The two-door sedan body style of Chris Speckman’s Rambler Classic was a unique one-year offering for 1962.
NEW KNOXVILLE – The 1962 Rambler Classic parked in Chris Speckman’s heated garage is 62 years old now.
At some point, the 70-year-old New Knoxville man and his wife, Janice, will likely turn the keys over to one of their children, which will only be fitting.
The car has been in his family ever since Speckman’s grandfather, Harry Reitz, forked over $1,900 to buy it new from F&W Sales in Celina.
The two-door sedan body style was a unique one-year offering that year for the Rambler Classic.
“Knowing that it was my mother’s father who first owned this car makes it special to me,” Speckman said. “It’s never been out of the family. An uncle bought it off him and his kids drove it for a while. I acquired it in 1981.”
During all of that time, it has been driven just over 29,000 miles.
“It’s pretty plain for a car back then. Most of it’s original … a two-door, three speed on the column. There’s no radio. It’s never been repainted. Only the seat covers have been replaced.”
American Motors introduced the Rambler Classic in 1961. It had a five-year run, replacing the Rambler Six and Rambler Rebel V8.
Economy, a quality build, and roominess were the car’s trademark.
There weren’t many cars in the early to mid-1960s delivering better fuel economy than the basic flat head, six-cylinder 196 cubic inch engine found in the Classic. It averaged 23.1 miles per gallon when tested for a thousand miles of highway and city driving by Motor Trend magazine.
As for its roomy interior, fully-reclining seats that dropped flat were available in the Classic, giving its interior additional room. However, that also came with its concerns.
It is said that some parents prohibited their teenage daughters from dating boys who drove Ramblers, the magazine added.
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