AMC SC/Rambler driving by at a car show - Wikimedia CommonsThere must have been something in the water back in 1969, because not only were the Big Three Detroit automakers delivering more horsepower than ever before to the V8-loving summer of love generation, but even the most staid and conservative suits at AMC were getting in on the action. It was that year that AMC partnered with Hurst to build the dragstrip-ready SC/Rambler (the SC stands for Super Car), which was also referred to as the Scrambler. And it had the wild child aesthetic to match its go-fast goods, breaking from tradition at AMC.It's easy to believe that the American Motors Corporation was committed to performance from the off, but in the early 1960s nothing could've seemed further from the truth. While Ford was busy rehabbing its reputation developing the Mustang and working with Carroll Shelby, Chevrolet was pumping out Corvettes, and Chrysler was inventing the muscle car, AMC was committed to affordable and fuel-sipping economy cars.With drag racing's popularity skyrocketing at the end of the 1960s, AMC looked to deliver an inexpensive way to go fast down the 1320. Sure, everyone was building a muscle car at the time, but AMC took it a step further and built this car explicitly for use in the NHRA's F/Stock drag racing class. It was a little late to the big-engine-in-a-small-car party, but it was a tried and true way to build speed. AMC took its compact Rambler, plopped the muscle-bound 390 cubic inch (6.4-liter) V8, with 315 raging ponies, from the AMX into the engine bay, and let it eat. Every one of these engines was mated to a BorgWarner T-10 close-ratio four-speed gearbox, and put power down through a 3.45:1 "Twin Grip" limited-slip differential.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: These Are The Cars You Could Drive ForeverThe conservative AMCAMC coupe from 1963 - Photoquest/Getty ImagesBefore he left to become Governor of Michigan, committed Mormon, AMC president George Romney, and father of eventual presidential candidate Mitt, was vehemently opposed to the company's products being used for any kind of motorsport. At the time, the AMC Rambler was given the George Romney slogan "The only race Rambler cares about is the human race." The second-generation Rambler American was delivered in 1961 under Romney's regime with all-new styling, but retained the same 195.6 cubic inch inline-six as its predecessor. While quality was high at AMC in the era, performance simply was not on the menu. With just 90 horsepower, the flathead engine was fine for rolling around town, but could barely hold up to the competition. Back in 1961, the Rambler American had to compete directly with a variety of Plymouth Valiants, Ford Falcons, and Chevrolet Corvairs with more power and less weight. Within minutes of Romney's exit, the company shifted its 1960s focus on competing head-to-head with the Big Three and their respective performance wings. Roy Abernethy took over as president, and committed to an expanded product line, moving away from George's commitment to inexpensive cars with good fuel economy. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe new-for-1964 AMC Rambler received a fresh Dick Teague style, and by 1966 was finally available with the sporty V8 option that Americans were begging for. You could still get the fuel-sipper with a flathead six, but AMC finally had a 290 ci V8 shipping with a horsepower number starting with a 2, and all was right with the world. After introducing the muscular Javelin and AMX for 1968, the SC/Rambler was the ultimate expression of Roy's new direction for AMC. A wild graphics packageAMC SC/Rambler hood decal - Wikimedia CommonsIn order to be homologated for NHRA Stock classes, AMC needed to build a minimum of 500 examples of the SC/Rambler. Working directly at Hurst's bequest, AMC shipped the basic cars to Hurst for final fitting, and the two companies churned out 1,512 examples for a performance-hungry public. In juxtaposition to AMC's advertising earlier that decade, the SC/Rambler was touted as delivering a 14.3-second quarter mile straight out of the box. In addition to the big V8 and 4-speed, every Hurst SC/Rambler got a Hurst-branded T-handle shifter, Thrush mufflers, front disc brakes, and subframe connectors to stiffen the chassis. More aggressive go-fast modifications included staggering the rear axle dampers to prevent axle wrap under hard launches, and more aggressive "rolled" fenders to fit fat sticky drag tires. Needing some visual show to go with its newfound go, the SC/Rambler received a pair of unique and stark red/white/blue liveries. The "A-style" livery shown here is the wilder of the two, featuring large red panels down the sides of the car, bright blue painted magnesium wheels, and a giant arrow on the hood pointing into the exaggerated hood scoop. Even in 1969, this level of madness-inducing color and blocking would have been an eye-catching affair. With the SC/Rambler, AMC's conversion from economy-minded machine to hardcore muscle was complete. AdvertisementAdvertisementCustomers in 1969 were not allowed to order any options on the SC/Rambler, but the tradeoff was that the SC cost just under $3,000. Accounting for inflation, that's just $28,100 in 2026 money.Want more like this? 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