Re: AMC Ragtops (was hey eddie)

["amc74hornet" <AMC74HORNET@xxxx>]

--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> Hi Do, yes, more than 12 were built. AMC was hemmoraging on the late
> convertibles in 67, especially the Ambassador, and then took a real beating
> on convertibles in 68. The last year for the convertible series for
> Ambassador was however 1967, and only 1260 (some records indicate 1267)
> found buyers, a extremely small number when you consider the Ambassador was
> AMC's 'premier' car, at a difficult time for AMC, which was struggling
> financially (gee, they always seemed to be struggling dammit) but some years
> were worse than others. Total production of Ambassadors in 1967 was 62615, a
> good run of them, with the Ambassador 990 4door leading the way with 17809
> units and right behind it was the Ambassador DPL 2door with 12552 units
> made.
> 
> Since we are talking about convertibles I guess, 1967 was the last year for
> the Rambler convertibles and only 921 found homes, a pathetic number when
> you consider total Rambler production (including American and Rogues, all
> 921 convertibles were Rogues)
> saw total production of 62680 units made. One thing I enjoy is customizing
> AMCs and here is something I will add to my garage one day, a convertible
> SC/Rambler to go with my convertible Rebel Machine.
> 
> As for Rebel, the Rebel was a strong seller, as AMC was focusing more on
> performance remember just a few years earlier, AMC had been telling the
> world the only race they cared about was the 'human race' (this is off my
> website):
> The car that the press release lives in infamy about how 'the only race we
> care about is the human race' then AMC would do a 360 and crank out
> performance models like AMX, Javelin & SC/Rambler only a few years after
> saying they frowned upon performance (read: muscle
> cars!!) in the memo. A copy of the five page memo comes with photo!
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/64_Typhoon.JPG
> 
> But the 67 Rebel saw some good sale and only 1686 67 Rebel convertibles were
> made:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/67_rebel_cv_pr.JPG
> A beautiful bodystyle if I say so myself. Total Rebel production in 1967 saw
> 95170 units, surpassing the Ambassador Series! Of these Rebels the two
> biggest sellers were the Rebel 770 4door with 24057 made and the Rebel 770
> Wagon with 18240 made. I may add also right on it's tail was the Rebel SST
> 2door with 15287 units produced! Now while I believe the 20 can of Coke just
> kicked in, here is a website off my links ya'll have to go look at, only a
> few of these 'speciality wagons' were made for 1967 and a friend of mine
> owns all three of them:
> http://www.netwiz.net/~tcar/amc.html Mariner, Briarcliffe and Westerner. To
> have one person own all three (I would say less than 10 exist of each in
> 2004) is awesome.
> 
> And finally. 1968. This would be the LAST YEAR a convertible would be
> produced by AMC. You can't count the Griffth Eagles and Concords from 81-83
> as they were NOT production convertibles, they were modified in Florida, and
> didn't roll off the line in Kenosha as a ragtop. The Rambler Series no
> longer offered a convertible, neither did the Ambassador....only
> Rebel.....and only 823 were made. I estimate less than 100 of these exist.
> Not sure some of ya'll saw the 68 Rebel ragtop on lasy month's SUAD list for
> sale in AR, it was the one that was on ebay for $600 and no bites. Hell, I
> just want the top frame. Not sure who made the call at AMC to do
> continuation Rebel line as convertibles either. They are beautiful cars:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/68_Rebel_CV_PR.JPG
> and total production of ALL Rebels in 1968 was 79325, down from the 1967
> year. Leading the way was the Rebel 770 four door with 22938 made and Rebel
> 550 4door with 14712. At the bottom of production was the Rebel 550
> convertible only 377 made and of course the SST convertible mentioned above.
> 
> Something I have preached about thru the years, and will continue to do so,
> is that many people get a hard on over things like 68-70 AMX, 69 SC/Rambler,
> 70 Rebel Machine and 71 SC/360. These are NOT, repeat NOT the cars that kept
> AMC in business, they were eye candy to lure people into showrooms then
> 'sell them from stock' other AMCs like Javelin, Rebel, Rambler and so forth.
> 
> The "bread and butter" cars were indeed the wagons and four doors, and
> smaller Ramblers, Gremlins, Concords, Hornets, Spirits and later Eagles. 90%
> of the people you will ever talk to at a swap meet, and many AMC fans,
> forget this fact, thinking AMC made money off convertibles (they didn't) or
> musclecars (they did but barely). So be sure to point that out to everyone
> that Gremlin (this is a Gremlin list) put up some serious numbers in the 9
> years of it's existence! And next time you are at a car show, please take
> the time to look over that AMC station wagon or four door. This is what kept
> AMC alive so we could have the, uh, other stuff!
> 
> Finally, and hope some of you are still awake, this is not, repeat, not a
> long post, my longest printed out to 17 pages, could have saved a damned
> forest, but the 68 Rebel convertible I own has 38 options. AMC had these bad
> hibits of loading up cars with options then sending them to dealerships even
> though no one ordered them, just send it, and display it, as it is a
> billboard to again, lure people in. Here is the origianl build sheet of my
> car:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/parts%20&%20Literature/american_motors_build_sheets.htm
> 
> This particular car ended up at longtime Nash, Rambler, AMC dealership here
> in Houston Vance & Sons AMC, click below to view the dealership it is
> awesome photos from my archives:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/bodyAMC.htm
> The car SAT at the dealership until mid 1970 as no one wanted the damned
> thing, it was supposed to sell for $2999.00 but as optioned, this one's
> window sticker was a staggering $4500.00 a LOT OF MONEY in 1968, you could
> have bought a hemi something. The V&S Parts Manager, Richard Brumgardt,
> bought it in late 1970 at 'his price, as he worked at V&S, and I would buy
> it from him in 1986-87 and go completely thru it, this is fromt he Houston
> Astrodome Autorama:
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/Photo_Gallery_My/images/mycars10_jpg.jpg
> and
> http://www.planethoustonamx.com/rebinterior.jpg
> So I can say out of all 292 and counting AMCs I have personally owned, there
> is absolutely nothing like a AMC convertible, and this Rebel is one of my
> top three favorites I have ever owned.
> 
> So to answer Doc's original question, no, there were more than 12 67 Ambo's
> made and I would say less than 100 of them are still known to exist......
> Eddie Stakes
> www.planethoustonamx.com
> *Note volume of email is
> extremely heavy, expect
> 5-12 day responses
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "amc74hornet" <AMC74HORNET@xxxx>
> To: <BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 6:35 AM
> Subject: [BaadAssGremlins] Hey Eddie
> 
> 
> My brother in Arizona called me up yesterday to say he ran into a guy that
> has a 67 Ambo convert and claims that only 12 were built. Got any production
> no# on that bit of trivia? Just courious if it was true or one of those
> urban legends that keep floating around.
> "Doc"


Thanks for the info Eddie, i'll pass it on to my brother. 
"Doc"