It wasn’t the styling of this 1964 AMC Rambler, or the fact it’s a barn find, or even its original condition that grabbed our attention while surfing eBay. What did catch our eye was the unusual twin stick shifter. We hadn’t ever heard of such a thing and given that it’s an AMC, we were sure it would prove to be an interesting bit of technology. Our first thought was that this could be another take on the His/Hers shifter, but closer inspection proved that theory wrong, so we decided to do some research. Before we get into the history of the Twin Stick, take a look at this Rambler here on eBay.

As it turns out, the Twin Stick was more than just a sales gimmick to win over the hearts of domesticated males who were looking for a family car that was fun, but that could also keep the misses happy. It was in reality about offering 5 forward gears for improved mileage, although we hear it was also a hoot to row through the gears. To create 5 gears, AMC took their three-speed transmission and added overdrive for 2nd and 3rd. When driving, the driver would shift from 1st to second like normal, but then could engage 2nd’s overdrive with the In/Out selector lever. Once the driver was ready for 3rd, they disengaged overdrive and then selected 3rd on the primary shifter. Once up to cruising speed they could select 3rd’s overdrive gear in the same fashion as the previous gear.

While the system accomplished the task of adding more gears, it also required a lot of engaging and disengaging of the overdrive gears. For those that didn’t want to be moving hands between sticks, there was an overdrive button built into the top of shifter as well. To make sure the overdrive system was worth the added work, 2nd gear was substantially different from the standard three-speed and made a noticeable difference with acceleration. We aren’t sure if it will make a major difference in driving this Rambler, but the interior is surprisingly sporty for a four door. Obviously it is going to need lots of work, but the bucket seats and A/C are nice bonuses.

While the Twin Stick would be a fun novelty, we aren’t sure it would offset the inline six and the power drain from the A/C system. The Rambler was offered with a number of engine choices ranging from a 195 cui six to the 390 V8. We are sure for regular driving, the six would be more than adequate, but we would enjoy a V8 for spirited driving. Seeing as it runs and drives, we would leave it as is and just enjoy it. The fact that there weren’t many built with the Twin Stick in the two year period it was offered, we wouldn’t want to change much anyway.

While it would certainly be more fun to have a Marlin with this Twin Stick setup, we think this four door could be a fun project that could haul the family to events in style and comfort. Getting it to the point that we would feel comfortable doing so would take some time and money, but should be worth it. Using this trick overdrive system would be a challenge at first, but could make even the most mundane drive interesting. Do you recall any other interesting technology to come out of AMC during this era?