The 1963 Rambler Classic has been commonly described as an intermediate-sized car, but it was actually closer to being a compact in size, weight and entry-level prices.
The Classic was only 189.3 inches long. That was from three to six inches shorter than a Buick Special, Dodge Dart, Mercury Comet, Oldsmobile F-85 and Pontiac Tempest. Meanwhile, the Rambler was longer than a Plymouth Valiant, but only by three inches.
Just as significantly, the Classic was 71.3 inches wide, which was close to most other compacts. For example, the Comet was 70.4 inches, the Chevrolet Chevy II 70.8 inches, and Buick Special 70.2 inches. The Dart and Valiant were a bit narrower at 68.7-68.8 inches.
As a point of comparison, the intermediate Ford Fairlane had the same width as the Classic (71.3 inches) but the Plymouth Savoy was 75.6 inches wide, which was closer to where the field would gravitate to over the next four years.
Unusually efficient packaging made Classic roomier
The Classic’s interior room was closer to intermediates than compacts because of the new body’s exceptionally short front and rear overhangs and thin-wall door design. For example, front hip room was 60 inches, one inch less than the Savoy, an inch more than the Fairlane, and three inches more than any Ford or Chrysler compact.
The Rambler’s shipping weight straddled the compact and intermediate classes. A base Classic 550 two-door sedan with a six-cylinder engine weighed 2,720 pounds. That was more than the equivalent Dart (2,614 pounds) and Special (2,661 pounds) but lower than the Fairlane (2,815 pounds) or Savoy (2,980 pounds).
The Classic’s list price for a base two-door sedan with a six ($2,055) was a step above the likes of the Valiant ($1,910) and Dart ($1,983) but below the equivalent Chevy II ($2,062), Comet ($2,084), Fairlane ($2,154), Savoy ($2,206) and Special ($2,309).
1963 Rambler’s slight downsizing had a big weakness
If any of the above is surprising to you, it may be because the 1963 senior Rambler was slightly downsized. Length and width were cut by around an inch and weight dropped roughly 146 pounds. However, the base price went up $55 despite relatively stable prices by most of its competitors.
The most obvious change to the Classic’s body was that it was lower by roughly three inches. However, due to a four-inch-longer wheelbase and a cow-belly chassis, passenger volume declined only slightly from 99.7 to 99.6 cubic feet.
Also see ‘AMC’s Roy Abernethy was confronted with three big threats in 1960s’
The new teardrop styling looked more modern but resulted in a much smaller trunk. Whereas the previous-generation senior Rambler had as much as 22.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the 1963 model had only 13.7 cubic feet — which was less than the Valiant’s 14.1 cubic feet.
The small trunk arguably undercut the Classic’s practicality as a family car. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that a 1965 reskinning included a boxier rear end that upped cargo capacity to 15.2 cubic feet. However, that was still less than that of the intermediate Chevrolet Chevelle — 16.9 cubic feet. The problem wasn’t fully fixed until a bigger redesign in 1967, when trunk space grew to 18.2 cubic feet.
Should the American have shared the Classic platform?
The relatively compact size of the Classic’s body raises an intriguing question: Could American Motors have been more successful through the rest of the decade by basing all of its passenger cars on this platform? The new-for-1964 American shared “uniside” door sheetmetal but its platform was around three inches narrower than the senior Rambler’s.
Putting the American on the senior Rambler’s platform would have precluded it from functioning as a truly entry-level compact akin to the previous-generation models, which were around 250 pounds lighter than the 1963 Classic. However, the senior Rambler’s basic body could have easily been shortened to create a Valiant-sized American. Even the rear doors could have been shared because they had already been designed to work on a shorter-wheelbase junior model. The 1964 American had a 106-inch wheelbase, six less than the 1963-66 Classic’s 112-inch wheelbase.
Also see ‘Would AMC have done better if George Romney had stayed longer?’
The senior Rambler’s 1967 redesign pointed to a next potential step — increase the wheelbase by two inches behind the B-pillar for extra rear legroom and stretch the rear end to increase trunk space. That would have allowed AMC to better compete in both the intermediate and compact markets. Even if the automaker had given each line unique sheetmetal, they would still have benefitted cost-wise by sharing the same underpinnings.
I assume this didn’t happen partly because American Motors CEO George Romney wanted an entry-level compact that could compete more directly with the imports. While that was a laudable goal, the 1964 American arguably ended up being too heavy to perform that role anyway. At 2,506 pounds, the base American two-door sedan was still roughly 140 pounds heavier than an equivalent Ford Falcon (go here for further discussion).
NOTES:
Specifications are from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006), Automobile Catalog (2023), Consumer Reports (1963) and Gunnell (2002).
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, Ill.
- Automobile Catalog; 2023. “Full detailed specifications listing and photo gallery.” Accessed July 10.
- Consumer Reports; 1963. “Basic Body Dimensions.” April issue: pp. 164-165.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised 4th Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Dodge Dart (1963); Plymouth Valiant (1963); Rambler American (1964); Rambler Classic/Rebel (1963, 1965, 1967)
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