven main bearings where heretofore Rambler’s sixes ran in only four mains… The result is obvious: A stiffer crankshaft, more able to withstand higher piston pressures and bearing loads… Durability and longevity are greatly increased.”
Overall, the new powerplant achieved the company’s expectations, and it would prove long-lived; versions of the engine were still powering Jeep products in the early 2000s.
To introduce the Torque Command 232 in the spring of 1964, the Typhoon limited edition was created using the Classic’s 770 hardtop line, at the time, the company’s top-of-the-line mid-size model. It carried a unique 2-tone color combination in Solar Yellow and black, with a neat side spear and other minor trim accents. The sharpest of the 1964 Classics? Undoubtedly.
Of course, 1964 would be the last year that AMC’s lineup would be so “sensible” and straightforward. Starting in 1965, AMC’s star-crossed quest for sixties coolness and relevance would start in earnest, with the arrival of the fastback Marlin. A Quixotic quest for sure, but that’s part of what makes AMC’s tale so fascinating.
Related CC reading:
Vintage Car Life Road Test: 1965 Rambler American 440-H – Hot Six!
The Fastest Stock Pushrod Inline Sixes Of The ’60s & ’70s – Faster Than Many V8s
Vintage Review: 1957 Rambler Rebel – “America’s Fastest Sedan” – Not Quite
Cohort Outtake: 1964 Rambler Classic 770 Hardtop Coupe – Classic Good Looks
Vintage Car Life Review: 1964 Rambler Classic V-8 – Chasing Market Trends
Waay cool.
I know I’ve seen a road test of a ’64 Classic Typhoon, in Car Life I believe.
This isn’t the one I remember, but I’m not at home to check my collection.
https://autohistorypreservationsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/1964-10-CL-1964-Rambler-Classic-Typhoon-Test-1-3.pdf
I knew there was one out there somewhere. 0-60 is a bit slower than I projected, but even 12 seconds is quite good for a family-sized six. The ’65 440-H that did it in 10.9 with the automatic was surprising to me.
My brother’s 1st car was a ’65 American 330 wagon with the 232/2 barrel and automatic, and it was quick for a 6. And the Borg Warner aluminum T35 was a good match for that engine. The 199/232/258/4.0 engine family were as indestructible as any American sixes of V8s of the time. (I still own two never rebuilt 258’s in high mileage Hornets, and they run great.)
Thanks for the article on the Typhoon. It was really a good looking, right-sized car for its day.
Dare I say it? That is a genuinely good looking Rambler. So many ugly cars that bore the Rambler name that it was hard for a nice one to pull free from the general Rambler image. That 232 six is a sweet engine. It gave even the ugly Ramblers at least one redeeming quality.
My 2006 Wrangler has the last version of that engine family. I consider it one of the best US engine designs ever. Perhaps every bit as good as the Chevy small block or Chrysler slant 6.
the 1963 birds mouth front end was much better looking. I don’t understand why they changed it after one year.
I totally agree, but AMC in the mid-1960s seemed to be trying to emulate the Big Three in their offerings, so undoubtedly, they wanted to do as many yearly styling updates as they could. This one just wasn’t an improvement.
I agree also on the first year ’63’s grille looking much better. I think there was some grumbling that it looked too much like an electric shaver, so AMC clumsily filled it in to give it a flat face for ’64.
Great engine. I would love to find a not-rusty early 70’s International Harvester 1/2 ton pickup with the 258 in it.
My mother’s car in the mid-1960’s was a 1964 Rambler American 330 with the 232 six. It shared the driveway for several years with a 1965 Galaxie 500XL with light green metallic paint, a black vinyl roof, and the 390 V8. So in terms of presence there was no contest.
When I got my drivers license in late 1965 however I discovered that the Rambler was often the more enjoyable of the two to drive on the twisting two-lane highways and occasional dirt roads of mid-’60’s Nova Scotia. The power was surprising for a small car with ‘Rambler’ displayed on the grille, and it felt tighter, more solid, and often more responsive than the ‘floaty’ Ford. It also had no annoying rattles.
Maybe ‘Rambler European’ would have been a better name for it. 🙂
And it’s good looking too .
I wonder how it handled, I remember wrestling granny’s ’66 in city traffic, not a good driving experience .
IIRC , AMC was still using those 1930’s tech trunnions instead of ball joints .
-Nate