Produced from 1967 to 1970, the AMC Rebel was a rather short-lived nameplate. But it spawned a few cool muscle cars, the most famous of which is the Rebel Machine, AMC's halo performance car for 1970. However, the company built a faster and much more powerful Rebel. Meet "Topel's Rambler," the one-off dragster prototype you probably never knew existed.
The story of this unique racer began in the early days of the nameplate when AMC's engineering team started working on a beefed-up Rebel that would run the quarter-mile in the 11-second bracket.
The car was fitted with a 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8 engine long before it became available in the factory Rebel and it was also the first of its kind to combine the 390 with a four-speed manual gearbox.
Named "Topel's Rambler" after an AMC dealership in Kenosha, Wisconsin, it was also the first Rebel to wear the red-white-blue livery that found its way on the Machine for the 1970 model year.
In fact, we could say that this prototype was the Rebel that led to the creation of the 1968 concept that eventually spawned the Rebel Machine. With the difference that "Topel's Rambler" had a notably more powerful 390 V8 (estimated to generate about 500 horsepower) and lighter construction.
And while the Rebel Machine was capable of covering the quarter-mile in about 14.4 seconds back in the day, this road-legal dragster ran the distance in 10.6 clicks! That's impressive even by 2022 standards.
The history of this car is a bit foggy, but it seems it spent a few years in storage, waiting for someone to restore it to its former glory. That someone was Fred Aherns, who took the unique Rebel home in 2006.
He traded "three really nice" cars to get it (yup, it sounds expensive) and spent about six years restoring it. Come 2022, and the Rebel is in fabulous condition, boasting a rebuilt interior, a flawless exterior, and a refreshed and upgraded 390 V8 engine.
Is it more powerful after the rebuild? Well, Fred doesn't say, but this Rebel sounds mean when he's pushing the gas pedal to the metal. You'll get a taste of that in the video below, just make sure you go to the 10:30- and 12-minute marks.
But you might as well check out the entire footage because it provides a complete walkaround of the road-legal dragster, as well as a bit of history on its origins and restoration process.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News