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AMC's 1967 Marlin, in my opinion, has a "retro" while at the same time a "classic" or timeless automobile design. It was unique when new and continues to be attractive to this day. The Marlin for 1967 recalls the style of the finest pre-World War II cars, yet it is both aerodynamic and still contemporary. The Marlin's wind shaped look is unlike that observed in today's commonplace "jellybean" shaped cars. The Marlin exhibits a more elegant and muscular road hungry poise. Moreover, the 1967 Marlin is not a cramped compact car. It is a full-sized, 118-inch wheelbase, five-adult passenger (when equipped with front console and with the rear center armrest raised) sporty vehicle. The Marlin received an all-new design for 1967. It retains its distinction to this day with a long hood and roof line that continues uninterrupted over the rear window and deck into the rear bumper. |
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According to Roy Abernethy, the President of AMC at the time, their 1967 cars represented the greatest change the firm had made in any year to that point. The 1967 Marlin was not only completely restyled and made wider and roomier, but it also moved up to the longer in length and wheelbase Ambassador chassis. The new Marlin design featured the Ambassador's distinctive vertical dual headlights, the V-profile "airfoil" grille, and "rally-style" combination parking and turn-signal lights. In contrast to the angular lines of the 1965 and 1966 Marlin models, 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 before, as well as new slim-style bucket seats. A new safety-styled padded instrument panel placed recessed instruments and controls directly in front of the driver. |
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The Marlin is best described as a medium-priced "personal-luxury" automobile. It came equipped with elegant interiors and a large assortment of convenience options, such as power windows and cruise control, that were not available on the small "pony" cars of the time. The Vice President of Styling at American Motors at the time, Richard Teague, designed a tight little fastback, but higher executives made him do a larger car. This became the original '65 and '66 Marlin. To realize proper proportions of the long fastback line, Teague designed the '67 Marlin using the new Ambassador platform. With its new long hood, Teague achieved a balanced and, I think, the best-looking fastback auto. The 1967 Marlin was a smartly designed 6-passenger two-door hardtop with luxurious appointments. It was also its last year of production because in 1968 AMC focused its resources on their new, smaller fastback Javelin. This new compact 4-seat model was designed to compete in the so-called "pony" car market segment made popular by Ford's Mustang. |
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After the first Marlin was introduced in 1965, competing fastback models entered the market. The Marlin's clone was the Dodge Charger, produced in '66 and '67. However, the Marlin was not challenging Ford's Mustang or even the Plymouth Barracuda. AMC marketed the Marlin for those desiring unique style in a comfortable, larger-sized auto. Similar models included Ford's Galaxie XL, Pontiac's Grand Prix, and - much later - Chevrolet's Monte Carlo. These were positioned as the more sporty or elegant versions of standard cars on which they were based. |
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 2004 Crossfire image copyright by DaimlerChrysler |
Interestingly, the rear end of Chrysler's
Crossfire looks like a Marlin. Richard Truesdell
(AUTOtronic@aol.com) explains in a posting on the AMC-List
"... Certainly if you look at it from the rear, there's an
unmistakable look of Tarpon in its hind quarters. ...
Speaking with design VP Trevor Creed, he's already been told
that people see the Marlin in the rear styling ... and he
knew of the Tarpon and that it preceded the Marlin. ... BTW,
the VP in charge of the entire Crossfire program is [an]
ex-AMC [executive]." |
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by chris z