1961-1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop

1963 Rambler American convertible

The 1961-1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop was the sportiest of the final 100-inch-wheelbase Ramblers and arguably the most desirable now. The 1961 Americans were essentially Nash's successful 1950-1955 design as revived and updated for 1958, but with completely new outer sheet metal by American Motors design director Edmund A. Anderson.

The reskin did a good job of disguising 10-year-old bodies, but produced unfashionably stubby cars that looked small even for compacts, but they did get away from the old "bathtub" look. Mainstream offerings remained two- and four-door sedans and wagons, but a convertible was offered for the first time since 1954, newly reconfigured with roll-down door glass instead of fixed side-window frames.

A hardtop coupe joined the convertible in the top-trim series for 1963. The ragtop was initially a Custom, then a "400," and finally a "440." The hardtop came for 1963 as a bench-seat 440 and bucket seat 440-H. All but the last carried AMC's smallest six in 125-horsepower form; the 440-H had the 138-bhp version from the intermediate Rambler Classic.

Sporty body types notwithstanding, these cars have slim chance of becoming prized collectibles, certainly much less than their better-looking successors, but they merit consideration by budget-minded hobbyists as interesting and fairly uncommon, cheap -- and fun -- wheels.

Pluses of the 1961-1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:

Ample support from two major clubs
Convertible's top-down allure
Do-it-yourself simple
Easy on gas
Fun on a budget
Hardtop's likely rarity

Minuses of the 1961-1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:

Boxy (if tidy) styling
Many body/trim parts hard to find
Modest appreciation potential
Pedestrian performance
Rust-prone

Production of the 1961 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:

Custom convertible: 10,855
Convertible (bucket seats): 2,063

Production of the 1962 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:

400 Convertible: 13,497

Production of the 1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:

440 convertible: 4,750
2-door hardtop: 5,101
400-H 2-door hardtop: 9,749

Specifications of the 1961-1963 Rambler American Convertible & Hardtop:
Wheelbase, inches: 100.0
Length, inches: 173.1
Weight, pounds: 2,550-2,743
Price, new: $2,136-$2,369 (U.S.)