The sleek fastback shape of the Rambler Marlin was quite striking when introduced in 1965, a year before the 1966–67 Dodge Charger and three years before the 1968–69 Ford Torino fastback. It would have been even more attractive had American Motors’ CEO, Roy Abernethy, not intervened. A tall, large man, Abernathy felt cramped in the rear seat and demanded his designers raise the roof over the rear seat by 6 inches. Stylists sweat fractions of inches to get the right profile, imagine what 6 inches did to Bob Nixon’s design! Still, it’s a great automobile with a beautiful instrument panel and interior. Most Marlins were V8 powered, this one is a rare 232 six-cylinder car. Look for it in The Complete Book of AMC Cars published by Quarto/Motorbooks next year.