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Most Wanted Classic Cars: Rambler Rebel (Part 2)

The third generation Rambler Rebel was released in 1960. Similar to the previous generation, this new Rebel was offered as a 4-door sedan and a 4-door station wagon. However, its performance declined as it was fitted with a low compression 2-barrel engine that could only make 200 hp. AMC did not use the Rebel name in the next few years.

In 1966, the Rebel was reintroduced as one of the versions of the Rambler Classic 2-door hardtop. This model came with special exterior and interior trim, revised roofline, and bucket seats. Sports options were also available, and they included a dash-mounted tachometer, floor-mounted manual 4-speed transmission, and a 327 cid V8 engine with 270 hp. With these improvements, AMC reestablished its presence in the muscle car market.

Introduced in 1967, the fifth generation Rambler Rebel was totally different from previous models. It had a longer wheelbase, smoother and rounder body, and more glass area, and a new 2-door sedan model was also offered. AMC also introduced a number of advanced V8 engines, one of which is a 343 cid V8 that provided true muscle car performance. 1967 was the final year for the Rambler marquee, and all Ramblers became known as AMC Rebels. AMC continued to produce the Rebel until 1970, and the car was replaced by the AMC Matador in 1971.