The First Owner of This '69 AMC Ambassador Shot Seven Presidents, Don't Assume a Thing

The small but resilient company followed in the footsteps of the main automobile producers of the 1960s and 1970s with a microscopic budget and infinite imagination. Though it couldn’t compete with any of the GM-Ford-Chrysler piston trinity in any quantifiable aspect, AMC still gave all three a run for their money in every segment available to the masses, including racing.

After all, Mark Donohue won Trans Am in Javelins, too, not just Camaros, and the AMC brand was not an outsider to the horsepower game. From muscle cars to limos, the independent carmaker had it all. That’s right, the AMC badge even landed on a limousine based on its premium model, the Ambassador. Granted, it wasn’t built by the factory but converted by a coachbuilder. However, it was still an Ambassador SST (the top trim of the top model of American Motors’ lineup).

One of those stretched Ambassadors was commissioned and used by the State of Wisconsin as Governor Warren Knowles's official vehicle. It was one of the 75,741 AMC Ambassador built for the 1969 model year. Another equally amazing example would be this all-original survivor posing for the camera in an October 2023 video from Lou Costabile, the Chicago-based classic car hunter and YouTuber.

This Frost White car is at its second owner in 55 years – the original buyer had it until 2007 when he sold it to Bob Peiler, the current caretaker smiling in the video and telling the car’s story. This 125,467-mile (201,876 kilometers at the time of filming) impeccable AMC belonged to a long-time White House official.

Ok, don’t think a Vice-president or a First Lady, but its first owner was the Director of the White House Photographic Service, Billie Shaddix. The man shot seven Presidents of the nation during his time in Washington, DC (he was paid to do it), and they all smiled right back at him.

That probably didn’t come out quite as harmless as intended, but this composed cruiser was no drive-by ride. This car served as the photographer’s daily driver for four years of commuting between Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, and the capital.

According to Bob Peiler, the current proprietor of this AMC gem, nothing has been changed, altered, modified, or even refreshed after Mr. Shaddix’s ownership. Even the driveline endured through the decades and miles without a single hiccup or precautionary intervention.

This prestigious SST was one step away from becoming a piece of American history when it was selected as a parade vehicle for Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration. Sadly, a few days before the January 20 swear-in ceremony, the designated driver for the classic AMC became unavailable, and no suitable replacement could be appointed in due time. The Ambassador was left out of the protocolar procedures.

The 1969 AMC Ambassador was the carmaker’s attempt to bite a chunk of the luxury segment, aiming directly at Lincoln, Cadillac, and Imperial. It had the right size for the job, with a wheelbase of 122 inches (3,098 mm) and a 206-inch overall length (5,232 mm, 17 feet).

It also had the firepower: the AMX 390 cubic-inch V8 (the 6.4-liter) produced 315 hp and 425 lb-ft (576 Nm) thanks to a quad-barrel carburetor and 10.2:1 compression. The powerplant was mated to a three-speed transmission with a Twin-Grip differential (non-slip is the meaning of that marketing catchphrase). As a curiosity, the big V8 was built for the AMX in 1968 (hence the decals on the chromed air cleaner lid), and it was available for two years.

The unit-body construction allowed for a very nice and quiet ride, and the big V8 had all the push it needed to get the car rolling with no effort. This particular example – probably the best-looking ’69 Ambassador SST left around – came with every single option available from the factory. $1,312.05 was a lot of money that bought a lot of extra car back in the days of Richard Nixon.

This X-code AMC was assembled in the first week of 1969, five weeks after Lyndon B. Johnson stepped down at the end of his final term. Billie Shaddix upped the base price of a regular Ambassador SST by over 30%, from 3,605 bucks to 4,792.60, ticking all the boxes. Interestingly, unlike most cars of the sixties, this AMC’s window sticker doesn’t show a vastly expensive add-on that most other makers would throw in: air conditioning.

Pay attention to the wording: ‘vastly expensive’ is the key phrase – in fact, the A/C was offered at no extra cost. That’s right; the AMC Ambassador came with climate control from the factory – something only Cadillac and Rolls-Royce pampered their high-money buyers with. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

The present owner says he doesn’t take the Ambassador out for casual drives and keeps it protected from the elements – which is probably the main reason for this car’s stunning looks. Also, this classic piece of Americana heritage is a rare sight, even at car shows, where it is usually the only Ambassador attendant.