Rambler - An interesting But Sad Story

Cheap and easy to repair, the new Rambler was a hit in the recession-racked year of 1958, when American Motors was the only domestic car manufacturer to show a profit. In 1960, Rambler produced over 450,000 cars, and became number three in sales among domestic brands.Ramblers were the first cars to use Unibody construction throughout their model lineup. The primary advantage of this technology was a stronger structure without the need for a separate chassis. With less squeaks and rattles, the overwhelming majority of contemporary automobiles, with the exception of trucks and some SUV’s, owe their design to some form of this 1960s cars' original unitized body construction innovation.In another safety milestone, Rambler was the first to offer seat belts as an option in 1950, and the first to provide them as standard equipment by the end of the decade.By 1962, the introduction of compact cars by the big three automakers had decreased Rambler’s market share.