The 1971 AMC Ambassador Brougham is an interesting car with several unique features and quirks. This car was designed by Dick Teague and his team at American Motors. The front end of this car is considered an homage to his time at Packard, and it is very similar to the Packard front end. The rear, on the other hand, is all 1971 LTD.
The first thing that stands out is the door handles. AMC used these handles on everything, including Jeep tailgates, and they work quite well. The interior of this car is well-maintained, and the key buzzer is a unique feature that these cars had. The split bench seat is also a great addition to this car.
The HVAC system in this car is all done with boating cables, and there are no vacuum diaphragms. To get heat, you move the lever down, and it opens the heater core valve under the hood. If you want to move the defroster lever, you move it up and down to change the air outlet.
The air conditioning is controlled by a rotational knob that controls the temperature by how often the compressor kicks on and off. This is similar to an aftermarket AC system, and the air conditioning in this car is extra cold. There is an air vent right above the driver that points right at you, which is a great feature.
The door locks on this car are unique as well. There are no plungers in the front, and you lock it by pushing the lever forward and pulling it back. The rear doors have the plunger, which is odd. The wing windows are another unique feature of this car. You push the little button and then rotate it, and it locks back into position.
The radio in this car is also vertically oriented, similar to the 63 Corvettes, the C2 Corvettes, and later the Chevy citation. The headliner of this car is also unique and almost like a cardboard feel. This car was an early pioneer in having a one-color headliner irrespective of what interior you’ve got.
The Pacer was also the first car to have blackout window glass trim, which was a cost-saving measure because they didn’t have to finish off the interior.
Overall, the 1971 AMC Ambassador Brougham is a unique car with several strange features and quirks. The car has several features that make it stand out from other cars of its time, and it is definitely a collector’s item for those who appreciate classic cars.
