This is the car I always forget about in the AMC model hierarchy. The Classic was a midrange car during the Rambler years that made up the bulk of Rambler sales between 1961 and 1966. The first Classics were cheaply refreshed 1950s cars and the line only received a complete redesign in 1963. All Classics were six-cylinder economy cars until the '63 model year when the V8 from the large Ambassador was offered as an option.
This Classic is a 660 two-door sedan, probably a six-banger car like most of its kind. The 660 trim was close to the top of the Classic line, surpassed only by the 770. You can still see that it's an economy car at heart, with restrained body ornamentation and painted steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. The paint looks original and is probably the curiously named "Lancelot Medium Turquoise Metallic". I never did like the 1964 facelift of Richard Teague's 1963 design very much, just because the grille looks rather uninspired compared to the unique concave style of the year before. The pointed edge of the grille on this car shows how American Motors handled the facelift without retooling for modified fenders.
As I said, I'm typically not wild about these cars, but this one appeals to me for some reason. It's such an honest car, staid and simple yet classy in its own way, and very original. I like that about it.
Photographed July 2014
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