Q: Hi Greg, I have a 1966 Rambler Rebel 2-door hard top. When new they made about 1975 of them. How much are they worth in Class 3 condition with 232 cubic inch 6 cylinder, AT, PS, PB, with less than 92,000 miles on it? Thank you! Email from Richard Iswalt
A: Richard, you have one of the rarest of the "new" Rambler Rebels that were produced by AMC of Kenosha, Wisconsin, The Rambler Rebels were manufactured from 1957 through 1960, and then again in 1966 and 1967. First a little history on that Rambler Rebel name. In 1957, the families who purchased Rebels didn't realize that they were driving one of the hottest cars on the highway. It came with a 327-inch, 255 horse, V8 with a four-barrel carb, but it was supposed to come with fuel injection, perhaps as an option. The intermediate size Rambler had a wheelbase of 108-inches and the four-door hardtop body didn't "scare" any of the popular fast cars of the day...until the light turned green. Motor Trend Magazine tested an injected Rebel given them by AMC and realized it was quicker on the dragstrip than a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette. AMC in a move to protect its family and economy car image, quickly announced that the fuel injection option would not be available and all of the production Rebels used the four-barrel carburetor. The 288 horse injected version utilized an electronic fuel injection unit by Bendix called the Electrojector, and in addition to the "uproar" of AMC having the fastest car on the highway, reliability issues with the electronic control unit also contributed to the non-production decision. Still, the Rebel with a carburetor was very fast. Only 1,500 '57 Rebels were produced, and I remember in 1958 at our local speedway in Vineland, N.J., several of the modified stockcars had 327 Rebel engines powering them. In 1958, the Rebel name was used on all standard Ramblers powered by AMC's 250-inch V8. This lasted through the 1960 model year, after which all of the 108-inch wheelbase models took the Rambler Classic name. Your 1966 Rebel is the year the Rebel name was resurrected on a version of the Rambler Classic two-door hardtop. It had specific interior upgrading and a revised roofline that fit the popular styles of the day. For 1967, all of AMC's intermediates took the Rambler Rebel name, but in 1968, the Rambler name was dropped and the car was named AMC Rebel. Your car is easily worth $2,400 to $2,750 in its present condition, more to a Rebel lover. Overall, 8,336 Classic hardtops were produced in 1966, of which your Rebel is one of the 1,750 that year with Rebel trim. Good luck with your Rebel.