AMC Wagons

http://www.bigflea.com/amc/

This site is dedicated to the 1967 AMC Rebel Rambler Regional Stationwagons.​

These wagons are featured in the September 2006 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine. They were also featured in the August 2003 issue of Vintage Truck magazine.
Below is a photo of all 3 wagons taken Feb 22, 2003, together for the first time in 36 years! This completes my collection of the three rarest AMC wagons built. Much of the info on this site is copied directly from the original AMC marketing "press kit".

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Public Relations Department
American Motors Corporation
14250 Plymouth Road
Detroit, Michigan 48232


FOR RELEASE AM'S SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1967
DETROIT, Feb. 26 - - Three Rambler Rebel V-8 station wagons with special styling themes for specific locations will be marketed in 23 areas of the United States this spring and summer, American Motors vice president of automotive sales Thomas A. Coupe said today. The three station wagons - - Westerner, Mariner and Briarcliff - feature distinctive side paneling and interior upholstering which capture the flavor of the locale where they are to be sold. "Our objective in producing these unique station wagons is to determine in selected test market areas whether the buying public is favorably inclined toward special identification vehicles, " Coupe said. "These wagons will identify the owners with the Midwest and Southwest through a ranch theme, with the coastal areas through a nautical theme, and with the East through a country and hunt club theme, " he said.
The Westerner is Frost white with simulated natural tan leather grain panels running the full length of the sides from the upper character line to the lower molding. Bold panels of stallion brown vinyl, with a look of richly tooled leather, are used on seat backs and door panels in combination with white antelope grained vinyl to highlight the Western look inside.
The Mariner is Barbados blue with full-length side panels of simulated bleached teakwood planking. Narrow black horizontal stripes in the panels accentuate the contour of the body. Anchors and stars decorate the dark blue suede bolster panels of the seats, which also feature white piping and broad horizontal pleated inserts of medium blue antelope grain vinyl to complement the exterior color combination.
The Briarcliff is Matador red with simulated black camera grain side panels. Black antelope grain vinyl is used on seats and door panels to give the interior a look of luxury.
Each of the special station wagons has as standard equipment a 200-horsepower "Torque Command" 290 V-8 engine, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power tailgate window, push-button radio, wheel discs, remote control mirror, light group, electric clock, whitewall tires, special-duty springs and shocks, and individually adjustable reclining seats. Options offered include a 280-horsepower 343 cubic inch V-8, air conditioning, and solex glass windows.
The Westerner will be marketed in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, San Antonio, Houston, Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit areas; the Mariner in the Los Angeles, Portland, Eugene, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and Tampa-St. Petersburg areas, and the Briarcliff in the Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Hartford, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Albany and Memphis areas.

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1967 AMC Rebel Rambler MARINER Stationwagon

Number Produced: 600 Public Relations Department
American Motors Corporation
14250 Plymouth Road
Detroit, Michigan 48232


FOR RELEASE AM'S SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1967
A nautical theme of anchors and stars highlights the interior of the Mariner, one of three special Rambler Rebel V-8 station wagons which will be test marketed in specific areas this spring and summer by American Motors. The Mariner, which is designed for coastal areas, is Barbados blue with full-length side panels of simulated bleached teakwood planking. Narrow black horizontal stripes in the panels accentuate the contour of the body. It will be sold on the West Coast and the Atlantic and Golf Coasts of Florida.
Original Mariner poster ad:
Article from May 1967 Automotive News Weekly:

Photo in front of the AMC shaped bushes, at the original AMC testing grounds:



Photo of the original seats and siding of Terry Gale's Mariner at the Rambler Ranch, CO:



My Mariner Restoration Project was Completed in the summer of 2000.


Here it was in 1970:
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My father was the original owner. (That's my father holding me, my brother and my sister in the wheel-borrow). The original white siding cracked and peeled off from being in the sun, so it was repainted in 1977 without the siding. 20 years later it had faded to a gray color.

Photo taken September, 1999:
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I couldn't find any source for a vinyl tape for white teak wood siding, so I had them paint it white and added black pin-striping. This should last longer anyway. It took me almost a month's time to get the miles of trim reinstalled. Painstakingly cleaning and polishing each piece, mounting the mould clips, etc. I found a source for the mould trim clips called MRG USA which has just about everything you can imagine. They even had brand new clips which were exactly the same as my original ones. New headliner has been installed, sun visors recovered, and new carpet installed. I repaired the original AM radio and cleaned it up, bought a new 4x10 speaker, got new bulbs for the instrument panel. I added insulation and plastic sheet for waterproofing the door upholstery. The dash was sent to justdashes.com for restoration. I found a source, American Performance, for replacements for inside felt and outside rubber wiper strips for all door windows and tailgate window, and new door weatherstripping. I might get all chrome metal parts rechromed someday (currently most chrome parts are age cracking or rust pitted).
Modifications were done over the past 10 years to improve performance for towing my race car trailer. Modifications: Trailer hitch with electric brake control, air shocks, dual exhaust, MSD5, Pertronix magnetic points, Carter carburetor, Edelbrock manifold, electric fan, 3-core radiator, new brakes, new brake lines, new master and slave cylinders, rear sway bar, trany oil cooler, Goodyear tires, new front shocks. I replaced the 290 with a 360 (out of a 71 Javelin). I rebuilt the 360 with new rings, bearings, new valves, valve springs, balanced, and had the cam done by Elgin Cams for a high-torque "tow" grind. The trany is a Borg Warner BW12 which was the heavy duty option for the 71 Javelin. I had to weld a longer shift linkage to it to get the column shifter to line up. I still have the original 290 and trany, and I plan to restore it back to stock condition some day.

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1967 AMC Rebel Rambler BRIARCLIFF Stationwagon

Number Produced: 400 Public Relations Department
American Motors Corporation
14250 Plymouth Road
Detroit, Michigan 48232


FOR RELEASE AM'S SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1967
A striking red and black exterior treatment lends a country and hunt club identification to the Briarcliff, one of three special Rambler Rebel V-8 station wagons which will be sold by American Motors dealers in specific test market areas this spring and summer. The body is matador red with full-length simulated black camera grain side panels. The luxury interior features black antelope grain vinyl on seats and door panels. The Briarcliff will be marketed in the East.

Original Briarcliff poster ad.
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Owner's photos:

Beatifully restored Briarcliff by Rick Baker, recently sold to me.



Kenny Costanzo's BriarCliff, New York (sold in 2000, unknown who owns it now).​

 

1967 AMC Rebel Rambler WESTERNER Stationwagon

Number Produced: 500 Public Relations Department
American Motors Corporation
14250 Plymouth Road
Detroit, Michigan 48232


FOR RELEASE AM'S SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1967
The Westerner, one of three special Rambler Rebel V-8 station wagons designed by American Motors for spring and summer sale in specific areas, features a ranch theme. The frost white body is highlighted by simulated natural tan leather grain panels which run the full length of the sides from the upper character line to the lower molding. Stallion brown vinyl, with a look of richly tooled leather, carries out the Western look inside. The Westerner will be test marketed in the Midwest and Southwest areas.
Original Westerner poster ad.
Article from May 1967 Automotive News Weekly:
Ad in Chicago Tribune, Sunday, April 16th, 1967:
Some photos of the Westerner I just acquired!

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Nice looking group of wagons you have there.

 

WOW, spirit! I had no idea you had beautiful wagons like that! They are absolutely stunning!!

 

WTF!? Dude, ..........mg:. I"ve coveted owning any Rebel wagon from 67/68, even a bace model........ Big Kudos for you, WOW Beautiful

 

thanx for all the info...and wicked wagoons

now to retain it

 

Being a diehard AMCer for 40 years,,this colllection is wonderful!!
I had a 69 Rebel wagon SST 290 v8 back in early 70's and I was aware of these special wagons more common back then.. Very Nice!!

 

Stop tempting me...:banghead3:

 

I love learning historic stuff like that. Thanks yellerspirit for the info and your wagons are outrageous. Beautiful collection.

 

No, they are not my wagons, just some AMC regional wagons I thought I would share with you.

 

WTF, it's not April1st! I thought they were yours and you were holding out on us


YOU, get in the way back and not another word out of you!

 

No, the closest I have to a wagon now is a 4 door 2 wheel drive S10 Blazer {it sort of looks like a wagon} I have owned more AMCs than any sane person should, but then I lost my sanity years ago.

 

Well, regardless of who owns them, the pictures and the stories are really great. Thanks for posting them. I love stuff like this....