1970 AMC Rebel Machine Dealer Promo Film Mopar is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC. Master Tech series training materials are the property of Chrysler Group LLC and are used with permission. MyMopar.com
My friend has a one of these...340 horse 390, 4 speed...best he ran was 14.15 at 101...stock....the only part he changed to get the Rebel to go down in the 13's was to change the carb...he put on the 735 CFM Holley carb from a 428 CJ Ford....that woke it right up. It was surprisingly quick.
I bought one new in 1970 price was around $3500 . Mine had the air conditioner, automatic and was a green color with a black vinyl top. Top speed was around 120mph. It was definitely a stoplight to stoplight car. There was no way I would race someone on the open road. I knew that they would hand me my ass. I might not have won every race, but I did get some respect. It wasn't the pushover that they thought it would be. I got rid of it 2 days before I got married and have regretted it ever since. I had a 71 vette and would still rather have this one back.
The performance car market took a big hit in 1970 and thereafter. The Machine was a good effort but was not sufficiently differentiated from other makes' offerings to win a lot of new buyers. It was intended as something of a low volume "halo" car. In that way, it was successful although it didn't dent the sales of such cars as the Road Runner. Had they put 390's into the Rebels in '68 when that engine was introduced, they might have seen a stronger response to their performance efforts. I drove both cars a number of times during that period. They were both very good for what they were designed. Neither would be desirable today for handling compromises alone.
I think what differentiates this car from the competition was the large cubic inches in a small block sized package. The new Chevy 400 small block was not positioned as a performance engine. With the exception of Pontiac 400, the other makes 390 or larger engines came in big block sized packages with the associated extra weight. Could the weight of the Rebel Machine have been a differentiator as well?
easy to imagine the salesman Al Bender consuming 3 or 4 too many drinks at lunch with the district boys, and then puking in his wastebasket right before meeting with his prospect David
Ok, now did they talk about the "Special" exhaust yet or the front disc brakes or the rear coils (that looked like some kind of air bladder in them)? Didn't know whether I missed those features
WAIT WAIT hold the phone 📞… 1:20 “You can stop the record” ?? … so a record went with this as a presentation to salesmen? It must have been a process. Records were easy to use in classrooms back than. I have a record player like that. Use it all the time. It plays analogue, why not? Hit the bright “cue” button and it stops.
back in the 80s a guy guy at work had one of these. one of the most arrogant jerks I ever worked with. I hope he wrapped the thing around a utility pole.
informed buyer my ass. Why would anyone consider a rambler for the same price as say a 396 chevelle? No wonder AMC couldnt give these away.The goofy color schemes made the drivers look like assholes.
AMC's head designer was Dick Teague. He was among the finest ever to design cars in the US including such outstanding examples as the Packard Caribbean and the AMX/3. Had this been a Chevrolet, people would be falling all over themselves to praise the look.
