Rambler Marlin

Rambler Marlin
Production period:	1965-1967
Class :	upper middle class
Body versions :	Coupe
Successor:	AMC Javelin

The Rambler Marlin was the first midsize hatchback car manufactured in the United States in the 1960s. It was manufactured by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1965 to 1967, had very good equipment and was marketed as an upper middle class luxury car .

The 1965 and 1966 Marlin models are hatchback versions of the Rambler Classic hardtop coupe . The hatchback design was anticipated in a 1964 prototype, the Rambler Tarpon , based on the more compact Rambler American . The Rambler Marlin was available a year before the similar Dodge Charger (1966/1967 models). The 1967 model has been fundamentally revised and adapted to the large floor pan. AMC built the Marlin on the larger floor pan of the AMC Matador and gave it a completely different look with a longer bonnet, even more passenger space, powerful V8 engines and many other improvements.

Origin of the marlin

In the early 1960s, the US auto market wanted bigger and wider cars. AMC had developed a successful marketing strategy under George W. Romney. His successor, Roy Abernethy, saw the need to build larger vehicles with more prestige in order to further increase profits. Abernethy had brought Rambler to third place in the sales figures of US automakers as sales director and now wanted to compete against the "Big Three" ( GM , Ford and Chrysler ) in other market segments .

One suggestion was a sporty car aimed at young customers. A design study was carried out based on the compact Rambler American . The 4-seater hatchback coupé was called "Rambler Tarpon". This was shown at automobile shows even before the Ford Mustang appeared. AMC's 1st generation V8s did not fit this vehicle and the 2nd generation was still in development. Market research showed that customers would not be satisfied with such a vehicle, which would only be equipped with a six-cylinder engine. So the management decided to offer the model on the larger floor pan. The new model showed many styling details of the prototype Tarpon. The new Marlin became a large, comfortable hatchback with luxurious appointments. It had a long list of standard equipment details and there were many optional extras to customize the car. The Marlin is a representative of the mid-range luxury car segment and did not compete directly with pony cars like the Ford Mustang or the Plymouth Barracuda .

Annual changes to the model

Model year 1965

First
Rambler Marlin (1965, front view)
Production period:	1965-1966
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.8–5.4 liters (114–199 kW)
Length:	4953 mm
Width:	1892 mm
Height:	1346 mm
Wheelbase :	2845 mm
Empty weight :	1357 kg

The Marlin appeared in the middle of the model year as an additional offer in the AMC series of "Sensible Spectaculars". It was officially presented on February 10, 1965 and was at dealerships from March 1st. At that time, new car presentations were important events and associated with personal invitations to customers and corresponding advertising. The Marlin was described as a vehicle for those customers who “wanted a sporty hatchback combined with space and comfort”.

The press coverage was extraordinary, the Marlin appeared on the front pages of many car magazines. Many autotest appeared. For example, Motor Trend magazine wrote that the Marlin "... is a very balanced car that outperforms many sports cars on the market."

The new model offered many equipment details, for example standard 4-piston disc brakes at the front with brake booster , drum brakes at the rear without brake booster, foldable individual seats, luxurious trim and an interior that was directly derived from AMC's 2-door flagship, the Ambassador . The smallest engine was the 3.8 liter in-line six-cylinder with 145 SAE PS , but only around 2,000 units were ordered with it. Most buyers wanted performance that matched the vehicle's sporty appearance and the majority of them ordered the 5.4 liter V8 with quadruple carburetor and 270 SAE hp. With the Borg-Warner 35 automatic transmission with stick shift, this engine worked perfectly. The new gearbox with overdrive and manual transmission with 2 levers was rarely ordered. Other options were power steering , heavy-duty chassis and the “twin-grip” differential with limited slip. Those who wanted luxury ordered air conditioning, an adjustable steering wheel, electric windows, a MW / FM radio (mono), a "Duo-Costic" rear speaker or even a "Vibra-Tone" system for quasi-stereo sound ( There was no stereo transmission on the radio yet).

The all-important retail price was set at $ 3,100. This was relatively cheap, considering that a 2-door hardtop coupe of the Rambler Classic 770 with benches (6-person version) without the special equipment and the luxurious interior of the Marlin also cost $ 3,063.

Model year 1966

Interior of an AMC Marlin (1966) with a four-speed manual transmission

The Rambler Marlin became the AMC Marlin when the traditional name Rambler was abandoned in 1966. This was part of Abernethy's strategy of a new “Corporate Identity” (CI) for AMC, in which he freed the larger vehicles from the reputation of the small Rambler cars. Otherwise there were few innovations: The extruded aluminum radiator grille was modified, all six-cylinder units were also given a stabilizer on the front axle and, if desired, a black vinyl roof that continued over the opening of the tailgate.

The Marlin's range in the market was increased by lowering its base price to $ 2,601 while adding more options. Many of the details previously included as standard have been made optional extras for an extra charge. for example, a four-speed manual transmission and a dashboard-mounted speedometer were now available. With this strategy, AMC followed that of its competitors. For example, the Dodge Charger was presented with a long list of options, but its standard equipment has also been reduced in order to make its price more attractive.

In 1966, fewer cars of this type were needed. As with the 1970 AMX that followed the 1968 and 1969 models, the Marlin's production fell below 5,000 cars.

Model year 1967

Second
AMC Marlin (1967)
Production period:	1967
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.8-5.6 liters (114-206 kW)
Length:	5118 mm
Width:	1981 mm
Height:	1346 mm
Wheelbase :	2997 mm
Empty weight :	1516 kg

AMC Marlin (1967)

In 1967 the marlin got even bigger. It was now built on AMC's completely new large floor pan with a 2997 mm wheelbase. It was already clear that the Marlin should get bigger when the Javelin, based on the compact floor pan, came out in 1968 . The larger marlin made for a greater model differentiation in the AMC range. The larger floor pan also gave the Marlin a different view from the front, which harmonized better with the long hatchback. The new styling gave the Marlin a rounder appearance that better matched the curved roofline. The rear fenders, which were slightly bent upwards, corresponded with the shiny decorative strips that began at the door and led all the way to the rear of the car. At the front of the vehicle were the main headlights of the Ambassador, arranged one above the other, and a set-back radiator grille with horizontal bars that arched forward in the middle. The Marlin's grille is the black version of the “rally light” type (for parking and flashing lights) that was used on the Ambassador's DPL models. A revised company logo with a small, chrome-plated lettering “Marlin” on transparent plastic in a chrome ring sat on the front of the longer bonnet. At the rear of the vehicle was the same trunk lid as in the previous year, but without its large company logo mounted in the middle. Unfortunately, a larger rear window did not give the driver any more view to the rear. The taillights were also new but were similar to those of the first generation. The rear bumper was only used on the Marlin, but was similar to the ones used on the Ambassador and Rebel series station wagons . Instead of a lowering in the area of the rear door, the bumper of the Marlin was consistently smooth.

There was a whole series of new V8 engines with the new Marlin. The six-cylinder still existed, but it was rarely ordered - only 355 units were built. The basic equipment included a V8 with a displacement of 4.75 liters and double carburettors, but for an additional charge you could order two 5.6 liter V8s: one with a double carburetor that swallowed regular gasoline or a highly compressed (10.2: 1) with four-way carburetor for premium gasoline, the possessed double exhaust pipes and developed 280 SAE horsepower and a torque of 494 Nm at 3,000 rpm.

There were no separate brochures for the second-generation Marlin; he was described in the large sales brochure of the Ambassador. He also received the basic equipment and extras of the Ambassador. The interior was the same as that of the Ambassador 900 or DPL hardtop model (with the exception of the “Custom” package with two matching cushions). Many Marlin were ordered with foldable bucket seats that not only had a center armrest at the front (with an additional seat cushion for a third passenger or a floor console with a gear lever), but also a foldaway armrest at the rear. The interior was new, with a padded dashboard with gauges grouped in front of the driver, while the rest of the dashboard swung forward well away from the passengers. The steering wheel was smaller than on previous models and sat on a safety steering column .

legacy

The marlin built a good image for AMC. Although it did not achieve high production numbers, it generated advertising effects and enthusiasm. This brought prospective buyers to the AMC dealers, who then had the opportunity to sell them other models from the range. In its first year, the 10,327 Marlin helped AMC generate a profit of $ 5.2 million in fiscal 1965, despite a 3-week strike by the auto worker. The direct competitor of the Marlin was the Dodge Charger , introduced in 1966 , which only retained its hatchback design for another year. In 1968 the Charger was released as a larger car with a completely different design. Although the Marlin was also discontinued in 1967, it paved the way for its successful successor - the Javelin from 1968. Therefore, the introduction of the Marlin in 1965 can be seen as a decisive marketing success for AMC, as the V8 did not yet fit into the compact floor pan. The Javelin was aimed at the small, sporty, youthful market segment.

Some of the Marlin's key design components returned in the Chrysler Crossfire in 2004. The new coupe's hatchback, broad-shouldered rear fenders, and rear view prompted many auto journalists to write about the similarity between the AMC Marlin and the Chrysler Crossfire. Rob Rothwell wrote: "... the first time I saw the rear lines of the Chrysler Crossfire, I felt transported back to 1965 and reminded of my favorite car of the year, the Rambler Marlin."

The typically styled Marlin has found a niche among old car enthusiasts and collectors of historic vehicles. Although it was produced in relatively small numbers, the Marlin is derived from the volume models from AMC and has many parts in common with them.

Web links

Commons : AMC Marlin - collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

Conde, John: “1965-67 AMC Marlin: The 3 + 3 Fastback That Floundered,” Collectible Automobile , Volume 5, Number 1 (June 1988)
Conde, John: The American Motors Family Album 1946–1975 , American Motors Corporation (1976)
Foster, Patrick: AMC Cars: 1954-1987, An Illustrated History , Motorbooks International (2004), ISBN 1-58388-112-3
Foster, Patrick: The Last Independent , Motorbooks International (1993), ISBN 0-87341-240-0 .
Gunnell, John (Ed.): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 , Kraus Publications (1987), ISBN 0-87341-096-3 .
The Marlin Handbook - 2004 , Marlin Auto Club (2004)