Meeting the 1970 AMC Rebel “The Machine”

While perusing a small, local car show recently, I saw something I’d never before seen in person: an AMC Rebel “The Machine.” This now-iconic muscle car was a product of the height of the muscle car era and not very many of them were made, with even fewer remaining today in original condition. The Machine is one of the most interesting and oft-forgotten cars from that time period.

For its 30-odd years in operation, American Motors Corporation (AMC) had a strong heyday in the 1960s. During that time, its best-sellers were the now beloved Rambler Classic and the Rebel. To appeal to younger crowds and jump on the powerful muscle car rage, AMC produced some strong contenders for that market.

The first was the AMC AMX, introduced in 1968. This was a two-seater that aimed towards the buyer who wanted muscle for muscle’s sake and didn’t need a lot of practicality included. The next offering was the SC/Rambler in 1969. That car aimed directly at the drag strip and was meant to compete with the heavy-hitters of the day.

AMC planned to also introduce a powerful variant of the Rebel series of family cars to coincide with the SC/Rambler as a street-going and lower-cost muscle car variant that still had a back seat. Those plans changed and it took another year for the AMC Rebel to appear as The Machine in production format.

The delay was due to a smart decision within AMC’s upper management. The original concept for The Machine was fielded in 1968 as engineers at the company worked towards production readiness. This car wasn’t the performance looker that was needed to really compete on the market. Another concept, used in 1967 primarily for carburetion testing by AMC’s engineering team, was the better option. Although swapping to the 1967 concept’s build would take more time, it would ultimately result in a better and more competitive vehicle.

Thus the 1970 AMC Rebel “The Machine” came to fruition. By combining some of the elements of the intended 1969 model and the engineering of the 1967 prototype, AMC’s team produced what would become one of the most iconic sports cars in America.

For the first 1,000 units produced, a white body decked with blue paint across the hood and red, white, and blue decal striping along the fenders and bodywork was default. And it’s now iconic.

That is what I found at a car show in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I met Dave Shimerka, its owner, and had a conversation about the car. I later photographed it and learned its history. He’s owned the car for about 13 years and it was his first and only auction buy. The previous owner had kept it entirely original except for the wheels. Dave has a quiet demeanor and a clear love of unique cars. He owns and drives several. The Machine is one of his favorites.

The design of The Machine was derived from the Rebel coupe, with a scooped ram-air intake hood, blackout bezels around the headlamps, and more aggressive tires and wheels as additions. Integrated into the left-side intake scoop was a driver-visible tachometer. These touches took what was a sedate, mainstream two-door design and turned it into a powerful-looking street rod.

Underneath the bodywork, a lot of changes to the Rebel took place to create The Machine. A 6.4-liter 390 cubic inch V8 engine was modified to push out about 340 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. This mated to a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission into rear-wheel drive. Modifications included a unique valve train, heads and cams, and a redesigned intake and exhaust. A four-barrel Motorcraft 690cfm carburetor finished the job. This made the The Machine the most powerful street-legal AMC vehicle up to that point.

AMC made the marketing decision to get certification from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) for The Machine to become a legal drag racer as a street-legal car. This move boosted the car’s appeal to buyers significantly.

That was especially true when the unveiling of the 1970 Rebel Machine happened in Dallas, Texas at the NHRA’s World Championship Drag Race Finals. AMC drove ten pre-production Rebel Machines from its factory in Wisconsin to Dallas. Five were automatic transmissions and five were manuals. During the event’s press days, these pre-production Rebel Machine models ran exhibition sprints on the drag strip, averaging about 14-second quarter miles.

Without having to compete or risk not winning, AMC cemented The Machine’s credibility as a street-legal race car in the public’s eye. The ten models continued exhibitions at drag strips around the U.S. for a few months and were then sold to dealerships as used models to be put on display to attract customers onto their lots.

Because The Machine was a production vehicle meant for street use, unlike the SC/Rambler, there were numerous factory and dealership options for the car. These included simple comforts like cruise control and air conditioning, but also included an engine “service kit” that boosted HP to over 400 and an aggressively-geared rear differential (5.0:1), which together dropped almost two seconds off the factory car’s quarter mile time.

In all, AMC produced 2,326 Rebel The Machines in 1970. When the Rebel was discontinued at the end of that year, the Matador took over as a new design for its market.

AMC offered a Machine Go package option for the Matador, but it proved far less popular. This package had two engine options, no Machine markings, and no ram-air scoop or striping. Only about 50 of these Matador models with the added Machine Go package were produced. Making them very rare. But they are not nearly as collectible as their predecessor of the year before.

Dave plans to keep his Machine as-is, doing just maintenance and repairs as necessary. He is on the hunt for original or similar-styled wheels to replace what is currently on the car and enjoys driving it to car shows and for fun. It’s parked in a garage next to his brother’s first-generation Mustang. Dave owns a beautiful piece of American history.