AMC's Fastback Marlin is a forgotten classic of the sixites pony car fad. 1965 model shown.
Ford Mustang's blockbuster sales success was not lost on the American auto industry. Competing makes rushed out their competitors as fast as they could, from all new Camaros and Firebirds to quickie make-overs like AMC's Marlin.
Mirroring the Mustang that was based on the Ford Falcon, AMC showed a Tarpon concept built off its compact Rambler American platform. But new CEO Roy Abernathy wanted to move AMC upscale from small economy cars so he had the production car scaled up to a mid-sized Rambler Classic platform.
The Marlin was an odd fish in the pony car school. A sporty car from a company known for no-nonsense economy cars. A fastback design when popular makes like Mustang and Camaro featured notchback rooflines. And a mid-size car when all the other ponys were compacts. The public was unimpressed and Marlin sold a little over 10,000 cars while Mustang moved several hundred thousand units for 1965.
For 1966, Marlin scored a disappointing 4,500 sales. The car was redesigned for 1967 with a new body based on the even larger Ambassador platform. A cleaner, sleeker design was introduced that lost the unique charm of the first generation car. The Marlin's popularity sagged even more and the year ended with just 2,500 cars sold.
Today, Ramblers are called "Kenosha Cadillacs" as they were built in a Wisconsin town rather than Detroit and there's a dedicated cult of Marlin fans. But the car has remained a "sleeper" in collector car circles, with prices low enough to make the Marlin an attractive first buy for someone entering the collector car hobby.
And AMC? It was bought by Chrysler. Which was bought by Daimler-Benz. Who sold it to Cerberus Investments. Who lost it in a government bail out. Which led to its purchase by Fiat. Does that mean we will we see a new Marlin one day, based on a sporting Alfa-Romeo chassis? Stay tuned but don't hold your breath.
Thanks and a tip o' the snap-brim driving cap to marlinautoclub.com for information and images included here.
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