Welcome to the Australian Hornets page! 
Did you know that there is a loyal following of Hornet owners down under? You bet there is, and what a great bunch of folks too!
Since this site was created I have received many requests for information on Hornets in Australia. So much so, that I decided to create this page to post information about these great cars and the enthusiast who carry on the AMC spirit there.
Production Information
- Production build numbers are are really sketchy. With between 100-200 being made in each model year
- All AMC products in Australia were carried the Rambler Name. This means you could have purchased a Rambler Javelin, Matador and even a Rambler Gremlin
- 1973 models were essentially 1972 cars with grille and taillights changed
- The 1973 model we know of here was never offered in Australia. Instead, 1972 models were tagged as 1973 production models and different taillights were installed
- 1974 models were sold through 1975 as well with a believed 100 or less made
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- All cars were four door sedans equipped with power disc brakes, manual steering, with V8 suspensions and differentials
- All cars had a % of "Local Content" (This was easily done using seats, carpet, lights, heaters, etc. from local suppliers)
- All cars came with a 232 or 258 six cylinder and Automatic Transmissions
- It is believed that 1 or 2 Hornets were manufactured with manual transmissions
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Hornets were assembled in a knockdown form (CKD). That is to say that the shells were built in the Brampton facilities then shipped to Australia in containers where they were assembled by Australian Motor Industries (AMI) in Port Melbourne Victoria. This company also built for Toyota, Triumph, Leyland, and Muir Hill (tractors). |
Australian Production Numbers
| 1970 |
407 |
Same |
| 1971 |
597 |
Same |
| 1972 |
355 |
Same |
| 1973 |
212 |
These were 1972 models |
| 1974 |
118 |
Same |
| 1975 |
136 |
These were 1974 models |
A total of 1,825 Hornets were built
at the AMI Factory In Port Melbourne Victoria
Information provided by Andrew Tuck of the AMC Rambler Club of Australia
Hornets of Western Australia
Of the Hornets that came to Western Australia, most of these where sold through Premier Motors in Perth. Of those, about 30 were converted to V8 engines. The engine mainly used was the 290 cid. They were installed by a fellow named Ben Ludlow, who at the time was the sole AMC/Rambler service center in Western Australia.
Information provided by Michael
Gilbert of Western Australia |
Other Interesting Facts
- Owners who want V8 power will remove the factory six cylinder engines and swap it with either Ford or GM engine (There are very few AMC V8s)
- There are many US cars in South Australia that came from the US military bases to the north. The vehicles were supposed to be destroyed on completion of there duties, but most never were. This allowed many US serviceman to sell their vehicles to the local population and introduce models that were not available in the Australian market.
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Clubs
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Rambler Car Club of Western Australia
13 Chartwell Way
Swanview, Western Australia 6056
Phone: 9294 4597
The Club's President is Bob Tiedtke and they are 70+ members strong with cars from across the board. |
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AMC RAMBLER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA CHAPTER
Colin Main
PO Box 10 Moonee Vale
Victoria, Australia 3055
03-9309-0601
e-mail: Colin Main
Club Link: AMC RAMBLER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA |
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Rambler Hornet Images
Click Image to Enlarge
Some information and images provided here courtesy of Brothers Andrew and David Tuck of the AMC Rambler Club of Australia. To see Andrew's two rare Hornets in "The Hive", click here
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