National AMC Rambler Car Club

National AMC Rambler Car Club
Great pictures, souvenirs, Ramblers for sale and friendly folks - check it out.

ITS FUEL EFFICIENT, THE SEATS CONVERT TO A BED, ITS DIFFERENT, ITS A RAMBLER

Here is a quick word association for those under the age of fifty – Rambler. What is the first thing that came to mind? Was it the boxy, fuel-efficient, grandma driven American or the stately, powerful Ambassador, the greased lightning Rambler Scrambler or the Dodge Chargers forgotten cousin Marlin?
How many thought of the Rambler Rebel or the Nash Rambler convertible of 1950 first? Would it be a fair assumption that no one thought of the Rambler Cross Country of 1912?
The Rambler legacy is a long and surprising one. Its story is that of more than a half century of American automotive history.
With a degree of certainty the case can be made that it was the two-wheeled craze that swept the nation in the closing years of the nineteenth century that served as a foundational element of the automobile industry in this country. George Pierce of Pierce-Arrow fame manufactured bicycles before venturing into automobiles, as did Colonel Albert Pope, manufacturer of the Pope-Hartford and even the legendary Wright brothers made a name for themselves with bicycles.
By 1898, numerous newspapers noted that bicycle mania appeared to be waning and several manufacturers, including George Pierce and Thomas Jeffery, manufacturer of the Rambler bicycle, were experimenting with motorized vehicles. Two years later, at the automobile shows in New York as well as Chicago, Jeffery displayed two very advanced vehicles promoted as Ramblers.
From this simple beginning, Thomas Jeffery moved from being the second largest manufacturer of bicycles in the United States to producer of automobiles. Plans were for initiation of production to commence in 1901, but concerns over the publics acceptance of an automobile with front mounted engine as well as left hand drive and a steering wheel led to a redesign of more conventional configuration.
From its initial introduction in February of 1902, the Rambler was so well received that by the end of the year 1500 units were built and sold making the Kenosha manufacturer the second largest in the nation, right behind Olds. The popularity of the Rambler reflected the near constant evolution of the vehicle and by 1904 production had surpassed 2300 cars annually.
Keeping pace with the technological advancement of the car was its promotion, due in large part to the efforts of Edward Jordan, an advertising genius immortalized with powerful prose used to promote the Jordan during the early 1920s. “The Right Car at the Right Price “ and “June Time is Rambler Time” became as well known as “see the USA in a Chevrolet” a half century later.
Adding to the Ramblers popularity was association with events and personalities that generated headlines. Teddy Roosevelt rode in a 1905 Rambler in April of that year at the Rough Rider’s Reunion in Louisville, Kentucky. In April of 1906, cars emblazoned with “Rambler – the car used for relief work in San Francisco Fire” and a red cross were utilized in the city and surrounding areas in relief efforts after the great earthquake.
When the San Jose, California, police department initiated full motorization of their police department in 1907 the city purchased Ramblers. Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill toured in 1908 Ramblers. At the 1909 auto show in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune noted that more Ramblers were sold more than any other make.
With the death of Thomas Jeffery in April of 1910, the reigns of control passed to his son, Charles, and the company reorganized under the name Thomas B. Jeffery Company. With the passing of Jeffery, the era of the Rambler drew to a close, and though it continued to be a strong seller in 1914 the Rambler was renamed Jeffery.
The second generation Rambler arrived on stage in March 1950. Recognized as the first successful American compact car of the post war era the diminutive Nash Rambler convertible, with a 100-inch wheelbase, was a fuel frugal, sprightly performer. Two months later a six passenger, two-door station wagon joined the convertible as a companion model.
In June of 1951, Nash unveiled the third model in the Rambler series, model 5127. Introduction of the Rambler hardtop “Country Club” gave sales a further boost with the wagon, accounting for more than 22 percent of sales, continuing to be a popular model.
The Rambler would shed some of its small car look and appeal in 1954 with the introduction of a four-door sedan and wagon on a 108-inch wheelbase. This trend towards larger, as well as more powerful, culminated with the incredible Rambler Rebel of 1957.
This limited production vehicle was available in one color scheme, light silver gray with a hint of metallic. Powered by the Ambassador 327 c.i.d. engine the four door hard top Rebel was more than the fastest family car available that year, it was one of the quickest cars period. A Motor Trend found that only the fuel injected Corvette bested it in a 0 to 60 test.
Though seldom seen today the Ramblers of the late 1950s proved to be quite popular offering tremendous value for the dollar. As evidence, in 1957 American Motors produced 118,990 cars. Of these 114,084 were Ramblers with the balance being Nash and Hudson models.
In 1958, the small 100-inch wheelbase model returned as the American two-door sedan. The following year a two-door station wagon became the second offering in the American series and sales leapt to 368,464 cars, a new record for an independent auto manufacturer.
Throughout the early 1960s, the Rambler marquee continued to present an alternative to the offerings of the “Big Three” manufacturers. The management at AMC had no problem taking on the giants in the industry and so when Ford introduced the Mustang they countered with the Rambler Marlin.
Making the most from limited resources was the hallmark of the successful independent and the Marlin was no exception as it was really a Rambler Classic with fast back styled roof and unique taillights. In an effort to boost lack luster sales the Marlin became a stream lined Ambassador, a six passenger family sports car for 1967. It was to no avail and the Marlin was replaced for the 1968 model year with the Javelin.
The swan song for the Rambler came in 1969 with the Hurst/Scrambler option package. A patriotic color scheme and asphalt scorching performance courtesy of the shoe horning of a 390 c.i.d. AMX V8 coupled to a close ratio four speed transmission and 3.54:1 rear axle ensured the Scrambler would be noticed on the road, on the track or even when parked.
As the price of gasoline soars to record heights and muscle car prices skyrocket towards the stratosphere perhaps its time to rediscover the oft-overlooked Rambler, the independent with a pioneering spirit. For the truly adventuresome enthusiast, there is always the Rambler that was king of the road before old glory became a forty-eight star banner.

This circa 1930 view is of Cool Springs on the western slope of Sitgreaves Pass. Nearby Eds Camp, known as Little Meadows by early explorers, provided a dependable supply of water for numerous early travelers through the area including Lt. Beale.

Most who motor west and get their kicks on Route 66 do so unaware of the rich, colorful and tragic history of the path the highway follows in northwestern Arizona. A few, however, will get a glimpse into that history as Kingman pulls out all stops to commemorate the contributions of Lt. Beale and his camel corp.
As a pivotal and unique chapter in American history Lt. Beale’s epic and unique ventures across northern Arizona with a camel caravan is worthy of celebration and remembrance. His survey work became one of the first federally funded highways, and literally paved the way for that American icon that is Route 66.
Unfortunately, the history of what came before Lt. Beale, his camels, and his historic survey party is surprisingly absent from most commemorations. As a result, many are surprised to learn large portions of his surveyed route across Arizona followed a well-established trade route that linked the pueblos of New Mexico with the villages of the Hopi and that may have linked to tribes as far away as the Pacific coast.
Something else missing from most histories of Lt. Beale’s explorations, as well as those that preceded and followed, is how those explorative ventures affected the people who lived along those routes. Imagine, if you can, how rapidly the world changed for these indigenous tribes and bands.
Less than twenty years after the dust had settled from the plodding camels of Lt. Beale’s party, the Hualapai bands had lost most traditional hunting grounds to ranching and mining enterprises. For a nomadic people this meant the replacement of their culture and civilization with another culture and civilization. As traumatic as this was, the next twenty years would bring greater transitions forcing even more adaptation.
The summer of 1873, must have heralded great promise that the worst had passed for Captain Byrne and the various bands of defeated Hualapai under his supervision at Camp Beale Springs in the Arizona Territory. After years of enduring the demise of their culture, and many months of living under the specter of transfer to the recently established Colorado River Reserve the erection of a new Indian Commissary Building clearly gave the impression the Hualapai would now live in peace though on but a fraction of their former homelands in what is now northwestern Arizona.
In mid September, the illusion gave way to reality. On the 12th of that month, General Crook sent a letter to Major General J. M. Schofield asking for information pertaining to resolution of the Hualapai relocation. “I have understood that the Indian Department contemplated moving the Hualapai Indians to the Colorado Indian Reservation. The agent of that reservation, Dr. Tonner, promised to advise me in regard to it, but has gone away without doing so. The country they occupy is filling up with miners, collisions occur and the condition of affairs may at any time become critical”
Crook’s message was forwarded to the War Department and then to the Department of the Interior. By early October he had his answer, the Hualapai were to relocate to the newly created Colorado Reserve. No consideration was given to the fact the tribes being relocated to the reserve had different customs, languages, and, in some instances, had even been traditional enemies.
For Byrne the news was devastating, as he had worked diligently to gain the trust of the Hualapai people. Surely, there was also a sense of loss and abandonment among the Hualapai as many had served admirably with Crook in the campaigns against the Yavapai, against whom the Hualapai had fought in territorial disputes since before the arrival of the Anglo, and Apache.
Official notification to the Hualapai came in January 1874 though word of the decision had already spread through the camp as well as among those still struggling to maintain a traditional way of life in the surrounding mountain ranges. Byrne, burdened with even more pressing concerns as leaders informed him that the people would rather fight than transfer to the reservation on the river with its stifling summer heat, sought to ensure a peaceful transition.
Before the end of the month, General Crook and Dr. Tonner arrived from Fort Whipple near Prescott to discuss relocation and the continuing issue of short rations, the result of extensive corruption in the Indian agency, directly with tribal leaders. As the Hualapai held Crook in high esteem, all talk of rebellion was quelled for the moment.
Crook had been gone for less than a day when those who had argued for resistance began to prevail and on February 2, more than five hundred Hualapai, including forty army scouts with their mounts and arms, left for the mountains. Without food stores and traveling in the dead of winter, the Hualapai turned to the rustling of cattle for survival with Fred Nobman’s Quail Springs Ranch in the Cerbat Mountains a few miles from Beale Springs being the first raided.
However, a few Hualapai had chosen to ride east. Within a few short days, a mail contractor lost his horses and narrowly escaped with his life near Cottonwood.
William “Bud” Grounds had recently returned from Texas with a herd of more than eight hundred head of cattle and twenty-five horses. The Hualapai swept through his Truxton Canyon ranch slaughtering and herding more than two hundred head of cattle as they headed into the broken mesa country below the Grand Canyon. Additionally they also drove off seven horses.
Grounds dispatched a rider to Beale Springs with a request for assistance while he rode in to Mineral Park to hire assistance. After his return to the ranch with rifles on loan from the army and John Cureton, Grounds set out on the trail of his missing cows.
In a chance encounter both the Grounds party and a small band of Hualapai were surprised. Grounds later told the story of this tragic meeting. “As near as I can tell, the Indian and my comrade fired at the same time, as the Indian, when I first saw him, had his gun in his hand and pointed it toward us; and I hollered at him not to shoot; and about that time two shots went off and I could not distinguish which fired first, my comrade or the Indian, and as the Indian fell from his horse he fired at me and shot my horse in the jaw, and I jumped off my horse, pulled my gun from the scabbard and then began firing at the Indian and shot until the Indian quite firing.”
Cureton’s wounds were serious but not life threatening and as a result was able to ride into Cerbat. Incredibly, though wounded in the leg and arm, after arrival in the mining camp and learning there were no doctors available Cureton and Grounds rode to Prescott, a distance of more than 150 miles through winter storms.
In spite of an almost complete avoidance of confrontation, with the exception of rustling for food, by the Hualapai fear quickly spread throughout the northwest portion of the territory. “Camp Beale Spring, A.T. February 7, 1874 – The fierce and intractable tribe of Indians known as the Hualapai, which for several years have maintained a kind of “armed neutrality” with the whites, have at last taken the warpath in a body, and threatened destruction to every white settler in the district. The Hualapai number about three hundred warriors. They are splendid specimens of the Indian race, and have long been known as the most deadly of the scattered tribes in this vicinity.”
Farmers and ranchers throughout the region abandoned their homes, armed themselves, and moved into settlements and mining camps quickly turning them into armed camps. Vital traffic on the Mojave Road vanished.
Responding to the panic General Crook sent Lt. E. D. Thomas and Lt. Hoel Bishop to lead Company G of the 5th Cavalry from Fort Whipple to subdue the rebellion and restore order. With no regard to past loyalty, Crook ordered Company G and twenty-five Yavapai scouts, “…to attack and kill Hualapai wherever they may be found and drive them back to Beale’s Springs and then move them on to the Colorado River Reserve.”
Byrne, in a desperate attempt to resolve the rapidly escalating situation, met with clan leaders, most notably Hualapai Charley who spoke English well. His brother, Cherum, and half brother Levi-Levi, a visionary who had worked since 1869 to broker peace in the hopes of preserving remnants of Hualapai lands and culture, were intent on creating an atmosphere in which they would have an upper hand in any negotiations. Byrne’s efforts resulted in the offer of a compromise from Hualapai Charley and his promise that he could convince other leaders to follow. In the agreement, all stolen livestock would be returned, restitution would be paid for those slaughtered as well for other damages provided the government would not force them on to the reservation on the banks of the Colorado River.
In response, General Crook ordered all Hualapai to return to Beale’s Springs and to prepare for relocation. His second demand was for the surrender of all leaders of the present rebellion. Negotiation was not an option. To enforce this point the available strength of the United States Army in northern Arizona was brought against the Hualapai.
In his first encounter with the Hualapai, Lt. Thomas killed three men and captured twenty horses. Similar encounters as well as a war of attrition that included the decimation of already meager food stores quickly brought the Hualapai to the brink of decimation. A trickle of refugees soon became a flood as starving Hualapai returned to Beale’s Springs in dejection, surrendering their leaders for imprisonment.
For Christians years are marked beginning with the birth of Christ. For the Hualapai April 4, 1874 marked the beginning of a new era.
The forced march to La Paz, known as the Hualapai Trail of Tears, the devastation of resultant disease and the eventual return to their homeland where they found the old ways gone was a tragedy of epic proportions being repeated throughout the west. For the Hualapai there was, however, one more chapter in this tragedy before the dawn of the modern era.
In 1889, a Paiute prophet named Wovoka, a self proclaimed prophet of messianic proportions launched a new religion, a cult born of desperation. His prophecies promised that adherence to his rituals, including the Ghost Dance that lent its name to the cult, would sweep the white man from the land; returns lost loved ones from the dead, make wearers of blessed shirts impervious to bullets, and would restore the once plentiful game.
The false hope spread throughout the western tribes with devastating results, most notably the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. For the Hualapai, loosely translated as the Pine Tree Folk, the Ghost Dance was a sad exercise in futility that marked the end of power for three of the tribe’s greatest leaders and statesman, men; Hualapai Charley, Cherum, and Levi-Levi.
Early in 1889, Cherum, with great zeal and passion, brought the ghost dance to the Hualapai people. His reputation and charisma, coupled with that of his brother and half brother, fueled an explosion of the prescribed rituals throughout the tribe. The Mohave County Miner, on June 18, 1890, reported that, “…most of the Hualapai tribe had gathered on the Thompson Ranch, where they carried on the Ghost Dance for nearly two months, growing more excited and wrought up every day. Several deaths were supposed to have occurred from over exertion.” In the fall, the Miner reported another such celebration in the area of Free’s Wash.
It was all to no avail. The massacre at Wounded Knee and the harsh realization that there was no hope that the Hualapai people would ever again live the nomadic life style of their ancestors in the rugged mountains that dominate the landscape in northwestern Arizona south of the Grand Canyon brought the Ghost Dance ceremonies to an end almost as quickly as it had appeared.
The power of the great leaders was forever broken. Their remarkable abilities as statesman would fade into obscurity even among the Hualapai people. Even their passing would take place with little fanfare except among a few of the Hualapai people.
We have no record as to time or place of death for Levi-Levi or Cherum though there name lives on as place names in the mountains that were once their homeland. Hualapai Charley died on May 11, 1906. In the world that had pushed his aside his passing was noted with a pitiful announcement in the Mohave County Miner, “The corpulent figure of this picturesque Indian will no longer be seen on the streets of Kingman.”
Those who win always write history, this is a sad but unpleasant fact. If, however, a nation or society is to avoid the repeating of mistakes and tragedies it must study history as it was, not as they would have liked it to have been. This is not always a pleasant or even popular undertaking.
As we commemorate the undertakings of Lt. Beale let us not forget that for some this is not an event to celebrate but to lament. Then, and only then, can we hope to heal the wounds that still divide.

ANOTHER TREASURE BROUGH TO LIGHT

Old Cars Weekly - News
Here is another amazing story that leaves one wondering what other treasures await discovery in dusty barns, garages, and sheds.

TREASURE FOUND IN MARYLAND

Old Cars Weekly - Weekly News and Marketplace
For those who love old cars, Route 66, and links to the past few things compare to the uncovering of a stash of vintage cars that have not seen the light of day in decades. This collection was found in Maryland but surely others await discovery.
For more great stories of automotive treasure and archeology I suggest Cobra in a Barn and Hemi in a Barn. Reviews and ordering information for both books is in a previous post found by scrolling down in this column.

AMERICAN ICON THE MACK BULLDOG

For every Louis Chevrolet, David Buick or Walter Chrysler whose name has transcended to immortality as brands that are recognized throughout the world there are dozens of men of equal or greater stature, such as Cadwallader Kelsey, that have become lost in the mists of time. Somewhere in between would be William, John and Augustus, the Mack brothers.
In 1900, the Mack Brothers Company of Brooklyn, New York, one of the most successful wagon building enterprises in the city, began expansion of operations to include busses powered with gasoline engines. Legend has it that their first bus, “Old #1,” operated on the streets of New York for eight years, was converted into a truck, ran another ten years and when retired had logged almost one million miles. This is the foundation for America’s most legendary heavy hauler.
The cornerstone for that legend was the amazingly durable AC series. Though introduced at the end of 1914, full-scale production of these trucks did not commence until shortly before the public debut at the Boston Truck Show in 1916 and it continued into 1938 with a number of modifications.
The AC was designed from the ground up for ease of maintenance, durability, and style. For maintenance, as with the AB series that preceded it, there were inspection ports for numerous key components, such as connecting rod bearings. Heat-treated, pressed steel frames, and numerous patented components such as the cross shaft drive at the front of the engine for the water pump and magneto resulted in unparalleled durability.
Styling of the AC “Bulldog” was instantly recognizable with its Renault type sloping hood, accomplished with a firewall-mounted radiator. The addition of options such as an all steel cab and windshield assured this truck was not to be confused with anything built by the competition.
The AC series made its international debut during World War I where through extensive use on the western front, they garnered acclaim from all who encountered it. British engineers became so enamored to the pugnacious look and rugged durability they dubbed these Mack trucks the bulldog.
On the home front, the feats performed by the AC Mack were nothing short of extraordinary. In 1916 a 3 ½ ton Mack moved a 20,185 pound steel fabrication to be used as the base for a solar telescope up Mt. Wilson in California. In the same year, five trucks with trailers hauled 44 tons of steel bearings, vital to the war effort, from New York to Hartford, Connecticut, opening the door for trucks to move from strictly local cartage to long haul.
In the years that followed AC series trucks would play crucial roles in all manner of construction projects from Hoover Dam to the development of the U.S. highway system. They would be outfitted with dump bodies, as generator trucks, as garbage trucks, and even as fire equipment. As testimony to their durability, many were still on the job into the 1950’s and the Dunn Coal Company retired their last AC in 1968!
During the years before the advent of World War II, Mack innovation and reputation for durability served the company well in a narrow market that was rife with competition. Then the willowing winds of the Great Depression swept through the industry and much of the competition fell by the wayside.
The Relay Motor Corporation, formed from the consolidation of Commerce, Garford, and Service, all manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, in 1927 built a number of workhorses before suspension of production in 1934. Perhaps the most impressive was the 1931 300-A equipped with twin Lycoming straight eight engines rated at 275 horsepower and Westinghouse airbrakes.
Acme ended seventeen years of operation in 1932. Schacht, with operations that began in 1904, was a true pioneer in the manufacture and development of heavy-duty trucks. When its doors closed in 1938 few took notice, likewise with Selden, a company that had begun production in 1913 and that faded into obscurity with its closure in 1932.
Surprisingly many of the competitors that survived into the post war era are now largely little more than historical footnotes. To find surviving examples from these companies, as well as those that vanished before Pearl Harbor, today is almost impossible as low production numbers, decades of hard work and a half-century or more without production have greatly thinned the ranks.
Corbitt Corporation of Henderson, North Carolina, built a variety of special bodied trucks, tractors, and even busses between 1913 and 1958. Low production numbers kept them from offering serious competition to the likes of Mack or Kenworth but in terms of styling, no one came close to the Corbitt. This was especially true on the 1935 and 1936 models that used the body dies of the 1934 Auburn.
Federal produced an incredible array of truck types between 1910 and 1959. Among these were a series of light duty trucks rated between ¾ ton and 1 ½ ton produced between 1935 and 1949. The first in this series was the Model 10 introduced in December 10, 1935.
Federal was not the only manufacturer of big rigs to diversify into the light truck market during the harsh economic times of the Great Depression. Mack joined forces with REO, who had been building light and medium duty trucks since 1911, in 1936 to create the Mack Jr. series. The REO counterpart was an improved version of the popular Speedwagon.
The initial Mack Jr., the 1M, introduced in 1936 was available in two configurations, a pick up truck and panel truck. The following year the 2M, a badge-engineered version of the REO light trucks, expanded the line with trucks powered by four or six cylinder engines and available in two wheelbases.
For 1937, the Mack and REO trucks were identical with the exception of nameplates and other identification. In 1937, Mack continued its relationship with REO but it also began production of an independent light series. The latter was designated as ED with production continuing into 1944 though after 1941 all trucks were built for military application.
Production of the REO Speed Delivery and Speedwagon trucks continued through 1940 in a wide variety of models including station wagons, pick up truck, panel truck, as well as cab and chassis. Unlike Mack, REO again assumed light truck production after the war in 1950 with one-ton express trucks. Poor sales led to the discontinuance in 1952.
Ironically having survived the Great Depression and stiff competition for a very limited market the companies that survived into the post war era began to falter just as the long haul trucking industry was about to explode. REO had begun to stumble shortly before the war, revived with government contracts and began to slide again after the war. The financial condition of Diamond T, a company that had begun production in 1911, followed a similar path.
A complicated merger culminated on the first day of 1955 with REO becoming a division of White, a true pioneer that had began production in 1900. Diamond T also became a subsidiary and then on May 1, 1967 White combined the resources of the two divisions under the name Diamond REO.
In recent years, the world seems to have shrunk with all things going international. The legendary Mack was not immune and in 1990, the company became a subsidiary of Renault. Then in 2000, the Swedish manufacturer Volvo acquired the company. None of these transitions has lessened the legend of Mack. To this day, where ever there is a heavy load to move or a dirty job to be done the bulldog is still to be found.

ONE STEP BEYOND CUSTOM

The Unusual Cars Page
There are custom cars and then there are really custom cars. Its obvious that some folks have way to much money and even more time on their hands. Of course a few of these vehicles have been funded with your tax dollars so ...

DeSotoland: It's DeSoto Utopia - DeSoto Cars and Service

DeSotoland: It's DeSoto Utopia - DeSoto Cars and Service
This is without a doubt one of the neatest sites around. Take a stroll through Desotoland and see if your not tempted to wander down to your local Desoto dealer to see whats on sale. As an added plus this bunch of folks has to be some of the friendliest in the old car hobby.

MUSCLE CARS FOR THE BUDGET MINDED

THE GREMLIN X

In recent years, the value for the genre of American built automobiles known as “muscle cars” has leapt to the stratosphere and beyond placing them out of the reach of the average enthusiasts. However, for those who are willing to march to the tune of a different drummer there are still opportunities to enjoy the thrill of raw power at a fraction of the price. As an added bonus, ownership of one of these forgotten muscle cars almost certainly ensures you will stand out from the crowd at the next auto show.
If a blend of adequate, though not asphalt scorching, performance, fuel economy and unique styling is to determine your purchase look no further than the 1951 Studebaker Commander Starlight coupe. From its one of a kind bullet nosed grill to five-piece wrap around rear window it not likely to be mistaken for anything else on the road.
When outfitted with the then new overhead valve, 232.6 c.i.d. V8 engine, and three-speed manual transmission with overdrive you have a near perfect blend of performance, by early 1950 standards, and economy. Tested on a Mobilgas Economy Run a similarly equipped vehicle hit sixty miles per hour in a respectable 12.5 seconds and delivered fuel economy just under twenty eight miles per gallon.
Okay, this Studebaker may be stretching the term muscle car a bit far but perhaps the economy provided could offset the difference. If you still want a bit of the economy, something a little faster and still want something unique have you considered a 1972 Gremlin?
AMC was a marvel at creating something new from something old and selling everything but the squeal. Since the Gremlin was in essence a truncated Hornet, in the eyes of management it made perfect sense to offer six cylinder as well as eight cylinder versions.
To shoehorn a 304-c.i.d. V-8 engine into a Gremlin required extensive reengineering of the suspension and other structural components but the result was an oft-overlooked performer. So equipped the little subcompact was rated at 150 horsepower at 4,200 rpm and 245 ft.-lbs. of torque at 2,500 rpm.
AMC, with the exception of the Javelin, is not often associated with the term muscle car. With a history of fast cars that includes production of the fastest American built sedan in 1957 this is quite surprising.
Rare and expensive, unless compared to a hemi powered Barracuda, the 1957 Rambler Rebel was a one-year only sports model with production limited to a scant 1,500 units. The Nash Ambassador 327 c.i.d. V8 engine rated at 225-horse power propelled the relatively light, four-door hard top sedan like a rocket. Owners often bragged, and still do, that the Rebel rides well, handles swell and goes like …
Through the years, there were a handful of stylish, modestly hot performers produced by the maverick builder in Wisconsin such as the Rambler Rogue and the Marlin. However, there was one model produced in 1969 that truly deserved the moniker “muscle car.”
Garishly painted and trimmed in red, white, and blue the 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler was and is a standout when parked but sitting still is not its most attention getting aspect. Under the hood of these brightly painted, lightweight, two door hard top Rambler American bodies were the AMX version of the 315 horsepower, 390-c.i.d. V8 engines. Dual exhausts, power front disc brakes, four-speed transmission with Hurst shifter, limited slip differential, tachometer, and functional hood scoop rounded out the package.
The Rebel name reappeared in 1967 to replace the phased out Classic series. Listed among the options in the SST package were a 280 horsepower, 343-c.i.d. V8 engine that provided more than adequate acceleration.
The Rebel line with its optional SST package would continue through the 1960s with little fanfare. The came the limited edition Hurst Rambler Rebel Machine introduced at the National Hot Rod Championship Drag Race in Dallas, Texas during October of 1969.
All of the SST package options were standard equipment. In addition, they were equipped with power front disc brakes, Ram Air hood scoop, a 390-c.i.d. engine rated at a thundering 340 horsepower, dual exhaust, and heavy duty cooling system, and modified suspension.
Most AMC attempts at the production of performance vehicles were not quite as noticeable. Among the more notorious sleepers produced by this company was the 1971 Matador, successor to the Rebel series. Listed among the wide array of options was the “Go Machine Package” performance group. This included a four-speed transmission and 401-c.i.d. engine!
More than forty years have passed since the mighty Marauder, driven by Parnelli Jones, dominated stock car tracks in America. Today these once legendary Mercury’s are an almost forgotten chapter in American automotive history.
For 1964, Mercury presented buyers with a dizzying choice of eighteen models including the Monterrey, Montclair, and all new Park Lane available in either the Breezeway or Marauder sub series. The standard engines for all three were the 250 horsepower, 390-c.i.d. V8 but as Marauder series cars the engine was the Super 390 rated at 300 horsepower.
Confusing the issue was the available, for all full size Mercury’s, optional 390 Marauder Interceptor rated at 330 horsepower. For more speed and power there was also two 427-c.i.d. V8 engines available as options, one rated at 410 horsepower and the second rated at 425 horsepower.
In the October 1963 issue, Motor Trend commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mercury by pitting the 1939 Mercury against a 1964 Montclair Marauder equipped with the lowest horsepower 390-c.i.d. V8 engine and Merc-O-Matic transmission in a comparison drive. The 4,500-pound Marauder clipped sixty miles per hour in 12.8 seconds. However, a subsequent test with a 330 horsepower equipped car dropped the zero to sixty times to just under ten seconds.
The Marauder and the Gremlin X, the Rebel and the Dodge Demon all have several things in common. They are forgotten chapters in the history of post war Americas love for speed. For those who love speed, march to the tune of a different drummer, and whose budget is rather limited these cars and dozens of even more obscure factory hot rods are just waiting to be rediscovered.

DATSUN, ITS AMERICAN ORIGINS

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THE GRAHAM HOLLYWOOD AND HUPMOBILE SKYLARK, A CORD BY ANOTHER NAME

I was recently reading the biography of Virgil Exner, Virgil Exner, Visioneer, and discovered an interesting facet of the American auto industry, one that dates to the very infancy of the automobile. Even though the industry was quite diverse in the years before 1960 to a large degree this was illusionary.
As an example, consider the contributions of Raymond Loewy. His company, for whom Virgil Exner worked, was responsible for the styling of the 1932 through 1934 Hupmobile, International trucks for 1939, the 1939 Studebaker Champion and the 1941 Studebakers.
Many of the stylists enlisted for work on the prewar Studebaker had been instrumental in the design of numerous 1930s models. To name just a few there was Clare Hodgeman from Oldsmobile, Paul Zimmerman from Chevrolet and Virgil Exner from Pontiac.
Consider Henry Leland and his links as well as contributions to the evolution of the American automobile. In June of 1901, under contract to Olds Motor Works, he designed a new engine for use in an improved model that company had in the works.
A fire at Olds shelved that project but through a fortuitous series of events, his engine became the foundation for an American legend. The inability of Henry Ford to produce a vehicle the company could sell profitably resulted in the hiring of Leland as an engineering consultant for the Henry Ford Company.
Henry Ford was incensed by this perceived slight and left the company with the demand his name no longer be used. With the expertise of Leland, his new engine, and a fresh injection of investment a new company, Cadillac, began producing a vehicle that would become the standard of the world.
Leland played a key role in the formation of another American icon. In 1917, he left Cadillac to found a company to produce aircraft engines. With the signing of the Armistice, he turned the extensive resources of Lincoln toward the production of a quality automobile that would eventually become one of the leading luxury cars in America.
Herb Snow was chief engineer for Auburn when assigned the task of designing a frame for the new Cord. The resultant “X” frame would become an industry standard for many open cars in the years that followed.
Snow would lend his expertise to numerous other projects. A few would have far reaching implications and would leave us with a plethora of what if questions. Perhaps the most notable of these would be a series of experimental taxis built by Checker in the 1940s; a front wheel drive, transverse mounted engine version and a rear wheel drive, rear mounted engine model.
Then there is the short story of what happened to the classically styled Cord 810 and 812. The body dies, jigs, and tools for producing these bodies, bought by Hupmobile, resulted in the short lived Hupmobile Skylark and Graham Hollywood of 1939 and 1940.
This is not the only Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg model given a rebirth. The dies, jigs and related equipment for the 1934 Auburn were purchased by Corbitt, a truck manufacturing company located in Henderson, North Carolina. The result was the 1935 and 1936 Corbitt trucks and busses were quite stylish, after all they the entire front clip was identical to the earlier Auburn!
Quite often, the lineage of the cars themselves includes some fascinating cousins. Maxwell begat Chrysler but it was Buick that begat Maxwell through frustration by that company’s primary investor. It was James Packard’s frustration with Winton that begat Packard, the demise of Marmon begat Marmon-Herrington, a leading manufacturer of early four-wheel drive trucks, and Oldsmobile begat REO.
The intertwining of these links extends beyond the American automotive industry; they stretch to all four corners of the globe. American Austin began production in 1930 but these cars were essentially British Austin Seven cars outfitted for the American market.
Sales proved to be less than anemic and even reorganization as American Bantam, the company responsible for the initial Jeep prototype, failed to resolve that problem. Though the cars produced are less than memorable, the companies’ contributions were far reaching. The supplying of dies, jigs, tools, and engineers, to a consortium of Japanese investors proved to be the foundation for a Japanese automobile manufacturer, Datsun.
The men most instrumental for the initial success of Hudson had expertise derived form work for other manufacturers. Roy Chapin and Howard Coffin were veterans of Olds Motor Works as well as of Thomas-Detroit and Chalmers-Detroit. George Dunham and Roscoe Jackson also had initiated their automotive careers with Olds.
Few individuals, however, have woven as many automotive tapestries as William Durant. In November of 1904, he purchased Buick. Four incredible years later the success of Buick became the cornerstone for Durant’s empire, a company that carried the name General Motors.
From this root came the contributions of Charles Nash, long time employee of Durant and president of Buick in 1912. We also have the creation of a company that combined the name recognition of Swiss born racing legend Louis Chevrolet and the business acumen of Durant, and the launching of Walter Chrysler as an independent agent.
A lesser-known chapter of Durant’s involvement in the American automobile industry is the creation of Durant, a company that wrote the final chapter for Locomobile. Its legacy also included the Flint, the Mason Motor Truck Company, the Star; an American version of the French built Mathis and options such as the “Pullman” that transformed the seats into a bed with the pull of a handle.
Connecting the dots as they run through the history of the American automotive industry is a fascinating exercise. The result is a picture quite different from what we might expect or have been led to believe.

OUR ARIZONA is a masterful display of the artistic genius of Kerrik James. Each and every photograph captures with stunning detail and color the awe inspiring majesty of that wondrous land we know as Arizona.
This book would be an asset to any collection of colorful coffee table books. It will also serve as inspiration for the most ardent armchair adventurer to lace up the hiking boots, to saddle up, to take to the road and discover the rich tapestry of sites, sounds, and tastes that is only found in the Grand Canyon State.
You will need more than inspiration to discover the dusty gems and hidden treasures that make a visit to Arizona an unforgetable one. In this companion book, BACKROADS OF ARIZONA the photographic artistry of Kerrick James and Jim Hinckley's intimate knowledge of the states backroads and rich history come together in the ultimate travel guide.

ROUTE 66, MUSTANGS AND THE LEGEND OF THE HOT ROD

THE ELECTROLINE DIARIES
A journey with the Burbank Choppers car club
By Laurent Bagnard
208 pages, 275 illustrations
Cartech
1-800-551-4754
www.cartechbooks.com
ISBN-10: 1-932494-65-0
$34.95
In this stunning pictorial essay, Laurent Bagnard chronicles the life, the times, and rides of the Burbank Choppers, leading proponents of the recent trend towards traditional hot rodding.
The past flows seamlessly in to the present with deuce coupes, vintage roadsters and other hot rods lifted from the hobbies glory days in the 1950s photographed in stark black and white against vintage backdrops. The color photos of similar scenes provide the bridge from past to present.
If you are a purist and are offended by scenes of cars transformed into highly personalized reflections of the owner avoid this book at all cost. If, however, you remember with fondness the glory days of hot rodding immortalized in films such as American Graffiti grab this book and drool.
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF MUSTANG
Every model since 1964 ½
By Mike Mueller
Hardcover, 348 pages, 590 illustrations
MBI Publishing
www.motorbooks.com or 800-458-0454
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2838-5
$55.00
I can think of but one word to describe this book – encyclopedic. Factory photos, and specs, prototypes and racing photos, peddle cars and engine details, options and factory price listings of cars as well as options.
As a photographic history of the legendary Mustang, this book is truly stunning in its scope and depth. Add concise, detailed text and you have a complete history of this legendary marques evolution through 2007.
If I were to critique this book in a nit picking manner there is one notable fault. The subtitle indicates the book begins with the 1964 ½ Mustang when in actuality it begins with the prototype version of 1961.
If you have questions about the Mustang and cannot find the answer in the extensive index, the well-researched appendix or in these pages then there is a very good chance you were thinking of Camaro.
LEGENDARY ROUTE 66
A journey through time along America’s Mother Road
By Michael Karl Witzel & Gyvel Young-Witzel
Hardcover 256 pages, 600 illustrations
Voyageur Press
www.voyageurpress.com or 800-458-0454
ISBN-13:978-07603-2978-8
$29.95
Great, another Route 66 book was the first thought to pop in to mind upon receipt of a review copy of this book. The second was that I write reviews on automotive books, not books on travel or social commentary.
This, however, is not just another Route 66 book. It is one of a handful written that adds meat to the sinew and bone as well as reality to the fantasy.
With the turning of each page, the evolution of the American highway and our fascination with the open road unfolds. From the camel caravan of Lt. Beale and the Santa Fe Trail to the bicycle craze of the late 19th century and the trials and tribulations of the early motorists is chronicled through informative text and extensive use of photographs, many never before published.
As to Route 66, sure there are the obligatory post cards and photos of famous attractions. There are also vintage accident photos and statistics gleaned from government reports about accidents that speak volumes about travel on Route 66 during its glory days.
This could be the definitive book on Route 66 and our fascination with it.