Rambler is an

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded ...

brand name that was first used by the

Thomas B. Jeffery Company The Thomas B. Jeffery Company was an American automobile manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, from 1902 until 1916. The company manufactured the Rambler and Jeffery brand motorcars. It was preceded by the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Compa ...

between 1900 and 1914.

Charles W. Nash Charles Williams Nash (January 28, 1864 – June 6, 1948) was an American automobile entrepreneur who served as an executive in the automotive industry. He played a major role in building up General Motors as its 5th President. In 1916, he bou ...

bought Jeffery in 1916, and the name was reintroduced to the automobile marketplace by

Nash Motors Nash Motors Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1916 to 1937. From 1937 to 1954, Nash Motors was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Nash production continued from 1954 to 1 ...

from 1950 to 1954. The "Rambler" trademark registration for use on automobiles and parts was issued on 9 March 1954 for Nash-Kelvinator. Nash merged with the

Hudson Motor Car Company The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other branded automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., from 1909 until 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). The Hudson name was continued through ...

to form

American Motors Corporation American Motors Corporation (AMC; commonly referred to as American Motors) was an American automobile manufacturing company formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time, it was the ...

(AMC) and the Rambler line of cars continued through the 1969 model year in the United States and 1983 in international markets. Rambler cars were often nicknamed the "Kenosha Cadillac" after the original location and the largest place of manufacture in the city of

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

Rambler 1897–1914

The first use of the name Rambler for an American-made automobile dates to 1897 when

Thomas B. Jeffery Thomas Buckland Jeffery (5 February 1845 – 2 April 1910) was a British emigrant to the United states who co-founded the Gormully & Jeffery company which made the Rambler bicycle. He invented the "clincher" rim which was widely used to fit tir ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

and builder of the Rambler bicycle constructed his first prototype automobile. After receiving positive reviews at the 1899 Chicago International Exhibition & Tournament and the first

National Automobile Show National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Jeffery decided to enter the automobile business. Following the sudden death of his

Rambler Rambler or Ramble may refer to: Places * Rambler, Wyoming * Rambler Channel (藍巴勒海峽), separates Tsing Yi Island and the mainland New Territories in Hong Kong * The Ramble and Lake, Central Park, an area within New York City's Centr ...

partner, R. Philip Gormully, Jeffery sold their bicycle business to the American Bicycle Company, but retained rights to the Rambler name. In 1900, he bought the old

Sterling Bicycle Co. Sterling Bicycle Co. (also known as Sterling Cycle Works) was a 19th-century American bicycle company first based in Chicago, Illinois before relocating to Kenosha, Wisconsin. History In 1894 Annie "Londonderry" Kopchovsky traveled "around th ...

factory in

, and set up shop. Thomas Jeffery and his son Charles, experimented with such early technical innovations as a

steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel (UK), a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light an ...

(as opposed to a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder ...

), left-hand driving and the engine placement under a hood instead of under the seat, but it was decided that such features were too advanced for the motoring public of the day. The first Ramblers were tiller-steered, right-hand drive and the

single-cylinder A single-cylinder engine, sometimes called a thumper, is a piston engine with one cylinder. This engine is often used for motorcycles, motor scooters, go-karts, all-terrain vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, portable tools and garden machinery ( ...

engine was placed under the seat. Rambler innovated various design features and was the first to equip cars with a spare wheel-and-tire assembly. This allowed the driver, when experiencing a

flat tire A flat tire (British English: flat tyre) is a deflated pneumatic tyre, which can cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire. The mo ...

, to exchange the spare wheel and tire for the flat one, rather than patching. Jeffery started commercially mass-producing automobiles in 1902 and by the end of the year had produced 1,500 motor cars, priced at $750 (), one-sixth of all cars that were manufactured in the U.S. during that year. The

was the second largest auto manufacturer at that time, behind

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it pro ...

. In 1904 Jeffery built 2,342 Ramblers. Higher-powered

two-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

versions with front-mounted engines and steering wheels where now available. In 1905 the single-cylinder was discontinued and three larger two-cylinder models priced from $1,200 to $3,000 were offered. A Rambler

four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

was introduced in 1906. New employee Edward S, Jordan, who would later become Jeffery's secretary and general manager, provided advertisement copy such as "The Right Car at the Right Price," and “June Time Is Rambler Time” and other evocative phrases. By 1906, Rambler was considered an industry leader with one of the best equipped automobile factories. Thomas Jeffery was not interested in major mass production and settled in a pattern of producing 2,500 Ramblers a year. In 1910 all Ramblers were now four-cylinder medium priced cars. While on vacation in 1910, Thomas B. Jeffery died of a heart attack and his son Charles took over the newly incorporated Thomas B. Jeffery Company. Charles increased annual production by about 500 cars and for 1912 introduced new Ned Jordan model names such as Cross Country, Country Club, Knickerbocker and Valkyrie. For 1913 the last Rambler branded models were the Cross Country roadster and

touring car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Th ...

, an Inside Drive

coupe A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

and the Gotham

Limousine A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment. A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pr ...

, priced from $1,650 () to $2,750, . In 1914, Charles T. Jeffery, Thomas B. Jeffery's son, replaced the Rambler brand name with Jeffery in honor of his now-deceased father. In 1916, the Thomas B. Jeffery Company was purchased by

and became

Company in 1917. The Jeffery brand name was dropped at the time of the sale and the manufacture of Nash branded automobiles commenced. In 1937, the concern became the

Nash-Kelvinator Corporation Nash-Kelvinator Corporation was the result of a merger in 1937 between Nash Motors and Kelvinator Appliance Company. The union of these two companies was brought about as a result of a condition made by George W. Mason prior to his appointment as ...

through a merger with the major appliance maker. File:1901 Rambler A -Charles T. Jeffery.jpg, Thomas Jeffery in his first prototype Rambler motor vehicle 1901 File:Rambler 1903 6HP Runabou on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg, Rambler 6HP Runabout 1903 File:Rambler 1903 6.5 HP Runabout on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg, Rambler 6 1/2HP Runabout 1903 File:Rambler 1904 7HP Rear-Entrance Tonneau on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg, Rambler 7HP Rear-entrance tonneau 1904 File:Rambler1908.jpg, 1908 Rambler advertisement File:1913 Rambler 5-passenger Touring.JPG, 1913 Rambler five-passenger

Rambler 1950–1957

Under the direction of Charles Nash's successor

George W. Mason George Walter Mason (March 12, 1891 – October 8, 1954) was an American industrialist. During his career Mason served as the Chairman and CEO of the Kelvinator Corporation (1928-1937), Chairman and CEO of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation (1937-19 ...

began the development of a small car that could be produced inexpensively for the post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

economy. However,

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

shortages limited the amount of

raw material A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feeds ...

s that Nash could obtain, so Mason turned the compact, now designated the Rambler, into a two-door sedan with a

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

top. The cars were equipped with many standard features that were typically options, to maximize

profit Profit may refer to: Business and law * Profit (accounting), the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market * Profit (economics), normal profit and economic profit * Profit (real property), a nonpossessory inter ...

s for the company. When introduced, the Rambler was an immediate success for Nash. As steel quotas related to the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

eased, the Rambler line was broadened in both its model types, first a

station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

and 2-door hardtop dubbed "Country Club", and later a 2-door sedan. A further expansion of the line for 1954 included a four-door sedan and station wagon called "Cross Country" on a stretched

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (fron ...

, which proved to be as successful as the first generation of two-door sedan convertibles. The first generation of modern Ramblers carried a modified version of Nash's ''Airflyte'' styling, which included closed wheel openings. While the wheel openings of any car are a major source of

wind resistance In fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called air resistance, a type of friction, or fluid resistance, another type of friction or fluid friction) is a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding flu ...

, the design was rather primarily an engineering design to increase the strength of the car for impact resistance. Many people surmised that the skirted fenders limited the turning radius of the wheels, but they were not an actual handicap for having a comparatively narrow front track. Ramblers continued to use this styling until 1955, when the front wheels were revealed by a periodic design update. In 1954 the Rambler offered the first combination heating and air conditioning unit available on American cars. The unit could be an add-on or could be installed at the factory for $395, which at that time was about the lowest-cost unit available in an American car. In 1954,

(AMC) was formed from the

merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspec ...

of Nash-Kelvinator and the

. Following the merger, 1955 and 1956 Ramblers were badged as both Nashes and Hudsons, with no visible difference between the two. Rambler became a marque in its own right for the 1957 model year. The Nash and Hudson makes were continued as a "senior" model only through 1957, after which all of AMC's offerings were marketed as Ramblers, with the exception of the imported 1958–1962

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

. File:Nash Rambler (4252280021).jpg, 1951 Nash Rambler Custom two-door sedan File:1951 Nash Rambler Deliveryman (15112959125).jpg, 1951 Nash Rambler Deliveryman File:1952 Nash Rambler blue wagon front.jpg, 1952 Nash Rambler wagon File:1954 Nash Rambler Custom Country Club at 2015 AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet 3of9.jpg, 1954 Nash Rambler Custom Country Club File:Flickr - DVS1mn - 55 Rambler Country Club (3).jpg, 1955 Rambler Country Club, made by American Motors Corporation File:1956 Nash Rambler (11398983695).jpg, 1956 Nash Rambler 4-Door Sedan File:1957 Rambler Custom Cross-Country wagon AnnMD-a.jpg, 1957 Rambler Custom Cross-Country wagon

Rambler 1958–1969

At the start of the 1960s George Romney made a marketing decision that more fully unified the various Rambler model names under the Rambler brand. In 1962, the

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or s ...

, a top-trim level model, was officially brought under the Rambler name (it had previously been named the "Ambassador by Rambler"), and the former

Rambler Six The Rambler Six and the Rambler V8 are intermediate sized automobiles that were built and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1956 to 1960. Launched on 15 December 1955, the 1956 model year Rambler Six ushered a "new era in motor ...

and

Rambler Rebel The Rambler Rebel is an automobile that was produced by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) of Kenosha, Wisconsin for the 1957–1960 model years, as well as again for 1966 and 1967. Introduced as a stand-alone model in one body style, the 1 ...

V8 were renamed the

Rambler Classic The Rambler Classic is an intermediate sized automobile that was built and sold by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from the 1961 through 1966 model years. The Classic took the place of the Rambler Six and Rambler Rebel V-8 names, which wer ...

. (Note: while the top-line models for 1958-1961 were advertised as the "Ambassador V-8 by Rambler", on the cars themselves, the nomenclature was "Rambler Ambassador".) In 1958, AMC introduced America's first "compact car," the Rambler American. This car was essentially the 1950 Nash Rambler, slightly restyled and modernized for the late 1950s. However, the car was an instant success and lost sales only after the "Big Three" (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) each introduced compact cars of their own ( GM "X" body,

Ford Falcon Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide. * Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970. * Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991. * For ...

, and

Chrysler A platform The Chrysler A platform was the basis for smaller rear wheel drive cars in the 1960s. These cars are sometimes referred to as A-body cars. Cars using the A platform in various markets around the world include: * 1960-1976 Plymouth Valiant * 1960 ...

). Romney also put into play his plan to slash production costs, which involved more common parts sharing between the Ambassador and Classic models. Beginning in 1962, all "senior" Rambler models would share the same

automobile platform A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars, often from different, but somewhat related, marques. It is pra ...

with identical wheelbase and body parts, but the engines, trims, and equipment levels distinguished the Classic from the Ambassador. The Rambler's compact size (by US standards) also made it an international competitor, and between 1961 and 1965 AMC opened thirteen foreign assembly plants, from

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. In 1963, the entire Rambler line received the ''

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 1998, when it was sold to ...

Car of the Year Car of the Year (COTY) is a common abbreviation for numerous automotive awards. The "Car of the Year" phrase is considered to have been introduced by ''Motor Trend'' magazine in 1949 when the new publication named Cadillac as Motor Trend Car of the ...

award. However, Romney's departure to become Michigan governor opened the door for his successor,

Roy Abernethy Roy Abernethy (September 29, 1906, Pennsylvania – February 28, 1977, Jupiter, Florida) was an executive in the American automobile industry, serving as CEO of American Motors Corporation (AMC) from February 1962 to January 1967. Prior to his t ...

, to redirect the company towards a strategy of competing head to head with the Big Three (

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...

, and

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

) with a variety of bodies and

s. This new plan also included marketing the various models apart from the Rambler brand name, which Abernethy felt would be a hindrance in the market segments he hoped to pursue. One of the first moves in that direction was the creation of the 1965 line of Ramblers, which split the Classic from the Ambassador visually, while still sharing a significant number of parts. Once again the Ambassador had a unique, extended wheelbase. In addition, AMC introduced the

Marlin Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...

, a hardtop

fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style. Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...

intended to enter AMC in the youth and

personal luxury Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance. The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and mar ...

market segments as well as also positioning it as a "halo" vehicle. AMC chief stylist Richard Teague introduced a totally restyled and attractive Rambler American in 1964, which was a sales success. This basic body remained in its original shape through 1969. Backed by marketing reports, Abernethy next made a persuasive argument to the AMC board that the Rambler name had not only acquired a stodgy image and was a hindrance to increasing

sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

, but that consumers associated it with

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...

s. In what hindsight would show to be an ill-conceived decision, American Motors began to phase it out in favor of an

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

marque beginning in 1966, as it attempted to become a multiplatform automobile manufacturer. Retention of the well-known Rambler brand name and its association with compact economy models could have served AMC well in the 1970s. By 1968, the only vehicle produced by AMC to carry the Rambler marque was the compact

Rambler American The Rambler American is a compact car that was manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC forerunner Nash Motors' compact Rambler that was introduced in 1950 a ...

. Although designed as a "basic" economy car, the American spawned the audacious SC/Rambler, developed with

Hurst Performance Hurst Performance, Inc. of Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, manufactured and marketed products for enhancing the performance of automobiles, most notably muscle cars. Products Hurst produced aftermarket replacement manual transmission shifte ...

. While AMC planned to produce only 500 for the 1969

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

, the "''Scrambler''" proved popular so two more groups of about 500 each were built. All featured the same V8, four-barrel

carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

, and close-ratio four-speed

transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...

of the AMX, plus Hurst shifter, Twin-Grip (limited slip) differential, and cold air hood. For the final year in 1969, the models were simply called Rambler. The 1969 Rambler (and Chevrolet Corvair and Dodge Dart) were the only U.S. compact cars available that year in a two-door hardtop body style; Ford compacts were only available as sedans. The last U.S.-built Rambler, of over 4.2 million cars that carried the Rambler name that rolled off the assembly line in Kenosha, was produced on 30 June 1969. File:1958 Rambler sedan pink and white NJ.jpg, 1958 Rambler sedan File:Fifty-six carloads of new 1958 Ramblers.jpg, Train unloading 1958 Ramblers for a car rental company in Florida. File:1962 Rambler Ambassador 2-door sedan Kenosha green-f.jpg, 1962

Rambler Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

, AMC's largest model File:1963 Rambler American 440-H black-red MD fl.jpg, 1963 Rambler American 440 2-door hardtop File:1964 Rambler Classic 770 wagon-green.jpg, 1964 Rambler Classic 770 wagon File:1966 AMC Ambassador red convertible in MD.JPG, 1966 Rambler Ambassador 990 convertible File:1967 AMC Rambler Rebel sedan aqua.jpg, 1967 Rambler Rebel 770 sedan

Rambler 1970–1983

The Rambler

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

was continued in all international markets after it was dropped in the United States. AMC vehicles were badged as “Rambler" in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Venezuela, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In Argentina, a special model based on the third generation Rambler American became the IKA Torino in 1967. It later was named the

Renault Torino The IKA Torino, later Renault Torino, is a mid-sized automobile made by Industrias Kaiser Argentina (IKA) under an agreement with American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1966. The 1966 Torino was IKA's first national product. IKA was eventually bo ...

and was offered until 1981. The Rambler nameplate was last used on automobiles in 1983 by

Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos Vehículos Automotores Mexicanos, S.A. (VAM) was a Mexican automaker from 1946 to 1986. The original organization, a distributor and license manufacturer for Willys-Overland and AMC vehicles, became government controlled in 1963 with American Mo ...

(VAM) in Mexico.

Rambler brand cars

Historic: * Rambler: 1901–1913 Compact: *

: 1958–1968 * Rambler 1969 Mid-sized: *

Rambler Six and V8 The Rambler Six and the Rambler V8 are intermediate sized automobiles that were built and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1956 to 1960. Launched on 15 December 1955, the 1956 model year Rambler Six ushered a "new era in motor ...

: 1957–1960 *

: 1958–1965 *

: 1961–1966 * Rambler Typhoon: 1964 *

: 1967 *

Rambler Marlin The Rambler Marlin (later AMC Marlin) is a two-door fastback automobile produced in the United States by American Motors Corporation from 1965 to 1967. A halo car for the company, it was marketed as a personal luxury car. In 1965, the car w ...

: 1965 Show cars: * Rambler Palm Beach: 1950 *

Rambler Tarpon The Rambler Tarpon was a concept car, a compact-sized sporty youth-oriented 2+2 hardtop coupé developed in 1963 by American Motors Corporation (AMC). The bright red with black roof design study made its public debut 1964 Chicago Auto Show a ...

: 1964 International: *

** Costa Rica 1965-1970 ** United Kingdom 1965-1974 * Rambler AMX ** Australia 1969–1970 * Rambler Hornet ** Australia 1970–1975Green Price and Model Guide, July–August 1983, page 74 ** Costa Rica 1970-1975 (as "Rambler SST" and "Rambler Unisex") ** Mexico 1970-1977 (as "VAM American" and "Rambler American") ** South Africa 1970-1971 ** Venezuela 1970-1977 *

Rambler Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the Javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the slin ...

** Australia 1968–1973 ** Germany 1968-1970 ** Mexico 1968-1973 ** Venezuela 1968-1974 ** Philippines 1968–1970. * Rambler Matador ** Australia 1971–1977 ** Costa Rica 1971-1974 ** Mexico 1971-1976 (as "Rambler Classic") ** United Kingdom 1971-1977 *

** Australia 1967–1971 ** Belgium 1967 (as "Renault Rambler") ** Costa Rica 1967-1970 ** Mexico 1967-1970 (as "Rambler Classic") ** New Zealand 1967-1971 ** United Kingdom 1967-1970

International production

File:1964 Rambler Classic 660 (27414915636).jpg, 1964

660 built by Campbell Motor Industries, New Zealand. File:Cancerdaytehran.jpg, Sherkate Sahami Jeep company built the 1966

from 1967 to 1974 in Iran. File:Rambler av.jpg, 1967 Renault Rambler sedan, built by

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

, Belgium. File:1975 Rambler Hornet Sedan (45676182011).jpg, 1975 Rambler Hornet built by

Australian Motor Industries Australian Motor Industries (AMI) was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automotive industry in Australia. Start of production The origins of Australian Motor Industries can be traced back to 1926 w ...

, Australia. File:1974 Rambler Matador Sedan (9347190925).jpg, 1976 Australian-assembled Rambler Matador (U.S 1974 model) File:15-07-16-Straszenszenen-Mexico-RalfR-WMA 1074.jpg,

AMC Gremlin The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin) is a subcompact automobile introduced in 1970, manufactured and marketed in a single, two-door body style (1970–1978) by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as in Mexico (1974–1983) by A ...

made by

, Mexico. File:1971 Rambler Regal (21213649360).jpg, New Zealand-assembled 1970 Rambler Rebel. File:Rambler Classic IKA.JPG, Rambler Classic made by IKA, Argentina. Companies that undertook the production of Rambler vehicles outside of the United States either by local assembly or full import included the following: North America *

(Mexico): 1963–1983 * Purdy Motor (Costa Rica): 1964-1973 * Motorizada de Costa Rica (Costa Rica): 1974-1978 * Nassau Motors (Bahamas): 196?-197? Australasia *

(Australia): 1960–1977 * VW Motors Ltd (New Zealand): 1958-1962 * Campbell Motor Industries (New Zealand): 1964–1971 * Luzon Machineries Limited (Philippines): 196?-1970 Europe *

(France/Belgium): 1962-1967 * Jacques Poch (France): 1970s * Jean-Charles (France): 1970s * Nash Concessionaires Ltd (United Kingdom): 19??-1960 * Petrol Motor Power Co. (United Kingdom): 1902-1912 * Rambler Motors (A.M.C) Limited (United Kingdom): 1961-1977 *

Peter Lindner GmbH Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

(Germany) 1969-1977 * Wilhelm Karmann GmbH (Germany): 1968-1970 * Kolberg & Caspary AS (Norway): 1958-19?? South America * Automovil de Francia (Venezuela): 1963-1968 * Constructora Venezolana de Vehículos (Venezuela): 1968–1977 *

Industrias Kaiser Argentina Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A. (mostly known for its acronym IKA) was an Argentine automobile manufacturer established in 1956 as a joint venture with Kaiser Motors of the United States. Headquartered in Santa Isabel, Córdoba, the automaker ...

(Argentina): 1962–1972 * Juan Carlos Lutteral (Argentina) 1979-198? * Indauto (Chile): 1964-1967 * Automotores Franco Chilena (Chile) 1967-19?? * Rambler del Peru S.A (Peru): 1963-1966 * Industria Automotriz Peruana S.A (Peru): 1966-1970 Africa * National Motor Assemblers (South Africa): 1964-1967 * Rosslyn Motor Assemblers (South Africa): 1968 * Motor Assemblies Limited (South Africa): 1969-1970 Middle East *

Pars Khodro Pars Khodro ( fa, Pārs Xodro) is an Iranian automobile manufacturer. It was the first manufacturer of sport utility vehicles ( SUVs) in Iran. History Formerly, Pars Khodro built American Motors' Rambler and General Motors (GM) products under lice ...

(Iran): 1967-1974

Trademark

American Motors had stopped producing cars using the Rambler trademark in 1970. In 1973, Action Age Incorporated wanted to register "Scrambler" for an off-highway vehicle and in a case before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board contended that the trademark Rambler had been abandoned. This registration was opposed by AMC and the court determined that even though the manufacturing of Ramblers ended, the trademark was not abandoned because AMC continued to have commercial activities such as parts with the Rambler name on the boxes as well as franchising dealers that retained Rambler in their name or marketed used cars under the Rambler trademark./ The Rambler trademark registration expired on 12 December 1994, because Chrysler (the company that acquired AMC in 1987) did not file an affidavit of continued use. However, it was claimed by Chrysler as a retro or heritage mark that "had built an affinity and emotional connection with the consumer as a result of the original product that was in the marketplace, and continues to have nostalgia appeal with consumers who are still interested in acquiring product that is built around the mark’s core values and replicates the markets and the mark itself." In a 2008 case before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the

United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...

determined that Chrysler continued to have products licensed in connection with the Rambler mark for automobiles and thus sufficiently related to automobiles so that consumers would ascribe a single source to the products. Chrysler, as the successor company, was able to "prove nonabandonment by demonstrating that there were many Rambler autos (and related supplies) bearing the mark still in use. The board ruled that Chrysler "has priority of use, at the very least with respect to key rings, calendars, decals, specification sheets and owner's manuals, all relating to Rambler automobiles."

References

External links

The AMC Rambler Car Club

Ramblers at ConceptCarz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rambler (Automobile) Rambler vehicles 1900s cars 1910s cars 1950s cars 1960s cars AMC vehicles Brass Era vehicles Veteran vehicles Cars introduced in 1900 Cars introduced in 1950 Cars of the United States Compact cars Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States George W. Romney Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Wisconsin Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Nash vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Sedans Station wagons Defunct manufacturing companies based in Michigan Defunct manufacturing companies based in Wisconsin Companies based in Kenosha, Wisconsin