What Might Have Been.(Escape Roads)

Byline: JOHN F. KATZ

The 1963 Ramblers were designed for a decade of production-or at least more than a few model years-at a time when frantic change still drove product planning in Detroit. American Motors CEO George Romney cited (in a 1989 interview, years after he had left AM) no less lofty a role model than Mercedes-Benz, which, in the 1960s, exemplified engineering excellence wrapped in conservative, predictable styling. That admiration may have been mutual, as the new-for-1966 300 SEL duplicated, within an inch, most key dimensions of the 1965 Rambler Classic. Even if that was a coincidence, it was a tribute.

But Roy Abernethy, who had succeeded Romney in '62, saw a very different future for American Motors. With the Big Three building compacts, he reckoned, AM could only survive by counter-invading Detroit's territory with bigger, flashier chariots of its own. A steady decline in Rambler sales in 1964-66 seemed to support his point of view. Short-term, Abernethy would try to make the existing Ramblers look bigger, while developing new and more nearly Detroit-sized products for 1967.

1965 was a key year in this transition. The flagship Ambassador received the most attention, with its longer, 116-inch wheelbase and new vertically stacked headlamps. But the 112-inch Classic very nearly replicated the Ambassador from the cowl back, where it shared most of the Ambassador's new outer skin.

The '65 Classic did indeed look like more car than the slimmer 1963-64 models, while retaining their sophisticated curved side glass and pioneering "uniside'' construction. Running gear remained unchanged as well, with torque-tube drive and load-bearing upper front A-arms, as favored by AM parent Nash since 1952. Front disc brakes were now available-ahead of most of the competition-and all AM products switched to low-profile tires.

Engine choices for the '65 Classic started with a 199-cid, 128-hp six derived from the new Typhoon 232 released ...