Rambler Rebel

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1957 Rambler Rebel
1957 Rambler Rebel
Optional Continental tire spare rear mount
Optional Continental tire spare rear mount
All Rebels were 4-door hardtops (no "B" pillar)
All Rebels were 4-door hardtops (no "B" pillar)


The Rambler Rebel was an automobile produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) of Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1957-60, and again in 1966 and 1967.

Contents

[edit] 1957

American Motors surprised most observers with the December 1956 introduction of the Rambler Rebel – "a veritable supercar".[1] The new 1957 model debuted as a high-performance vehicle that mated AMC's lightweight 108-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase Rambler four-door hardtop body with AMC's 327 CID (5.4 L),[2] making it the first-time that a large block V8 was mated to a mid-size car in the post-World War II marketplace.

Although AMC was best known for their reliable economy cars, this special model came with a bigger engine than anything found at Chevrolet, Ford, or Plymouth - the Rambler's most popular competitors at that time. The Rebel's US$2,786 MSRP base price, however, was economical for the amount of power provided.

The Rebel was tested by Motor Trend, which found that when equipped with the Bendix "Electrojector" electronic fuel injection (EFI), this sedan was faster from a standing start than the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette with mechanical fuel injection. This was to have been the first production engine with fuel injection; however, it did not materialize because of with cold-weather starting problems. At least two pre-production Rebels with EFI are known to have been built. All of the production Rebels used a four-barrel carburetor. Nevertheless, the EFI option remained in the published owner's manual.[3]

All Rebels came with a manual (with overdrive unit) or an automatic transmission, as well as other performance enhancements such as a dual exhaust system, heavy-duty suspension with Gabriel (brand) shock absorbers, and front sway bar. The Rebel was capable of 0 to 60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration in just 7.5 seconds with its standard 255 hp (190.2 kW) carbureted engine. The car's light monocoque body resulted in a power-to-weight ratio of about 13 pounds per horsepower. The Rebel's engine also differed from the 327s installed in the 1957 Ambassador and Hudson Hornet models because it used mechanical valve lifters and a higher compression ratio. Since both engines were rated at 255 hp, it is probable that the Rebel's was underrated.[4]

Power steering and power drum brakes were also standard, as on all Rambler Custom models. The car was available only in silver metallic paint accented with gold anodized aluminum inserts along the sides. A total of 1,500 Rebels were produced in 1957. Many of which were returned to AMC dealers for repainting after several years of weather exposure caused premature breakdown of its special lacquer paint.

The Rebel is considered to be a precursor of the muscle cars (rear-wheel drive mid-size cars with a powerful V8 engines and special trims) that became so popular in the 1960s.

[edit] 1958-60

For 1958, the Rebel name returned, but no longer with the 327 engine. Rather than identifying a specialty model, the name was applied to all standard Ramblers powered by AMC's 250 CID (4.1 L) V8 engine. These Rebels were no longer the muscle car of 1957, but did offer more power than regular Rambler models. After 1957, the 327 engine was standard in the more luxurious Rambler Ambassador models.

For 1958 and 1959, the Rambler Rebel came with a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts rated at 215 hp (160 kW) with 260 lb·ft (353 N·m) of torque.

The 1960 model year saw the Rebel available with a lower compression 2-barrel version rated at 200 hp (149 kW).

After 1960 all of the 108-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase models took the Rambler Classic name.

[edit] 1966-67

The Rebel name reappeared in 1966 on a version of the Rambler Classic two-door hardtop with special interior trim and a revised roofline. For 1967, all of AMC's intermediates took the Rambler Rebel name. For 1968, the historic "Rambler" marque was dropped and the car was named AMC Rebel.

[edit] See also

  • Rambler Six - the companion 1957–60 models with I6 engines

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Rambler Rebel by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide, retrieved on: February 7, 2008.
  2. ^ Note: The AMC engine was introduced five years before the Chevy V8 of the same size. This General Motors engine never powered AMC products.
  3. ^ Excerpts from 1957 Rambler Rebel owner's manual, retrieved on: August 21, 2007.
  4. ^ AMC V8 Engines by Mike Sealey, retrieved on: August 21, 2007.

[edit] Resources

The Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1946-1975, John Gunnell, Editor. Kraus Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-87341-096-3

[edit] External links


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