Learn all about the 1969 Rambler 440 Station Wagon—the final year for the familiar Rambler name—in his original American Motors dealer film.

The Rambler name took a number of twists and turns over the years at American Motors and its forebears. In 1950, Nash Motors introduced the Rambler, America’s first postwar compact, and soon it had a minor hit on its hands. (The Rambler name had a previous history with Jeffery, a Nash predecessor.) Nash merged with Hudson and became American Motors in 1954, and from 1958 through 1965, all American Motors passenger cars wore the popular Rambler badge. Meanwhile, the former Nash Rambler compact became the Rambler American to differentiate it from the intermediate and full-size cars in the Rambler product line.

By 1966, the company was turning away from the Rambler label, which was growing stale in the swinging ’60s, to adopt the American Motors brand identity. Then in 1969 the Rambler American was dropped as well to make room for AMC’s new compact, the Hornet. But note: In this final year, the smallest AMC product was known as simply the Rambler—no American. Evidently. “American Motors Rambler American” was deemed redundant. Between 1950 and 1969, something like 4.2 million Rambler compacts were produced.

For the final year of the Rambler name, there were four models: Rambler, Rambler 440, Rambler Rogue, and the hot rod SC/Rambler. (You can find our features on the Rogue here and on the SC/Rambler here.) Ramblers were basic machines in these final days: On the lower trim levels, vacuum-operated windshield wipers were standard. The mid-range 440 was offered in two practical body styles: a four-door sedan and a cute four-door wagon, and the wagon is the subject of the clip below, which is taken from a ’69 AMC dealer film. The pitch here is “cargo space for that family to come.” Video follows.