spot_img
HomePick of the DayFinal year Rambler Rogue hardtop has both V8 and celebrity power

Final year Rambler Rogue hardtop has both V8 and celebrity power

-

The last car to wear the Rambler nameplate was the final American model of 1969, after which American Motors Corp. completely took over the branding. By this time, the American was not just an economy car but included a sporty hardtop named Rogue.

The Pick of the Day is a 1969 AMC Rambler Rogue, a triple-black example powered by its factory 290cid V8 and boasting some celebrity provenance – it was once owned by Cherielynn Westrich from the TV series Overhaulin’, which explains why the glovebox is signed by Chip Foose, the show’s headliner.

Rambler
Mag-style wheels with AMC center caps complete the look

This was the third generation of the American, and the crisp styling of the top-of-the-line Rogue hardtop is dressed up with chrome trim and a machine-turned panel across the rear.  This Rogue stands on an attractive set of period mag-style wheels with AMC center caps.

Because of low production numbers, the Rogue is a rare collector car, according to the Lutz, Florida, dealer advertising the car on ClassicCars.com.  While the 200-horsepower V8 linked with a 3-speed automatic should provide some spunk, the top performance car of the American’s last year was the Hurst SC/Scrambler with a 390cid V8 and 4-speed manual transmission.

Notably, the 390 and the 290 share the same block architecture so that engine swaps to the bigger engine are fairly simple.

Rambler
The 290cid V8 sits in a tidy engine compartment

The Rogue has had one repaint in its original black, with a black vinyl roof and black interior.

“This has been a California car its entire life until last year, so the panels are quite nice,” the seller notes. “It’s all wrapped in the factory-correct black that was updated around mid-life. And the black vinyl roof shows off the great hardtop profile.”

The interior is in nice, original condition, the ad says, including “great factory-correct details like the three-spoke Rambler steering wheel and AM radio that’s still cranking out tunes.”

Rambler
The Rambler’s interior is as original

The asking price for this fun-looking little Rambler performance car with the Chip Foose autograph is a modest $24,995.

And while this model marked the end of the Rambler name, it was not the end of Rogue brand, which has been co-opted by Nissan for its compact crossover SUV.  How times have changed.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

spot_img
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

9 COMMENTS

  1. I’m beginning to feel the numbers in years Bob. The 50s-70s saw the demise of several auto manufacturers. Studebaker Nash Packard AMC Crosley and the very short lived Tucker. Rambler also built the Rebel and the AMX that were quite the performance cars in its day.

    • Depends how you define "demise." AMC-Jeep was bought by Chrysler and then Chrysler was bought by Mercedes Benz and then Mercedes sold Chrysler-Jeep to a hedge fund who then sold Chrysler-Jeep to Fiat. AMC stock converted into Chrysler stock that then converted into Daimler-Benz (Mercedes) stock. So my 100 shares of AMC I bought in 1974 is now 23 shares of Daimler, and is worth several times what I paid for it.

    • Awesome car! My first car was a 69 rambler, same body just 6cylinder. I wanted to put an 8 in it, but didn’t have the money for a toy. Still one of my favorite bodies, this sleeper will blow your doors off!

  2. ..Ahhhh, I had a 63 Rambler convertibale Gold in color, I was very fond of, my Dad had a few of the 50s Brands, Bathtub style , 59 4 dr , with a pushbutton trannie..a couple of Freinds had the AMC HOTRODS…ERA GONE..!!! MUCHED MISSED……

    • Very nice example of a top of the line Rambler. I never saw one of these where I live , mostly base models with six’s . I’m so grateful that Classicars is including examples like this and other AMC cars in their venu. Thank You

  3. I had a 1966 Rambler Rouge in High School 71 & 72, Gold color except Black Top & Trunk w/factory wire hub caps, 290 V8 w/auto on floor w/full factory console & bucket seats. It was a sport car in the day here in Houston, Texas area… My dad was a Nash/Rambler guy.

  4. AMC never fully disappeared. Around 1989 AMC-Jeep was bought by Chrysler. In 1998 Chrysler was bought by Mercedes (Daimler-Benz). Then Chrysler-Jeep was sold to a hedge fund that eventually sold it to Fiat. AMC stock kept its value, converting to Chrysler stock and then into Daimler stock. My 100 shares of AMC purchased in 1974 became 23 shares of Daimler-Benz, and is worth several times what I paid for it.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -