Rambler (automobile)
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- For other meanings, see Rambler.
Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors in 1950, and finally by Nash's successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969.
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[edit] 1897-1914
The first use of the name Rambler for an American made automobile dates to 1897 when Thomas B. Jeffery of Chicago, Illinois and builder of the Rambler bicycle constructed his first prototype automobile.
After receiving positive reviews at the 1899 Chicago International Exhibition & Tournament and the first National Automobile Show in New York, Jeffery decided to enter the automobile business. In 1900, he bought the old Sterling Bicycle Co. factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin and set up shop.
Jeffery started commercially mass-producing automobiles in 1902, and by the end of the year had produced 1,500 motorcars, one-sixth of all existing in the USA at the time. The Thomas B. Jeffery Company was the second largest auto manufacturer at that time (behind Oldsmobile).
Rambler experimented such early technical innovations as a steering wheel (as opposed to a tiller), but it was decided that such features were too advanced for the motoring public of the day, so the first production Ramblers were tiller-steered. Rambler innovated various design features, and was the first to equip cars with a spare wheel-and-tire assembly. This meant that the driver of a Rambler, when experiencing one of the all-too-common punctures (flat tires) could simply exchange the spare wheel & tire for the flat one. Previously it had been necessary to remove the wheel from the car, demount the tire, patch the inner tube, re-mount the tire, inflate the tire, and re-mount the wheel. The interchangeable wheel and spare tire made travel a lot easier on primitive roads that were littered with stray horseshoe nails. The punctured tire could then be repaired at a more convenient time and place.
In 1914, Charles T. Jeffery, Thomas B. Jeffery's son, replaced the Rambler brand name with Jeffery in honor of his now deceased father.
In 1916, the Thomas B. Jeffery Company was purchased by Charles W. Nash, and became Nash Motors Company in 1917. The Jeffery brand name was dropped at the time of the sale and the manufacture of Nash branded automobiles commenced. In 1937, the concern became the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation through a merger with the well-known appliance maker.
[edit] 1950-1957
Under the direction of Charles Nash's successor George W. Mason, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation began development of a small car that could be produced inexpensively for the post war economy.
However, steel shortages limited the amount of raw materials that Nash could get, so Mason turned the compact, now designated the Rambler into an a two-door sedan with convertible top and had the cars loaded with options to maximize the profit for Nash. When introduced, the Rambler was an immediate success for Nash. As steel quotas (related to the Korean War) eased, the Rambler line was broadened in both its model types (four-door sedan and station wagon) and price points, which proved to be as successful as the first generation of two-door sedan convertibles.
The first generation of modern Ramblers carried a modified version of Nash's Airflyte styling, which included an enclosed front wheel design. While enclosing the front wheels within the body envelope may have helped the vehicle with wind resistance, the design limited the turning radius of the wheels, and subsequently, the car itself. Ramblers continued to use this styling until 1955 when the front wheels were revealed by a periodic design update.
In 1954 American Motors was formed from the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and the Hudson Motor Car Company. Following the merger, Ramblers were badged as both Nashes and Hudsons, with no visible difference between the two. The Nash and Hudson makes were continued through 1957, after which all of AMC's offerings were marketed as Ramblers, with the exception of the imported 1958-1962 Metropolitan.
[edit] 1958-1969
At the start of the 1960s George Romney made a marketing decision that began the process of differentiating the Rambler brand name from its various model names. In 1962 the Ambassador was officially brought under the Rambler name (it had previously been the "Ambassador V-8 by Rambler"), and the former Rambler Six and Rambler Rebel V8 were renamed the Rambler Classic.
Romney also put into play his plan to slash production costs, which involved more common parts sharing between the Ambassador and Classic models. Beginning in 1962 all "senior" Rambler models would share the same wheelbase and body parts, with trim and equipment level distinguishing the Classic from the Ambassador. Better still, major stamped sheet metal panels were shared between the new 1963 Ambassador/Classic body and the new 1964 American body.
In 1963, the entire Rambler line received the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. However, Romney's departure to become Michigan governor opened the door for his successor Roy Abernethy to redirect the company towards a strategy of competing head to head with the Big Three with a variety of bodies and plaforms.
One of the first moves in that direction was the creation of the 1965 line of Ramblers, which split the Classic from the Ambassador visually while still sharing a significant number of parts. In addition, AMC introduced the Marlin, a hardtop coupe intended to give AMC a toe-hold in the sporty fastback market.
Backed by marketing reports, Abernathy next made a persuasive argument to the AMC board that the Rambler name had not only acquired a stodgy image and was a hindrance to increasing sales volume, but that consumers clearly associated it with compact cars. In what hindsight would show to be an ill-conceived decision, American Motors began to phase it out in favor of an AMC marque beginning in 1966 as it attempted to become a multiplatform automobile manufacturer. Retention of the well-known Rambler brand name and its association with compact economy models would likely have served AMC well in the 1970s.
By 1968 the only vehicle produced by AMC to carry the Rambler marque, was the compact American, which was now in the fifth model-year of its 1964 body. The final Rambler branded car for sale in North America was the 1969 Rambler, no longer called an American.
[edit] 1970-1983
The Rambler marque was continued in numerous international markets. Examples include AMC Hornets and AMC Matadors assembled by the Australian Motor Industries (AMI) from CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits that continued to be badged as Ramblers until 1978. The Rambler nameplate was last used on automobiles in 1983 by Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos (VAM) in Mexico.
In Argentina, the Rambler American became the IKA Torino in 1967. It then became the Renault Torino and was offered until 1980.
In modern times the car is principally remembered from the novelty song, Beep, Beep (The Little Nash Rambler), performed by The Playmates in 1958.
[edit] Trivia
A Rambler appeared in episode 9 of the second season of Prison Break.
A 1958 Rambler hardtop sedan is seen in the Cyndi Lauper music video "She Bop".
[edit] See also
[edit] Resources
The Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1946-1975, John Gunnell, Editor. Kraus Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-87341-096-3
[edit] External links
- The AMC Rambler Car Club
- The Nash Car Club
- Ramblers History on amcrc.com
- Pacific Northwest Region of the Nash Car Club of America
- Ramblers History on emory.edu
- AMCyclopedia AMC/Rambler History/Documentation Site
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| Nash Motors | ||
| 1916 - 1957 Historic: | ||
| Nash: | | 600 | Airflyte | Advanced Six | Ambassador | Nash-Healey | La Fayette | Metropolitan | Rambler | Rebel | Statesman | |
| Affiliated: | | Ajax | American Motors | Hudson | Nash-Kelvinator | Rambler (AMC) | |
 |
American Motors Corporation
Historic: |
| Rambler: | Ambassador by Rambler | American | Classic | Marlin | Rambler | Rebel |
| AMC: | Ambassador | AMX | Concord | Eagle | Gremlin | Hornet | Javelin | Marlin | Matador | Mighty Mite | Metropolitan | Pacer | Rebel | Spirit |
| Renault: | LeCar | Alliance | Encore | Fuego | Medallion | Premier |
| AMC & Rambler Concept Cars: | Rambler Tarpon | AMC Cavalier | AMC AMX-GT |
| Affiliated with: | American Motors Corporation | AM General | Chrysler | Hudson | Jeep | Kelvinator | Nash Motors | Nash-Kelvinator | Rambler | Renault | Australian Motor Industries | Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos |
| People | Roy Abernethy | A.E. Barit | Roy D. Chapin Jr. | George W. Romney | Richard A. Teague | George W. Mason | Gerald C. Meyers | Edmund E. Anderson | François Castaing |
| [ edit ] Category |
| American Motors road car timeline, United States market, 1954—1988 - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||
| Subcompact | Metropolitan | Gremlin | Spirit | Encore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact | Rambler American | Hornet | Concord | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jet | Pacer | Alliance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Rambler | Classic | Rebel | Matador | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebel | Marlin | Matador Coupe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | Nash | Ambassador | P | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hudson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports | AMX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Javelin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | Eagle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | see timeline of Jeep models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
