It’s back to the showroom with today’s short vintage photo gallery, a collection of images of ladies at Rambler/American Motors dealers in the 1960s. Background info on these was nonexistant, but one can imagine that most were posing next to what were to be their purchases.
Our opening image is at the Garrett Rambler’s showroom in Fort Worth, Texas. The car next to her? A ’65 Ambassador 2-door hardtop. Or, in the brochure’s words a: “spectacular beauty-sensible big room Rambler Ambassador.”
You may find the brochure’s words grandiloquent, but our featured lady seems to agree wholeheartedly. The brochure had even bigger words about the “Ultra-modern sports-car-type wire-wheel covers…”, which this Ambassador sports. (Update: our smiling lady is actually a model, for a Garrett Rambler special promotion event. Details in the comments section.)
On to the next couple of photos from late 1966.
“The Cars On TOP OF TODAY, From The Company ON TOP OF TODAY” read the signs on the walls. And this lady, who seems straight out of the Far Side comics, seems to take AMC at their word. It’s another Ambassador 2-door hardtop, a 990, below the LTD fighting DPL.
Likely at the same dealer, and once again, a lady in keeping with a Far Side sort of spirit.
On the ’67 brochure, a violin playing lady sits next to an Ambassador wagon, creating a surreal, idyllic scene. This lady seems far more down to earth, which was likely the norm with most Rambler/AMC buyers.
Moving on from ladies, here’s another Rambler showroom visitor. A kid playing at a warehouse sale from Garrett Rambler. As for the event, it took place in ’63, and it’s been featured before at CC.
And here’s the event’s flyer (with thanks to Eric703). If you’re a Rambler/AMC fan, sorry, you missed it.
And that closes today’s random collection of Rambler ladies, kids and sales events.
Wow. Not even a warehouse for Garrett’s big sale – it was in Cattle Barn No. 3…
Always liked the ’66 Ambassador restyling. Looked competitive.
Keep the Rambler stuff coming, it’s good seeing. I was raised in Milwaukee so I am very biased. Sad that the company has expired.
That first pic makes me think “professional, model”. Staged photo op. Was trying to enlarge it so I could read the poster in the window. When I do so I get ejected from the site.
The snapshots look more like actual citizenry.
All in all, some good times captured.
Shopping for that new ride till “10pm” would have been quite the novelty in “1963”.
You’ll be happy to know that I found the background info on those first two shots. JT above was right, this was a model.
Garrett Rambler ran a promotion in the Spring of 1965 where buyers of any new or used car could get a complementary wig. This lady’s picture ran in ads for that promotion (below). Great ad-line, by the way, to”Get a New Blond Free.”
Wigs were very much in fashion then, and the ad claims that the wigs had retail values “up to $79.95” ($800+ today), so this was probably appealing to a lot of women. The ad noted these were “Empress Wigs” – I’m thinking that refers to a Virginia company known as Empress Sterling that sold human hair wigs at the time. The local partnering store, Fashion Wigs by Gerri, was co-owned by a woman named Sharon Fenimore, who is named as the stylist in the ad.
Thanks Eric. I added an updated note on the text.
You’re welcome!
If they went to the trouble of hiring a model, seems like they could have moved the base Chevy II that was photobombing! Or replaced it with a Caddy for a more appropriate subliminal.
t/y.
Interesting idea to flog a few cars off, Ok I’ll take two and that Olds Jetstar on the used lot.
The photo of the 1966 Ambassador reminds me of a giveaway promotion that AMC had at that time. My mother, as the owner of a 1964 Rambler, received a plastic ignition key in the mail, along with an invitation to come down to the local Rambler dealer to see if her particular key worked in the ignition of a new Ambassador. She accepted the invitation, but alas, the key didn’t work, and we went home in our ancient, two-year-old American station wagon. I don’t remember who (if anybody) ever won that car!
On paper AMC’s seem to be a really good buy .
I remember driving a few in the 1960’s and at that time I was struck by how poorly they actually drove .
-Nate
They were “riding cars”, not “driver cars”, for sure.
I’d have been tempted by that used 1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille for under $2,000 if I were of driving age back then!
So the lady in the first two pics almost seems too glamorous for AMC, compared to the ladies in color who fit “their” cars perfectly and the future Gremlin owner in the last.