In the “Story Ideas Bank” James Duvall suggested that Indie Auto look into whether the 1965-66 AMC Ambassador sold better when it had a unique snout.
To be more specific, he asked: “Why didn’t the AMC board of directors and Roy Abernethy learn from the disappointment of 1961, the restyled (mildly) Ambassador V8? The desire to differentiate the Ambassador from the Classic was understandable, but did AMC actually sell more Ambassadors in 1965-66 than they did between 1963-64?
The short answer is that the 1965-66 Ambassador saw production more than double over its 1963-64 predecessors. For example, whereas the 1963 models almost hit 38,000 units, in 1965 they surpassed 64,000 units. So you could plausibly declare the upgraded Ambassador a success — at least in the short run.
The problem was that over the long run the Ambassador arguably cannibalized the sales of the lower-priced Classic (which was subsequently renamed the Rebel and then the Matador). When Ambassador output edged past the Rebel’s in 1969 it wasn’t a sign of success. This was because total production of the mid-sized platform had fallen by a whopping 62 percent from its peak of almost 358,000 units in 1963. A cash cow had turned into a problem child.
New Ambassador gave AMC only a temporary boost
We should acknowledge that the 1965-66 Ambassador had a number of advantages over previous models. For one thing, it was offered with both six and V8 engines whereas the 1963-64 models only came with a V8.
In addition, a broader range of body styles was offered and the nameplate received a more aggressive advertising campaign. The Ambassador was central to American Motors’ new effort by CEO Roy Abernethy to move upmarket and compete model-for-model against the Big Three’s low-priced brands (Foster, 1993).
At least initially the Ambassador may have helped to increase the output of American Motors’ mid-sized platform. In 1965 production was up almost 24 percent from 1964, almost reaching 279,000 units. However, those gains were short-lived. In 1966 output fell to roughly 202,000 units, which was even lower than the 225,000 units of 1964.
One could thus argue that after 1965 the Ambassador may have cannibalized sales of its lower-priced sibling. In 1963 the Classic peaked at roughly 320,000 units but by 1966 fell by 59 percent to under 131,000 units (note that the latter figure includes the Classic-based Marlin).
It’s true that the 1961 Ambassador was not a hit
James was right to point out that American Motors management should have been more skeptical about differentiating the 1965 Ambassador given its past experience. When the nameplate was moved to the mid-sized Rambler platform in 1958, it was given a nine-inch-longer wheelbase and a fancier grille than lower-priced models. Output was higher than the Nash-based Ambassador in its final years, but it was still pretty meager — under 24,000 units in 1960.
In 1961 the Ambassador was given a facelift that included completely different front-end styling from the lower-priced Classic. That didn’t translate into better sales. However, one could argue that a decline was inevitable given a recession and new competition from the Big Three. You could even call it encouraging that the Ambassador’s output fell less than the Classic’s (21 versus 29 percent).
The problem was that the Ambassador’s shaver-nosed front end looked rather odd. To make matters worse, it would not have been a good match with a redesigned rear end planned for 1962. Thus, the unique front became a one-year wonder — and the Ambassador lost its longer wheelbase.
What the nameplate gained for 1962 was a price cut and the only V8 offered by American Motors. The Classic no longer was available with a 250-cubic-inch V8. All you could now get was the larger 327-cubic-inch engine in the Ambassador. Perhaps management thought that this would give the Ambassador a stronger market niche. However, it also deprived the Classic of an option that would become increasingly popular in the mid-sized field. One of Abernethy’s better decisions was to bring back the Classic V8 in mid-1963 (Foster, 1993).
Ambassador would slowly drain AMC of resources
I added the above graph to illustrate how American Motors was competitive with the mid-sized Ford Fairlane through 1965. After that point AMC sales tapered off whereas Ford’s gradually increased.
What caused American Motors to lose altitude? I suspect that the biggest factor was that it diluted its already meager resources to the point where it simply couldn’t compete in the mid-sized field any longer. Although sales were on the decline in 1966-67, the automaker was arguably still in the game. That was no longer the case even two short years later.
The biggest reason why was that management decided to launch the Javelin and AMX. That not only diverted scarce marketing dollars, but it also siphoned off development dollars needed to update its mid-sized platform. And when the automaker did spent money on facelifts, the Ambassador was prioritized. So it was no wonder that it outsold the aging Rebel in 1969.
If AMC only had money for one facelift, it could have downgraded the Ambassador to a top-end Rebel model and given the entire mid-sized lineup a new look. And instead of coming out with the AMX, the Rebel’s performance models could have been beefed up in 1968-69. We can only speculate as to whether this would have increased sales, but it certainly would have improved AMC’s economies of scale. More than anything else, that’s what robbed the automaker of its independence.
NOTES:
Specifications and production figures are from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006), Flory (2004, 2009) and Gunnell (2002).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, Ill.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2009. American Cars, 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year. McFarland & Co.
- Foster, Patrick R.; 1993. American Motors: The Last Independent. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised 4th Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Cadillac (1958, 1959); Imperial (1959); Lincoln (1959)
It didn’t help that the 61 Ambassador looked like a squirrel with its cheeks full of nuts/
Chief stylist Ed Anderson had some quirky design sensibilities, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they undercut his desire to be elevated to a vice president. However, I wonder whether the weirdness of the 1961 Ambassador was at least partly driven by product planners who wanted the car to look longer so that it could better compete with low-priced big cars.
Since in those days Ramblers used the same bumper on the front and rear, if the taillights were to be extended beyond the otherwise flat rear deck, that required the bumper to bulge out in the corners in front as well. Anderson could have come up with more conventional, thrust-forward fender blades but instead he adopted an unconventional, swept-back look.
Now, perhaps I have it backwards — that Anderson first gravitated to a swept-back look in front and needed to come up with elongated taillights in back to fill out the longer bumper corners. However he approached the design, it didn’t work aesthetically either in front or back. And even before 1961 the snout struck me as far too long for such a compact car. Thus, the switch to the Classic front end for 1962 would seem to have been a reasonable idea.
Compare it to that year’s Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge Dart/Polara and full-size Plymouth, and the Ambassador looks restrained and conservative.
Just compare a1965-66 Classic, Ambassador and Chevelle.The Classic is the only awkward dumpy looking one.