Amc American Motors Ambassador Third Generation
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
1962 Rambler Ambassador
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| Overview | |
| Also called | Rambler Ambassador |
| Model years | 1962 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style |
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| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 327 cu in (5.4 L) V8 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 108 in (2,743 mm) |
1962
By the 1962 model year, the Ambassador's chassis was in its fifth season on the market.
And while Rambler sales had been good enough for third place in industry sales (behind Chevrolet and Ford), AMC's management was working on a revolutionary and somewhat costly design set to debut for the 1963 model year. In the meantime, American Motors needed to save money, and since the Ambassador's sales had fallen in 1961, it was decided that the car would be downsized for 1962 to share its body, windshield and 108-inch (2,743 mm) wheelbase with its Classic line mate. Accordingly, the car was marketed as a Rambler Ambassador.
The 1962 Ambassador received a new front end that was very similar to the 1961–62 Classic's, but with a crosshatch design, recessed center section, and Ambassador lettering. New, rectangular taillights were seen at the ends of restyled rear fenders, which lost their fins entirely. Exterior trim was reshuffled, and a new 2-door pillared sedan debuted. A new '400' trim line was added at the top of the line, with Super and Custom models remaining. The Ambassador offered even more luxurious interiors, perhaps to make up for the fact that it now shared its wheelbase with the Rambler Classic. The 400 could be had with vinyl bucket seats, headrests, and color coordinated shag carpets.
The only available engine was AMC's 327 cu in (5.4 L) OHV V8, in either the regular fuel, 2-barrel carburetor and 8.7:1 compression ratio, 250 hp (186 kW; 253 PS) version or the premium gasoline, 4-barrel version with 9.7:1 compression ratio, 270 hp (201 kW; 274 PS) version. The 1962 Ambassador came with a dual chamber master brake cylinder that separated the front and rear brakes so that in the event of the failure of one chamber some braking function would remain. This design was offered by only a few cars at that time. The 1962 models were equipped with "Walker" (brand) flow-through mufflers. The 108-inch (2,743 mm) wheelbase 1962 Ambassador was lighter than its 117-inch (2,972 mm) wheelbase predecessors and when equipped with the 270 hp (201 kW; 274 PS) 327 cu in (5.4 L) V8, it was a spirited performer.
The 1962, 327 cu in (5.4 L) V8 Ambassador for the first time used the same 108-inch (2,743 mm) wheelbase structure as did the 1957 Rambler Rebel which was also equipped with an earlier solid lifter version of the AMC 327. The 1957 Rambler Rebel equipped with a 3-speed column mounted manual transmission, was the quickest 4-door sedan made in the United States, achieving 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration in just over 7 seconds, making it faster than the Hemi Chrysler 300C, the DeSoto Adventurer, the Dodge D500, the Plymouth Fury, and the Chevrolet fuel-injected 283. The 1962 Ambassador was available with a 3-speed manual transmission and being basically the same vehicle, should also reach 60 mph about as quickly as did the 1957 Rambler Rebel.