high-output options. During its production, the Rebel was available as a six-passenger, four-door sedan, two-door hardtop, and four-door station wagon with an optional third-row seat for two more passengers. In addition, a two-door sedan (coupé) with a thin B-pillar and flip-out rear side windows was available for only the 1967 model year while a convertible was offered during 1967 and 1968. The six-cylinder engines that were introduced by AMC in 1964 were continued. However, the 1967 Rebel models introduced the first of a family of all-new V8s that replaced AMC's long-lived "Gen-1" designs in the mid-sized automobile market segment. These included the and engines that debuted in the 1966 Rambler American. With a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, the 343 V8 produced at 4800 rpm and of torque at 3000 rpm. The new Rebels also eliminated the torque tube design used in the Rambler Classic in favor of an open drive shaft with a four-link, trailing-arm rear live axle rear suspension system to provide a more comfortable coil spring ride. The independent front suspension continued to use AMC's unequal-length control arms and high-mount coil springs. 1967 The 1967 Rambler Rebel was a completely new design from its predecessor, the Rambler Classic. Now a larger car riding on a two-inch (50-mm) longer wheelbase, the width was also increased by nearly to enlarge interior passenger space and cargo capacity. The Rebel had as much interior space as full-sized cars from Ford and GM. The new body design was in sharp contrast to its predecessor's "straight-edge" design. The Rebel featured a smooth, rounded appearance with sweeping rooflines, a "Coke-bottle" body with a shorter rear deck, and a greater glass area for increased visibility. However, the design "themes" such as the "hop-up" fenders became so pervasive across the industry that the all-new 1967 Rebel was criticized because "viewed from any angle, anyone other than an out-and-out car buff would have trouble distinguishing the Rebel from its GM, Ford, and Chrysler Corp. competition." American Motors was staying abreast of the fashion and the Rebel was the first "family car with style that rivaled function." The Rebel's advantage in roominess compared to counterparts from Ford, Chevy, and Plymouth, was that the Rebels now looked like them "making them less distinctive to buyers." A new safety-oriented instrument panel featured a steering column designed to collapse under impact, while the gauges and controls were grouped in a hooded