American Car Spotters Guide - 1960

Garishness lost its glitter in the 'Sixties. In America, this was reflected in sober car design. Once again life style took on a new definition. It was the prelude to the Nineteen Seventies and a decade of fast living and radical changes. American Motors Corporation (or AMC) was created at the merger between Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator, and at the time it was the largest merger ever in the United States (1954). Ramblers were the first to start the compact car movement way before there was a need, twenty years before the fuel crisis strangled the US economy and killed a lot of great cars.

Then, in a surprising move that has not one single time since been as successful – they reintroduced the 1955 Nash Rambler without any major modifications in 1958 with huge success. It was during the 1960s that AMC changed their ideals and began to build more reliable and economy based cars that were easier to afford and lasted the owners a good amount of times, they also started doing more convertibles and included air-conditioning as standard in 1968.

Because of this AMC were able to become very successful in marketing a new feature, and then with a new CEO in 1968 they changed more of AMCs marketing and eventually were able to regain some lost ground in the earlier sixties. Finally they were able to reach the VW bug in price, and sell as cheaply as they did – which further expanded the numbers they sold. However, in 1969 they decided the time for the Rambler was gone –and they cut that… but being the first to make Air Conditioning standard – they showed it could be done with minimal cost.

At the beginning of the 1970s AMC were seeing more sales, more market share, and beginning to reap the benefits from the expanded lines and expansion of their sales. However, by the end of the 1970s a lack of development (mainly due to prototype failure) lead them to stagnant sales, and they were unable to compete in the energy crisis. In 1979 they merged with Renault to get some more backing and car models, and that worked until 1985, then the final buyout occurred. From that point on, AMC were merely a subsidiary of Chrysler, although the latter brought with them the knowledge of constant need for innovation and designing.

Also see: The American Muscle Car Era - 1960 | 1960 American Car Ads