Today is the 4th of July, the American celebration of defiantly cutting the umbilical cord from Britain. Here at the ClassicCars.com Journal, we are Americans and, for Independence Day, we aim to show you the most American of classic cars – from an Independent, no less: the Rambler American. But this isn’t just any American – it’s a 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler.
Nineteen sixty-nine was the final year for both the American and the Rambler name, as the AMC Hornet was waiting in the wings as the American’s replacement. None of that was important to Hurst Performance’s idea to cram a 390 V8 under the hood of the Rambler Rogue two-door hardtop. Bold graphics (some of it taken from a rejected Hurst/Olds proposal) pointed air to a functional hood scoop that sat above the static boundary of air for a proper ramming effect. Hood pins were a touch that was starting to appear on factory cars. The 315-horse engine was hooked to a Borg-Warner close-ratio four-speed backed by 3.54 gears with Twin-Grip.
Other features included a handling package, heavy-duty cooling, 20:1 manual steering, sports steering wheel, dual exhaust system with Thrush mufflers, Sun tach mounted on the steering column, charcoal vinyl split bench seat with recline feature, rear/white/blue headrests, and more. The only option was an AM radio.
All this was wrapped in one of the most boisterous paint schemes to cruise Woodward: white body with red slathered on the sides and a blue overhead stripe with matching Magnum 500 wheels. That’s actually called the A-scheme as there was a more subdued B-scheme produced, though in much fewer numbers. All told, 1,512 Hurst SC/Ramblers were built, and AMC sold every one of them.
Join Muscle Car Campy as he gives us his driving impressions on an A-scheme 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler. If you enjoy this video, be sure to check out other Muscle Car Campy segments.
It’s the Fourth of July! Get out the red, white, and blue and wave the flag as we celebrate America’s independence from those haughty royals back in England! And what better way to celebrate the occasion than with our Pick of the Day – nothing says “America” like a 1970 American Motors Rebel Machine hot rod. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Lavergne, Tennessee. (Click the link to view the listing)
The Rebel name had been used by Rambler since 1957, but the mid-size Rebel model first appeared in 1966 as a special version of the Classic. In 1967, with the redesign, the whole mid-size series became the Rebel, which featured thoroughly modern styling and engines options up to a 343ci V8 and four-speed manual. The SST in particular featured a tasteful, nonfunctional rear quarter scoop that inversely mimicked the fender protrusions from the bumpers.
1967 Rambler Rebel SST
For 1968, the Rebel (along with all other models) was marketed as an AMC instead of Rambler. Come 1970, the Rebel featured a redesigned rear and C-pillars, though the grille was merely a facelift as done since 1967. The top engine was a 325-horsepower 390 but more horsepower would come with the introduction of AMC’s first mid-size muscle car: the Rebel Machine.
The original concept was initiated in 1968 as a collaborative effort between AMC and Hurst Performance. The car was a matte-black 1969 Rebel coupe, but the concept would not officially make its debut until October 1969 at the NHRA World Championship Drag Racing Finals in Dallas. The production version (all overseen by AMC) featured a white Rebel SST hardtop coupe with red/white/blue stripes running from the trunk lid and across the sides to the front in red, and the lower body was painted in blue. Other features included a 340-horsepower 390, Borg-Warner four-speed with Hurst shifter or automatic, Twin-Grip differential with 3.54 or 3.91 gears, partially blue-painted hood with ram air system featuring an integrated tachometer on the hood scoop, heavy-duty suspension, and 15-inch tires on slotted mag wheels. A black bucket seat interior was the only choice, with the armrest striped in red/white/blue.
It is believed after 1,000 Rebel Machines were built, AMC allowed any color and interior to be ordered. These cars received no stripes, and the hood was now partially painted black, though the signature scheme was still available. All told, 2,326 were built. The Rebel Machine was discontinued for 1971, but so was the Rebel – the Matador replaced it. A front restyle was new, as was a “Matador Machine” package that included 360 or 401 V8s, but fewer than 100 were built.
This 1970 AMC Rebel Machine hot rod is painted in the signature red/white/blue but, hold on to your socks, AMC fans: this is a tribute powered by an LS1 V8. “This 1970 AMC Rebel Machine Tribute LS Restomod seamlessly blends classic muscle car looks with the untamed power of a modern LS1 engine,” says the seller. Outside, this Rebel Machine tribute looks stock aside of the Weld wheels and fat tires. Inside, you’ll find a black interior including the Machine-specific striped armrest, plus a Dakota Digital meter computer for keeping tabs on things in a modern manner.
Under the hood is an electronic fuel-injected 5.7-liter LS1 – note the patriotic engine colors too. Other features include a modern five-speed manual, headers, Flowmasters, and a detailed underside that’s painted and undercoated.
They say that baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet represent the epitome of America. A little company from Kenosha vehemently disagrees, so let’s celebrate the red, white, and blue with this $79,995 AMC.
The Porsche 911 has always been a benchmark sports car with a history that goes all the way back to 1963. Butzi Porsche’s original exterior design language would continue on in various forms for decades, only changing with the times due to safety regulations, increased knowledge of aerodynamics, and improved technology. The 911 design changed quite a bit with the introduction of the 991 series of 911 cars, but just before that happened Porsche created what I think of as their masterpiece of all the 911 cars built.
The car that was able to take the original design of the classic 1960s 911 and somehow elegantly merge it with modern engineering and styling. This car is the Porsche 997 version of the 911. I say this having owned 33 different Porsche 911 cars over the years, so I have a bit of experience and many opinions about the 911 as you can probably tell. To me the 997 cars are the pinnacle of 911 development, and the later cars are something else entirely. Sure, they are faster and offer even more performance and technology, but I don’t think of them as classically elegant the way I do the 997. They really seem to be the end of an era.
The seller describes this Porsche 911 Cabriolet as an example with 25,720-miles that is powered by Porsche’s 9A1 3.8-liter flat-six that is paired with a PDK seven-speed automatic transaxle and a limited-slip differential. The car is finished in Porsche’s iconic color of Carrara White (yes that is spelled correctly) and equipped with a black power-retractable top over a red natural leather interior, which is a combination that looks absolutely spectacular.
This is a nicely optioned example which includes Bi-xenon headlights, LED taillights, color-keyed 19” Turbo wheels, a heated steering wheel, Bose stereo, red natural leather upholstery (code 998), 12-way adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, and the super cool Sport Chrono Package Plus.
This car looks and sounds, from the auction listing, like it is an excellent example of a 997 era 911 Cabriolet. The seller states that it received a service 200 miles ago and the only flaws being a slight scuff on the front bumper and some scratches on the drivers seat. Keep in mind that as this is a 997.2, so there should be no IMS bearing issues whatsoever as Porsche seems to have finally and completely solved that issue by this time.
If you are looking for what I feel is the pinnacle of modern 911 cars this 997.2 Carrera S Cabriolet is the one.
The Jeep brand, celebrating more than eight decades of freedom, adventure, passion and authenticity, has again been named as America’s most patriotic brand. For the 23rd year in a row, the Jeep brand is America’s most patriotic, according to Brand Keys Most Patriotic Brands survey. Consumers who were surveyed assessed brands that best embody the value of patriotism in 2024.
“Being recognized as America’s most patriotic brand for the 23rd consecutive year is a testament to our passionate owners and enthusiasts who whole-heartedly embrace the outdoor adventure and freedom that our Jeep 4x4s offer, which is second to no other,” said Bill Peffer, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America.
2024 Jeep Low Down Concept
To determine the 2024 rankings, Brand Keys surveyed more than 7,460 consumers, 18 to 65 years of age, balanced for gender and political affiliation, assessed 1,381 brands in 143 B2C and B2B categories, using Brand Keys emotional engagement measures. The assessments evaluated brand resonance for the single value of patriotism, and the Jeep brand was identified as the best for meeting today’s patriotism challenges.
Jeep Wrangler Magneto 3.0 Concept
“Patriotism is one of the most powerful values a brand can own. Jeep has primary ownership of that value, with a real emotional underpinning. Jeep has a history forged in the past and the present,” said Robert Passikoff, president and founder of Brand Keys. “And if there’s such a thing as ‘patriotic DNA,’ it shows up in our Most Patriotic Brands emotional engagement assessments. In a more political and partisan marketplace, Jeep has been able to create a bond with all consumers, which is why Jeep shows up at the top of the list every year.”
The Jeep brand and the USO are also marking 16 years together to help support and keep the members of the nation’s military connected to everything that gives meaning to their service. More information can be found at USO.org.
In this episode of Collectible Corner, we take a look at two flashy Porsches from Star Model: the 964 and 993.
Even better, we are giving away the Gold Chrome 964 thanks to the fine folks at RDDC Diecast Collectibles – just sign up at HERE for a chance to win. And be sure to check out RDDC’s store at www.rddcmarket.com.
Make sure to subscribe to the ClassicCars TV YouTube channel for all episodes of Collectible Corner, as well as see interesting finds and car reviews!
Two student docents from the Maine Classic Car Museum are taking part in the 2024 Great Race as part of the X-Cup Challenge. Click here for part eleven of their journey.
We did it! We crossed the finish line in historic downtown Gardiner, Maine, to end an incredible Great Race 2024. As we rolled under the arch on Water Street, there seemed to be thousands of cheering fans welcome all the Great Racers, including our family, friends, and mentors.
Cotton’s parents, Roxi and Julian, and his grandfather greeted the team with big smiles and a poster at the finish line.
We woke up this morning in Augusta with excitement but also a tinge of sadness that our journey with all these great people was coming to an end. Of course, the race master did not disappoint us with the final leg. While it was the shortest course of the entire race, it made up for that with so many twists and turns that we were on our toes every moment.
As she had all race, Ruby, our 1961 Cadillac Sedan DeVille performed beautifully. After completing the course, we were staged at a local car museum with an amazing collection of early Fords.
There was a festival held downtown in our honor, and then the Great Race organizers hosted a banquet and awards ceremony. Mr. Peter Prescott, the local Gardiner sponsor, treated everyone to a delicious Maine “lob-stah” dinner. At the awards banquet, we all got a chance to congratulate the father and son team from Fairport, New York, who were grand champions for the second time. A job very well done! We congratulate the Stones River AACA X-Cup team for taking top honors in the student X-Cup division. We are excited to see our good friends from Alfred State University receive the Team Choice Award, voted on by all the X-Cup teams to honor the one team that most exemplified the spirit of the Great Race.
Cotton won a Scott Henderson Memorial Scholarship at the awards banquet, which was presented by Nick Ellis of the RPM Foundation and the Henderson Family.
Nick Ellis from the RPM Foundation presented special awards, the Scott Henderson Memorial Scholarships, thanks to the generous support of the Henderson family. Cotton was surprised and grateful to receive a $1,500 scholarship for finishing in second place in the race among all applicants.
At the Great Race Awards Banquet, Cotton shows Miles Prentice, the owner of the Maine Classic Car Museum and the team’s sponsor, the strong results our rookie team posted for the final leg.
Overall, we are pleased with our results, finishing in 91st position, achieving our goal of making it in the top 100. Getting the two aces was just a bonus, the motto for the Great Race “to finish is to win” really hit home for us. Looking at all the big smiles and high-fives last night, it’s easy to see why everyone in the Great Race is a winner. We may be at the finish line today, but this is just the beginning for us, as we’d love to do it all again next year. Thank you to all for your support and well wishes. We Hope to see you again next year at the starting line in Minnesota for a the Great Race 2025! We will wrap up our blog tomorrow with a report on our student after party celebration at the Maine Classic Car Museum.
There is no denying that the Camaro shares some DNA with its big brother, the Corvette – especially when configured in high-performance trim variants. Such has been the case for decades. Chevrolet even said in its marketing materials, “One of the hardest ways to tell them apart is to drive them.”
When comparing base-for-base, a 1970 Camaro could be purchased for a 43% discount off what a Corvette would cost (a sum of $2,749 versus $4,849). That price advantage was one of the reasons why Chevrolet sold over 120,000 Camaros but only about 17,000 Corvettes for that year.
Because of its price advantage and (and as a result, the higher volume of examples on the road), the Camaro has been an incredibly popular car in terms of support from the automotive aftermarket. And with the right combination of upgrades, a Camaro might just out-perform a Corvette. This Camaro is a likely candidate for that scenario. The car is being listed by a private party in Grapevine, Texas, and the auction will end on Monday.
The build begins with the already capable Camaro underpinnings and blends in modern treatment like air conditioning, a RideTech suspension, TMI seats, power Wilwood disc brakes, and 18-inch Billet Specialties wheels. The result is a car that has both the vintage looks but the handling and conveniences of a modern sports car. And that’s before we open the hood to see the massive 427cid big-block V8. The motor is a work of art, and its beauty extends far beyond the body-colored accents. Upgrades include tube exhaust headers, a Griffith aluminum radiator, and a fuel-injection system.
Camaro enthusiasts will remember that 1970 was the first year of the second-generation. While the exterior had received a significant facelift, the engineers retained some aspects of the architecture from earlier cars. The new exterior look used a fastback roofline that omitted rear side quarter windows. Another interesting aspect of this generation was that it was the only one to not offer a convertible.
While horsepower numbers are not shared by the seller, the spec sheet is impressive in itself. We hope the lucky winner of this car reports back to let us know how it feels to blow the doors off some of its big-brother Corvettes.
“Rare 1956 Meteor Rideau Victoria two-door hardtop,” the listing begins. “One of 2,110 built. This is a mild custom.”
Ford Motor Company of Canada offered a variety of badge-engineered versions of U.S.-market vehicles that were only sold north of the border. Some of those cars were produced under the Meteor brand, which was introduced in 1949 and (aside from a few unique years) existed until being phased out in 1976. The Meteor was similar in equipment and price point with some Mercury offerings, and the design language took unmistakable cues from cars sold in the United States other nameplates.
The Rideau model, which came out in 1954, was one of the cars sold under the Meteor division. Its name was coined for the Rideau River which connects with the Ottawa River in Canada’s capital city — Ottawa, Ontario. The car was offered in both four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles. Today’s featured car is a two-door 1956 in a brilliant blue hue. But there’s much more to the car than its catchy color.
The most distinctive feature of the Rideau (to me, anyway) is its swoopy front grille. The design lends a subtle effect of the letter “M,” which was undoubtedly an intentional move from the design team. The seller says that the body is solid, and the car received a respray last year. At the same time, the chrome on the grille was replated, and the front turn signal housings and taillights were replaced. The already-unique look of the Rideau is further characterized by shaved door handles, mirrors, windshield wipers, and badging. The resulting look is understated and “smooth,” yet attractive at the same time.
The seller says that the interior is “nice but not perfect.” The bucket seats have been redone in perforated tan vinyl, and an aftermarket wood steering wheel has been added.
Under the hood, power comes from a rebuilt 302ci Ford V8 mated to a Mustang T-56 five-speed manual transmission and a Granada rear end. The seller says that the car “runs very strong.” Recent work included replacement of the gas tank, lines, filter, pump, and Edelbrock carburetor.
Few restomods will steal as many glances as this Meteor. The asking price is $23,900 or best offer.
Plymouth diverged from industry practice in 1971 by introducing a new idea: the new Satellite two-door hardtop was designed to be a personal two-door hardtop, not just a chopped-down version of the four-door. The result was unique styling and a wheelbase two-inches shorter than the four-door. Our Pick of the Day, a 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, demonstrates the direction the brand was heading in the 1970s. It is listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. (Click the link to view the listing)
The Satellite name has its origins in a show car from the early 1960s. In 1965, with Plymouth marketing its B-body as a mid-size series, the Satellite became the top model, situated above the new Belvedere I and Belvedere II. Starting with the 1968 redesign, the numbered method was discontinued, and Plymouth’s mainstream mid-size cars became Belvedere, Satellite, and Sport Satellite, plus the Road Runner and GTX for performance fans. This naming structure continued through 1970.
John Herlitz’s sketch for what would become the 1971 Plymouth Satellite. (www.johnherlitz.org)
With the 1971 redesign, Plymouth adjusted its naming structure once again. However, this was more than just a reshuffling because Plymouth spun off the coupe from the sedan, creating a distinct model all its own. When Dodge did the same thing, it relegated the Coronet nameplate to the four-doors, but all two-doors became Chargers, expanding the sporty coupe’s lineage. Plymouth did a similar thing, but the new coupe maintained the Satellite name.
The Plymouth two-doors started with the Satellite coupe, which had fixed rear quarter windows despite not having a B-pillar. It even had a standard rubber floor covering. Satellite Sebring was a step up from the Satellite coupe and featured a carpet and rear quarter windows that rolled down, plus other additions to trim and interior specs. New for 1971, replacing the Sport Satellite, was the Satellite Sebring Plus, which featured a standard V8 (in this case, a 318 two-barrel) and wood-grained Rallye instrument cluster with full set of gauges, vinyl buckets with integral head restraints, Deluxe wheel covers, black grille, and more fancy stuff. For all models, the 300-horsepower 383 was the top engine; anyone who wanted more power had to move up to the Road Runner or GTX.
By 1974, the Satellite lineup had been trimmed, losing the Sebring Plus and GTX, but the 1975 redesign ditched the Satellite name and Plymouth’s mid-size series (including four-doors) were called Fury (aside of the Road Runner), with the full-size cars becoming Gran Fury. Confusing, eh?
Satellites of any stripe for 1971 don’t often get love, but their sharp styling should be attracting more collectors. This Amber Sherwood metallic (GF3) 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring has been “carefully resprayed,” with the seller claiming, “Slight surface rust is noted on an otherwise clean undercoated and patina’d frame and floor panels, as well as underside of rockers.” Features include new bumpers, hood pins, luggage rack, and LEDs for the parking and taillights. American Racing Torq Thrust are wrapped in Hankook rubber.
Power comes from a 318 two-barrel with an upgraded dual exhaust system with Flowmasters. “This is a correct, but not original, remanufactured engine from ATK,” says the seller. The transmission is the trusty A904 TorqueFlite automatic. Adds the seller, “This mill has been treated to a new water pump, fresh tune up, new alternator and voltage regulator, new high-torque starter, new oil pump, new fuel pump and filter, and new Champion three-row aluminum radiator.
Interior features a (surprise!) two-tone green split front bench, with amenities that include a modern AH/FM/Bluetooth stereo, aftermarket gauges under the dash, 3-spoke steering wheel, aftermarket air conditioning, and even a vintage CB radio telephone!
Drive this 1971 Satellite Sebring as-is or make it what it could be. It has the bones to do whatever you decide, and you don’t have to worry about pedigree like you may with a Road Runner or GTX. Go have some fun for $24,900 and tell us about it!
Below are four black-hued vehicles that are currently listed on AutoHunter. Black cars generally look sharp, right? So, can you look deeper and identify them? No, you can’t just say “Chevy” and get away with it – you have to give the full Monty with year/make/model and possibly some other detail.
Post your answers in the comments section provided below. And, if you find yourself confronted by a hurdle, just run your cursor over an image and click on it to find out what you can’t figure out. Is that cheating? That’ll be just between us.
