Rambler Marlin: AMC’s fastback personal luxury car

The Rambler Marlin was a two-door fastback that American Motors built from 1965 to 1967. A halo car for the company, it was marketed as a personal luxury car: roomy and comfortable rather than a pure muscle car, and built in small numbers to draw attention to the Rambler range.

Rambler Marlin at a glance

History of the Rambler Marlin

Origin

As the American market expanded in the early 1960s, Roy Abernethy, who had succeeded George Romney as head of AMC, wanted to move beyond the company’s compact and economy cars into new segments. The plan was for a sporty, roomy six-passenger car that would occupy a niche of its own, a low-volume model that would symbolise a new Rambler look and lead a wider product line. A four-seat fastback study, the Rambler Tarpon, had been built on the compact Rambler American platform and shown at motor shows, but AMC’s current V8 would not fit in the small chassis and a six alone would not satisfy buyers. The decision was therefore taken to build the fastback on the intermediate Rambler Classic platform instead.

Design

The development team under Dick Teague worked with much smaller budgets than the Big Three. They created a large, roomy and luxurious fastback that carried over several features of the Tarpon, including a roof line that ran from the windscreen in an unbroken sweep. The roof was raised over the rear passengers because Abernethy, who was six foot four, insisted on being able to sit in the back of the design studies. The car was aimed at the emerging personal luxury segment, so its long list of standard equipment was supplemented by many options that let buyers personalise it.

Launch and reception

American Motors billed the Marlin as an addition to its “Sensible Spectaculars” line. The car was announced on 10 February 1965 and unveiled in Rambler showrooms on 19 March, advertised in 2,400 newspapers on its launch day. Every dealership received one or two cars to increase showroom traffic, and AMC sent dealers bulletins on how to use the Marlin to sell the Rambler Classic. The press reception was mixed: Popular Mechanics recorded 0 to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds and 18.14 mpg at a steady 60 mph, and the car was positioned against the smaller fastbacks of the Barracuda and Mustang, with the Dodge Charger and Mercury Cougar following it into the market. The 1965 and 1966 cars were fastback versions of the Classic two-door hardtop; for 1967 the Marlin was redesigned on the longer Ambassador chassis, with a longer hood, more interior room and new V8 engines. In 1965 it was sold as the Rambler Marlin, while for 1966 and 1967 it was identified simply as the Marlin and officially named the AMC Marlin.

Design and features

• Fastback roof: an unbroken line from the windscreen to the tail, previewed by the Tarpon show car.
• Room for six: the roof was raised over the rear seats so that tall passengers could sit in the back.
• Personal luxury equipment: a long standard list with many options for personalisation.
• Two chassis: the Classic platform for 1965–1966 and the longer Ambassador chassis for 1967.

Rambler Marlin versions

• Rambler Marlin (1965): the original fastback on the Rambler Classic platform.
• AMC Marlin (1966): the same car with Marlin-only identification.
• AMC Marlin (1967): redesigned on the Ambassador chassis with a longer hood and new V8s.

The Marlin was a fastback version of the Rambler Classic and later used the chassis of the Rambler Ambassador; its roof line came from the Tarpon, which was based on the Rambler American. More cars are in the Rambler collection.

Video: 1966 AMC Rambler Marlin Classic Car Video – 3+3 American Musclecar

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• Rambler Marlin, English Wikipedia: origin, design, launch, model years