1967 AMC Rambler - Rogue Sleeper

AMC’s Unknown Muscle Car

There were several indications that the 1967 AMC Rambler Rogue was a muscle car, but the model remained mostly unknown in the performance arena. On paper it had impressive credentials: a two-door hardtop that weighed less than 3,000 pounds and was powered by a ('67-only) 343ci, 280-horse powerplant. Behind the V-8 was a BorgWarner close-ratio T10 four-speed and a Dana 20 rearend with 3.54 gears and a Track-Loc. In many ways it was the predecessor of the dramatic SC/Rambler and The Machine models that would follow.

And yet the Rogue had long been identified among AMC's stogy cars for older adults. There had never been much attention paid to performance.

Plus, in 1967 the pony car competition was overpowering. The Mustang had a three-year head start on the Rogue, weighed 150 pounds less, and could be ordered with a 390 powerplant worth 320 ponies. And then there was the Camaro, introduced in the same model year and available with up to 375 hp from the brutal 396 family.

The air cleaner decal is about the only place AMC trumpeted the performance of this sleeper Rogue.

Most important, the Mustang and Camaro used new body designs, while the Rogue was just a slicked-up Rambler. In fact, the Rambler name was on the rear valance and in the grille. Not good!

If AMC had actually wanted the Rogue to look like a legitimate competitor, couldn't AMC have given it a little performance pizzazz? You know, something like racing stripes, a blacked-out hood, a hoodscoop, or maybe a lower body stance?
Whether AMC had a pony car competition in mind or not, it certainly didn't materialize. Just 51 of these hardtop models were built, and they were around for just that single model year.
This example is owned by Howard Crum from northern Ohio. He is one of the few who knew what these cars were before he purchased it. AMC blood runs deep with this guy, the son of an AMC dealer and former owner of a '69 SC/Rambler. "With Dad being an AMC dealer, there were always American Motors cars around," he recalls.
"I was looking for an AMC model to restore back in 2001 and came across this ad for a '67 Rogue. I was immediately intrigued and got in touch with the guy. I found out that the car had been ordered by an AMC dealer for his son. He told him if he was caught drag racing, the car was gone. Only three days later, somebody ratted on the kid's racing activity, and the car went back."

AMC’s Rogue was a spiffy little hardtop, but it still had AMC’s squarish look since it was a version of the Rambler.

The dealer used the car for two decades as his daily driver before it was parked and then sold to the second owner, from whom Howard made the purchase. "The car was in amazingly good condition, but the fact that the engine wouldn't start made me nervous. But I bought it anyway for $4,500."

When Howard visited the 2003 Kenosha Homecoming event, where a prime AMC production plant had been located, he realized how really rare these cars are. "For that reason, I decided that a full restoration was warranted. I left the bodywork and painting to AMC expert Bert Mahan. He wanted the paint shade (Barbados Blue) to be exactly correct and hit it right on the button.
"The engine was brought up to spec by Bruce Sharp during a rebuild. There was a 0.020 overbore to clean up the cylinders, along with a slight step up in the cam and heads. The goal was to use as many original parts and pieces as possible," Howard explains.
When the car was completed in 2007, Howard took a number of short drives to ensure that everything was OK. Then he took the car to a show at Milan, Ohio. He says, "There was this avid Corvette owner that looked over the Rogue and said it was one beautiful Rambler! Wow, a Rambler impressed a Chevy owner. Who would have ever thought it?"

Besides the equipment in the Rogue option—the interior package with bucket seats, an AMC floor shift, and other items—this example also carries power steering, an AM radio, a vinyl roof, an 8,000-rpm tach, the convenience package, and bumper guards.

Since its restoration was finished, the Rogue has been entered in a dozen AMC shows and brought home gold every time, along with awards from a number of local shows. "I have only seen two other Rogues, both at AMC shows," says Howard. "It's very likely that there are few of them remaining today."

Howard tells us that fate may have played a role in his getting his AMC sleeper: "While checking the code on the rearend, I realized that there were only five of the expected seven numbers. I also realized that those five numbers were my ZIP Code."
Was this an omen? MCR
At A Glance
1967 Rambler Rogue
Owned by: Howard Crum, OH
Restored by: Owner, Bert Mahan, Bruce Sharp
Engine: 343ci/280hp V-8
Transmission: BorgWarner T10 close-ratio 4-speed
Rearend: Dana 20 with 3.54 gears and Track-Loc
Interior: Deluxe vinyl bucket seat
Wheels: 14-inch chrome Magnum 500
Tires: P205/70R14 BFGoodrich Radial T/A