A further break with tradition occurred in 1966 when the Rambler surname was dropped from the Ambassador as part of an overall brand phase-out. Abernathy correctly surmised that the public linked it to AMC's econo-car past instead of to its big-car future. That year the Ambassador also gained a new deluxe version called the DPL. This was essentially a 990-series two-door hardtop with distinctive exterior trim and an interior that contained a floor console and reclining front bucket seats dressed in houndstooth fabric.
At the shallow end of the pool, AMC's normally fuel-sipping Rambler American featured the Rogue, a sporty compact with racing stripes, floor-mounted four-speed gearbox and tire-squealing V8 power.
Although AMC's traditional budget-minded buyers had no idea what had happened to their beloved buttoned-down car company, sales
nonetheless began to steadily move up the ladder, an indicator that Abernathy and Teague were on the right track.
Unfortunately, increased new-car deliveries failed to staunch the rising tide of red ink sweeping over the organization. AMC's board of directors forced Roy Abernathy out of office, but the quest to produce ever bigger Ambassadors as well as more youth-oriented machinery like the Javelin and AMX would continue unabated for years to come.
In the end, it was the Ambassador that helped to fundamentally alter AMC's direction. It may have accounted for a mere fraction of total passenger car sales, but it was an important first step in trying to bring the company's products in tune with what the consumer of the day really wanted.
At the shallow end of the pool, AMC's normally fuel-sipping Rambler American featured the Rogue, a sporty compact with racing stripes, floor-mounted four-speed gearbox and tire-squealing V8 power.
Although AMC's traditional budget-minded buyers had no idea what had happened to their beloved buttoned-down car company, sales
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| AMC Ambassador |
Unfortunately, increased new-car deliveries failed to staunch the rising tide of red ink sweeping over the organization. AMC's board of directors forced Roy Abernathy out of office, but the quest to produce ever bigger Ambassadors as well as more youth-oriented machinery like the Javelin and AMX would continue unabated for years to come.
In the end, it was the Ambassador that helped to fundamentally alter AMC's direction. It may have accounted for a mere fraction of total passenger car sales, but it was an important first step in trying to bring the company's products in tune with what the consumer of the day really wanted.
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