AMC, GONE BUT REMEMBERED
This year (1988) we saw another auto manufacturer disappear from the list of auto independence.  American Motors was purchased by Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler kept two Marques, the famous Jeep and Eagle.  American Motors was the decendant of Nah Motors.  Charles W. Nash, a former president of General Motors, in 1916 purchased the Thomas B. Jeffery Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Jeffery had first built the Rambler in 1902. 

     Above picture is of the 1952 Nash, so  add another 35 years which would make it 85 years for this company.  This company was around for many years, and many Marques have come from their factory.  The first being “Rambler” which name Jeffery retained from his bikes which He manufactured.  He also became well known for his invention of the clincher tire.  When Nash took over, he had the cars named for himself. Yet some other Marques were produced through the years.  In 1952 there was a low priced car called the Ajax.  A Lafayette V-8 was also tied.  In the 1960’s the name Rambler was revived, we also saw the Hornets, Gremlins, Javalin and AMX sport cars. There was also a small fat compact called Pacer.  One other car needs mentionig, the Metropolitan.   This was a joint venture with Austin of England.

           Lets go back a few years.  In 1954 Nash took over the Hudson Automobile Companay and formed American Motors Corporation.  The Nash Name on cars remained till 1957.  The Hudson cars disappeard in 1957.  For at least 30 years the company was AMC (American Motors Corporation)

    SAL DE FRANCESCO

Behind the Rambler Revolution

       Rambler has the unusual distinction of having participated dramatically in two significant eras of automotive history.  The original Rambler was one of the first mass-produced automobiles.  The modern Rambler precipitated one of the greatest revolutions in the industry’s history.

            The history of any company is as much the story of the men who guide  and direct it’s destiny as it is of the product it sells or the service it offers.

George W. Mason, 1891-1954, a brilliant engineer and administrator, was the first production boss of Chrysler Corporation after i’ts formation in the 1920’s.  Later He brought Kelvinator to the forefront in the appliance field.  After Kelvinator’s merger with Nash Motors in 1937, Mason made many major contributions to the automotive field, the most notable being the successful development of single-unit construction in 1940, and his conception of the idea of the compact car.  Under his leadership, the Rambler name was revived in 1950.  He was the first president of American Motors, formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson on May 1, 1954.

George Romney became president of American Motors in October, 1954, following Mason’s sudden death.  Romney envisioned the compact car as the automobile of the future.  Despite heavy odds, He resolutely concentrated all of the efforts of American Motors on the Rambler-and sold the compact-car concept.  The first four years were critical for the new company, which experienced heavy losses.  But Romney’s dynamic leadership led to profitable operations by 1958.  All-time sales, production and earnings records were established in subsequent years–records never before achieved by an independent automobile company.  Romney left American motors in 1962 following His election as governor of Michigan.