July 20, 2014Guest Author: Bill Wurzell, Sales/Internet Manager (Retired)Over the years, Vehicles for Change has had many valuable and unique vehicles donated by very generous people
from everywhere in our service area. Perhaps none so unique as this recent arrival from a good friend of VFC, Mr. Jim Oliver. Mr. Oliver donated this absolutely gorgeous and nearly pristine 1964 Rambler Ambassador 990 sedan, with only 37,709 ORIGINAL miles on the odometer! What makes this vehicle so unique and desirable is its ORIGINALITY. The Antique car hobby is constantly changing. A few years ago, 1960s and 70s muscle cars were widely popular and brought huge dollar amounts when sold. Today, however, ORIGINALITY is what most people are interested. This 1964 Rambler Ambassador is a rolling time capsule, you almost have to see it to believe. Being a long time antique car hobbyist and proud owner of a 1954 DeSoto Firedome sedan, I drool over this Rambler Ambassador and the potential it has to offer. Especially for someone looking to acquire an antique vehicle in basically ‘turn-key’ condition.The ‘Rambler Ambassador’ is a top-of-the-line ‘990’ highly-optioned four door sedan. The car sports a great
sounding 327 cubic inch V8 motor linked to a three speed automatic transmission, tinted glass all around and FACTORY AIR-CONDITIONING! The eye-catching two-toned White top over Turquoise bottom offer lots of visual appeal. We like to say, ‘the car has eyes’! The 1963 model Rambler Ambassador was Motor Trend Magazine’s ‘CAR OF THE YEAR.’ In addition to being the first domestic manufacturer to build cars with ‘unitized’ construction, American Motors was also the first car maker to bring a vehicle to market with ‘curved glass side windows’; now an industry standard on nearly every car sold today.
This beautiful Ambassador is FORTY-NINE years old and easily qualifies for ‘Historic’ registration in Maryland and many other states. This means the car does not require state safety or emissions inspection, however, the car cannot be used as a ‘daily driver’. Even though state inspection is not required, VFC will go through the car and make it a safe and enjoyable to drive. At this point, nothing has been done to the car, it’s not even been washed!
Although the ‘Rambler’ is a very well-preserved, low-mileage vehicle it is not ‘perfect.’ There’s a scratch on the
driver’s door and a dimple in the full-length rocker panel molding; a tear in the driver’s seat bottom related to fabric age. These minor flaws are part of what makes the car original, unrestored and unmolested! The rear seat still has the original clear plastic seat covers. The dash board, interior door panels and headliner are immaculate. The undercarriage is tight, clean, dry and rust free. The chrome trim and brightwork are excellent. Only the exterior mirror shows a little ‘pitting’. This Rambler comes with a plethora of documentation including the original bill-of-sale, build sheet, pro-tec-to plate, dealer delivery sheet and registration forms. Also included are the original front and rear California issue ‘black’ tags, a spare electric clock, a pair of matching optional exterior mirrors, a gold-key blank with the ‘Rambler’ logo.
Vehicles for Change has not yet settled on an asking price. If you would like to know more, just call the toll free number at: 800.835.3821, somebody will be glad to assist you.
