Red 1967 Ambassador DPL convertibles

1966 Ambassador 990 convertible (source: AMC photo above)

There is continuity in the design themes such as the vertical dual headlights, but the 1967 cars were completely restyled and made wider and roomier.
Riding on a longer 118 inch wheelbase, the 1967 version has a distinctive flare with an upsweep of the belt-line at the rear quarters.

Interiors for 1967 offered more hip room and shoulder room than previously and they could be had with new slim-style reclining front bucket seats. A new safety-styled padded instrument panel placed recessed instruments and controls directly in front of the driver.
The 1967 model year Ambassadors also included AMC's latest performance V-8 engines and featured an open drive train with a new four-link system for its coil spring rear suspension.

My mother bought a 1967 DPL convertible after the start of the 1968 model year. This Ambassador was a "dealer's official" car. It was a vehicle used by the wife of the owner of the dealership. It was a great looking ragtop, finished in classic red outside with a white top and white seats with black interior trim. Although listed on the window sticker as having wire wheels, the car had the optional Turbocast wheel covers. Together with its optional satin silver lower body finish, it had both a very luxurious, as well as a sporty look. Moreover, this convertible had serious motive power with its 280-horsepower high-compression 343 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V-8. AMC began to court the performance market in the middle of the 1966 model year, when the all-new thinwall cast 290 cubic inch engine was introduced in the 1966 Rouge hardtop. This advanced AMC design served as the basis for a new family of V-8s that reached a respectable 401 cid by 1971. These engines were in continuous production even after AMC's buyout by Chrysler Corporation all the way through the 1992 model year in the "full-sized" Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Unfortunately, this example of the last production Ambassador ragtop was traded in for a new 1970 Ambassador SST 4-door sedan. The primary reason for the trade was because my father had cut-off another vehicle at an intersection and the convertible's rear quarter sustained damage. Moreover, having an air-conditioned car with four doors was far more practical than fixing up the convertible. The new replacement Ambassador also had the much better disk brakes, compared to the convertible's all drum binders! I was told that the dealer, Courtesy AMC in Bethesda, Maryland, subsequently wholesaled the damaged ragtop. At the time, it was their policy to only have a very limited number of "select" used cars in stock. The likely continuation of the history of this convertible was that a body shop in the southern states repaired it. It was common practice for damaged or older cars to be transported south, as the labor rates there were less expensive than in metro DC. It would be very interesting to have further information about this Ambassador's further history and whereabouts.

For 1967, the Ambassador convertible was only available in the DPL model with the 290 V-8 and individually adjustable reclining seats among the standard equipment.

For the ever-vigilant classic car enthusiasts, three items are visible in the photograph below seem to be not quite "factory" correct on this outstanding vehicle.

Please consider my comments above only in the spirit of reaching authenticity with actual 1967 AMC production cars and not the wishes of the car's owner.

First - the stand up center hood ornament appears to be been broken off thus leaving just its base visible.
Second - Ambassador DPL models shared a similar grille with "rally-style" combination parking and turn-signal lights with the Marlin models. However, the Ambassadors featured all bright aluminum V-profile "airfoil" grille, while the blacked out grille on this convertible was the distinguishing front-end treatment reserved for the fastback Marlin models.
Lastly, the inside rear view mirror appears to be a later model unit because it appears to have a soft and glare-free black housing. All 1967 Ambassador models came with a bright chrome metal backed "day/night" type rear view mirror.

However, even unique parts such as the Ambassador hood ornament - which was only for the 1967 model year - can be found. The first place to go are the several very good full-time AMC parts vendors. AMC automoblile clubs have members and newsletters with parts for sale. Another place to find elusive items is on the Internet as well as the eBay auction pages.
Shown here are a few examples I have found available up for auction on eBay.
However, even the best original factory parts may have problems after many years in storage. This problem is shown on the picture on the right. The ornament was offered for sale in early 2005. It shows how the glue holding the metal shields on the round clear plastic center had dried out. This problem also happened on my car when I slammed the hood closed, this caused one of the decorative pieces to break off and fall to the ground.
Below is a brand new old stock (NOS) ornament that was just taken out of its original plastic parts bag was for sale on eBay during the summer of 2004.
AMC Group Number :12.004
Part Number: 4484023

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