Rambler American. George Romney took over the helm at American Motors after the untimely death of George Mason in 1954, shortly after the merger of Nash and Hudson that formed American Motors. By 1956 the Rambler compact that had originated in 1950 had grown in size and was no longer marketed as a compact.Romney came up with the idea to reintroduce a smaller car. The old Rambler tooling from 1955 was used, and in 1958 debuted as the Rambler American. This was a full year ahead of the introduction of the compact Studebaker Lark, and two years ahead of the Ford Falcon, Chevy Corvair, and Plymouth Valiant. By 1960, a station wagon and four door sedan were added to the Rambler American lineup and was offered in two different trim levels. In Recession Year 1958, when the Big Three were experiencing losses in volume production across the board, upstart American Motors increased its sales dramatically with its smaller, more economical Rambler and Rambler American line of cars and finished sixth overall, up from eleventh in the previous model year. In 1961, the American received new sheet metal, more boxey and trucated in appearance, that many felt was a giant step backwards from a styling viewpoint. But by 1964, another remake resulted in a very stylish little car, very much in the image of the 1963 Rambler that Motor Trend Magazine selected as its "Car of the Year". These little cars were known for their economy and dependability and value.
