1965 Rambler American 440

Ragtop Ramblers are few and far between, but the '65 American was one of the best. Too bad it lacked some sporty features that buyers craved, the reason sales were few and far between, too.

The 1965 Rambler American 440 was the most affordable convertible at the time. See more pictures of classic convertibles.

Nash bought Hudson to form American Motors in 1954, the year it built just 211 Rambler convertibles. The next ragtop Rambler didn't arrive until 1961, but it was much like that '54 model apart from much blockier styling.

For 1964, however, all Rambler Americans became much prettier thanks to a six-inch-longer wheel-base (now 106) and all-new unit bodies with simple, well-tailored lines and curved side glass. Led by the top-line 440-series convertible, they were arguably the year's most attractive Detroit compacts, and sales soared to a record 160,000-plus.

The 1965 Rambler American 440 was not available with popular, sporty features like bucket seats.

The '65 Americans were little changed, which meant another year for Rambler's old 195-cubic-inch six making just 90 or 125 horsepower. Nevertheless, all '65 Ramblers were breathlessly advertised as "The Sensible Spectaculars," and the 440 convertible was Detroit's most affordable ragtop at just $2418 to start. Even so, it wasn't yet available with V-8 power and sporty features like bucket seats, which likely explains why only 3882 of the '65s were delivered, down from 8907 for '64.

For more classic convertibles of the 1960s and 1970s, see:

1960 Dodge Polara	1960 Edsel Ranger	1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner	1962 Dodge Polara 500
1963 Chevrolet Impala SS	1963 Ford Falcon Futura	1963 Plymouth Sport Fury	1963 Studebaker Lark Daytona
1965 Chrysler 300L	1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza	1968 Mercury Park Lane	1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1969 Shelby GT-500	1973 Mercury Cougar XR-7	1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic	1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale
1975 Pontiac Grand Ville	1976 Cadillac Eldorado

For more information on all kinds of cars, try these:

• Classic Convertible Cars: See profiles on more than 70 classic convertibles.
  
• Muscle Cars: Get information on more than 100 tough-guy rides.
• Consumer Guide New Car Reviews: Looking for a new car? Get the Consumer Guide rating.
• Consumer Guide Used Car Reviews: Considering a used car purchase? You'll want to check the Consumer Guide used car rating.

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