Images: Corvette Forum

An astonished Corvette Forum member grabbed these photos recently of a ’67 Rebel SST convertible at the The First State Nationals held at Dover Downs in Delaware. What he probably found even more surprising was that his father bought the car a few minutes later.

Introduced in 1967, the mid-sized Rebel replaced the Rambler Classic and, with some clever packaging, provided as much interior and cargo space as the full-sized models from Ford and Chevrolet.

The convertible model was only offered for two years – 1967 and 1968. The entire Rebel lineup, which included a six-passenger, 4-door sedan, a 2-door hardtop and a 4-door station wagon, would be replaced by the AMC Matador for the 1971 model.

Three trim levels were generally available, with the 550 and 770 being basic and intermediate, while the SST version was top of the line. The original Rambler Rebel was a special 1957 model with a large V8 engine, and that heritage carried on in 1967. While the car was available with an economical inline six cylinder engine, surprising performance could be enjoyed, courtesy of the optional 343cui, 280HP engine.

The Rebel went out with a bang in 1970. The performance potential of the car had been exploited through its full production run. A 1969 collaboration with Hurst produced the special edition S/C Rambler and AMC turned to Hurst again in 1970. The result was simply called “The Machine” and was introduced as a red, white and blue, in-your-face styled, muscle car.

Although the Rebel lasted for only four production years, it reflected some clever work going on at AMC. The 1967 convertible shown here is certainly one of the more collectible models from that period.