dmala77 posted these fine shots of an early sixties Rambler American wending its way through downtown Boston on a fine spring morning. I’m not sure exactly what year this is; they can be pretty hard to tell exactly apart unless one has taken an advanced degree in these. And I didn’t exactly sign up for that one. Their boxy and crude styling made it the least glamorous new car in 1961. I suppose Rambler didn’t really care what I thought.
But that’s ok; be unglamorous for four decades, and eventually you become hip. Which these are, I assure you. Perhaps even more so than a Falcon, just because of their sheer goofiness. And their relative rarity doesn’t help either. The American’s modest sales back then have done it a favor. How many folks younger than forty even recognize it?
I think it’s tough to tell the difference between a 61-63. During that general period the style had that general appearance to the grill. Someone will know but it will be from something else. They were tough to kill. Had a cousin who drove an older model literally for years.
Good find. I don’t know if I like them better than falcons but it’s close.
The 1963s went with amber turn-signal lenses. Same location, under the bumper; same shape; just amber.
As far as I know, there is no difference between the 1961s and 1962s. Maybe in spec’d engines and equipment, but not cosmetically.
That’s the best-looking old-school American I’ve seen – EVER. Those things, never beauties, lived hard lives and were seldom washed or waxed. They were already faded and dinged from my earliest car memories.
Looking back…I’d like to have a chance at the two-door wagon version. So ugly, its anti-fashion would, truly, be hip today.
It appears to be a ’62. I know this because I have a ’62 American owners’ manual I got at an antique store years ago.
Pic:
’61s had a grille made up of individual rectangles (seen below), while the ’63 had fine vertical bars.
The revolutionary American in the epicenter of the American revolution. How cool.
I’ve always thought these cars were ugly. I think that’s partly because they were based on the 1952-53 Ramblers, which were decent-looking cars. The 2-door hardtop a college friend had, like this pic I found, was well trimmed inside and out. I suspect the low front wheel cutouts made for a large turning circle, and I think I’d have liked the looks better with a typical full wheel cutout in front.
Dull and staid compared to a Falcon or Comet.Often unfairly associated with spinster librarians
The Church Lady from old SNL comes to mind.
Ramblers were tough enough to drive over potholes and tram lines without damage, something early Falcons were incapable of so take yore pick dowdy and tough or cute but crap.
Wiki says these cars set sales records but I haven’t seen the figures. I do remember seeing a lot of them in the midwest as a kid. They make the excellent new 1964 design by Richard Teague all the more amazing. The Studebaker Lark of this era was pretty stubby too but I think it came across a bit better.
At first sight I thought this was an old Austin or something like that, it doesn’t look like an american car at all
It was the Metropolitan that was built for Nash, and later Rambler, by Austin.
Last year for it was 1962. So it was a different model, same era.
Looks a lot like a Pininfarina Cambridge and it’s BMC siblings.There were quite a few RHD Ramblers in the UK in the 60s,even the gorgeous Javelin was sold as a Rambler for a while.
A brave soul in that little roller skate. That’s South Station looming in the background – lousy streets, lotsa traffic. Used to work a few blocks from here and never saw anything remotely CCish.
I like the photos! With the old buildings in the background and newer cars out of the shot it really looks like a glimpse back in time. Another one of those average cars you’d see everywhere and not really notice. Don’t really know much about these otherwise but I agree, compared to all other ’61 offerings and all the gimmicks and flash the cars had, this is a no-nonsense car. Something my father would probably drive if he was commuting back then.. maybe the early equivalent to the Volvo 240.
I’d love to have that car. These old Ramblers are ugly to the point of cuteness. And that’s one classic car that you can fit into a modern parking space!
I think these Ramblers actually work better as a 4-door, a bit less awkward than the 2-door profiled previously.
The New! Four-Door! Rambler!….A Bit Less Awkward!!!
The only way you can tell the difference between 1961-63 Americans is if you see the grille, and since they are interchangeable between years, who knows?
Production of all American body styles: 1961- 136,003, 1962- 125,678, 1963- 105,296. This from Encyclopedia of American Cars (and my calculator).
There was also the amber turn-signal lens introduced in 1963.
There were no Federal standards in those days; but there was some agreement among States as to what would be required. In any event, all front turn-signal lenses went amber in 1963.
The colored bulbs with the clear lenses came later.
The ’61 American came out stodgy because it was a low budget re-skin using all the hard points of a design that went back to 1950 — hence the tall and narrow configuration and the high beltline. Funny thing though, the high beltline came back into fashion, so it looks less out of sync now than it would have 15 years ago. It’s almost like a three quarter size 2005 Chrysler 300 — well, if you squint a little.
The high beltline worked in 1950 and today because of the large diameter wheels (16’s usually standard). The proportions dont work with the 13’s used on 1960’s compacts.
I also hated these things at the time. Did the American still have a flathead six in 1961?
The 195.6 flathead was the base engine on Americans through MY 1965 (!) Was this the last American car to offer a flathead? BTW, this car is a ’63. Unless the grille was swapped.
Not exactly a car, but the Dodge Power Wagon (military style, not the 4×4 D-series) had the flathead until 1968.
A film set in the 1970s is now being filmed around Boston, and they’re using lots of vintage cars. I wonder if this is one of those; it’s pretty early to bring out the classics around here. (My ’67 Monaco hard top was used as background scenery for a few shots.)