1966 AMC Ambassador 990 Cross Country Wagon (LHD)

Description

The American Motors Corporation was formed in 1954 following the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson and successfully established a niche in the marketplace alongside the Big Three thanks to the success of the compact Rambler series introduce in 1958. The Ambassador, a model name first used by Nash back in 1932, became AMC's full-size offering for the next decade and a half and was based on a stretched Rambler platform. In 1963 the Ambassador range was expanded to include three distinct trim levels, the 800, 880 and the top-of-the-line 990. In 1965 the fifth-generation Ambassador was given a distinctive front-end treatment under the direction of talented stylist Dick Teague, with a split grille and quad stacked headlamps. The 1966 Ambassador 990 had a revised body with new roofline, larger tail lamps and revised chrome trim while the Rambler nameplate was ditched in an effort to further differentiate AMC's premium offering. A number of body styles were available, including the sedan, hardtop coupe (also sold as the more upmarket Diplomat), convertible and station wagon as offered here, with optional simulated woodgrain side panels. Badged as the Cross Country, the station wagon was available with either two rows of seats and a conventional rear hatch featuring an electric fully retractable window or with a third row of seats and rear side-opening door for easy access. Mechanically the Ambassador was quite conventional and in base trim was sold with a 232-cid straight six under the bonnet. For buyers seeking a little more urge, there were also two V8s available, displacing either 287-cid or 327-cid and the latter was sold in one of two guises, a 250 horsepower two-barrel version or the 270 horsepower four-barrel. Typical of the day, a three-speed manual was standard, with floor-mounted four-speed or automatic transmissions optional. A number of Ambassadors were sent to Australia to be assembled in CKD (Completely Knocked-Down) form with right-hand drive but few survive, making the car on offer here a real rarity.