Rambler (automobile)
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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1908 Rambler advertisement |
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 introduced such early technical innovations as a steering wheel (as opposed to a tiller), interchangeable wheels and spare
tires.
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 in
1917. The Jeffery brand name was dropped at the time of the merger and the manufacture of
Nash branded automobiles commenced. In 1937, the concern became the
Nash Kelvinator Corporation through a merger.
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 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 subsequentially, the car itself. Rambler's continued to use this styling until 1954 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
1958-
1962 Metropolitan.
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1968 Rambler American Rogue |
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 by Rambler"), and the former Rambler Six and 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 1963 all "senior" Rambler models would share the same wheelbase and body parts, with trim and equipment level distinguishing the Classic from the Ambassador.
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 1964 body. The final Rambler brand car for sale in North America was the 1969 Rambler American.
The Rambler name continued in international markets (particularly
Australia until 1978), and was last used in
1983 in Mexico.
In Argentina, the Rambler American became the IKA Torino in 1967 and then 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.
*
List of automobile manufacturersThe Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1946-1975, John Gunnell, Editor. Kraus Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-87341-096-3
*
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
