American Motors Part III After the merger.
The idea of a merger with the remaining independent auto manufactures was Nash’s CEO George Mason’s. Mason originally contacted Studebaker and was rebuffed. Then Packard,’s CEO James Nance but Nance’s ego demanded he be given the top position and that was unexpected to Mason. However they agreed to buy components from each other.
On May 1, 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to become American Motors. The Hudson factory, located in Detroit, Michigan, was converted to military contract production at the end of the model year.
For 1955 the Jet was dropped and the new Hudsons used restyled Nash bodies with Hudson engines and running gear. They also offered Packard supplied V8s. They also dropped the Healey.
Hudson dealers started selling Ramblers and Metropolitans, registered as Hudsons.
Meanwhile George Mason died suddenly and George Romney took over the top position. Packard was not buying components from AMC and Nance claimed there was no deal. Because of that, Romney started a project for AMC to develop a V8
The 1956 senior Nash and Hudson models were mildly restyled 1955s, but in March ’56 they replaced the Packard V8 with their own V8.
The 1956 Rambler was all new on a 108 in wheelbase. The smaller 2 doors were dropped. Hudson dealers were still selling them as Hudson Ramblers.
The 1957 Nashs and Hudsons were restyled and all engines were the new 327 AMC V8
In 1957 Rambler became a separate make. They offered an 250 cu in V8 option. The Rebel, a special model with a Bendex electronic fuel injected 327 V8 was cataloged. The Bendix fuel injection was unreliable and Rebels were shipped with 4 bbl carburetors.
The 1958 Rambler got a new front end and rear quarters and was joined by the Rambler American. The American was the mildly updated 100 in wheelbase rambler of the early 1950s. The new version didn’t look much different than the original 1950 Rambler.
AMC had originally planed to offer 1958 Nash Ambassadors and Hudson Hornets based on a stretched Rambler platform with unique styling but sales could not justify it.. In the end they dropped Nash and Hudson names and created the Rambler Ambassador on a stretched platform and up level trim.
AMC continued on that path with trim changes and all new designs in 1963 for the American 1964 and 1967 for the larger models.
In 1966 they started to drop the Rambler name in favor of AMC as a marque. The last model to use Rambler was the 1969 American.
In 1970 they introduced the Hornet and a shortened version, the Gremlin. Plus the Javelin and AMX.
In 1970 AMC also acquired the Kaiser Jeep Corp. and started building Jeep vehicles.
In 1975 they brought out the Pacer. The Pacer was originally designed for a Wankel rotary engine to be supplied by GM. After GM dropped the project AMC stuffed their inline 6 under the hood and later an optional V8.
After that, they played musical chairs with their names and models. It’s hard to keep up.
In 1982 Renault acquired a large portion of AMC stock and they entered into a joint agreement to produce Renault automobiles in the Kenosha factory The result was the 1983 Alliance. First marketed as a Renault then later as an AMC.
Renault was having financial troubles at home. And Marxist radicals assassinated Renault’s CEO Georges Besse . After that Renault lost interest in its North American operations. In 1987 they sold their 46% share of AMC to Chrysler. AMC was fully merged into Chrysler in March 1990.
Here are some 1/43 AMC models.
1955 Hudson Hornet by Brooklin
1957 Rambler Cross Country by Brooklin
1957 Hudson Hornet by American Excellence / NEO
1958 Rambler Super by American Excellence / NEO
1959 Metropolitan by Vitisse
1970 AMC Javelin by Boss Models
1976 AMC Pacer by IXO
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