The 1965 and 1966 model year production Marlins were fastback versions of the mid-sized two-door hardtop Rambler Classic, and 1967 brought a major redesign in which the car was given the new, longer AMC Ambassador full-sized chassis.

Ultimately, and in line with Roy Abernethy's new marketing strategy, the decision was made to build the new fastback model on AMC's intermediate-sized Rambler Classic platform.

[6] The development team, under distinguished American designer Dick Teague, had to work with considerably smaller budgets than their counterparts at Detroit's Big Three[8] to create the new Marlin.

"[9] However, the roof was raised over the rear passenger area when Abernethy, who was six-foot-four (193 cm tall), insisted on being able to sit in the back seat of the design studies.

The Marlin was advertised in 2,400 newspapers on its launch day,[15] and American Motors' news releases positioned it as aimed at buyers wanting a sporty fastback that was also roomy and comfortable.

[23] Automobile Quarterly magazine thought the car very ugly and expressed dislike for the inadequacy of the rear-view window, the positions of the steering-wheel and stoplights, the softness of the front seats, and the design of the pedals.

Interior door panels were finished with carpeting and stainless steel trim, when many cars at the time had cheaper stamped vinyl glued to cardboard.

[28] Other options included "Solex" tinted glass (70% of production), power steering, heavy-duty suspension, "Twin-Grip" limited slip differential, air conditioning, adjustable steering wheel, power windows, and a choice of AM radio or an AM/FM monaural unit (50% of production) with "Duo Costic" rear speaker and "Vibra Tone" system to simulate stereophonic sound (stereo broadcasting was not yet widely available in the U.S.).

The MSRP price was US$3,100 (US$29,972 in 2023 dollars[29]), compared with $3,063 for a bench seat (six-passenger) version of the Rambler Classic 770 two-door hardtop, which did not have the extra features and luxurious interior of the Marlin.

The other changes were minor (e.g. a slight modification to the extruded aluminum grille, a front sway bar made standard on six-cylinder models, and an optional black vinyl roof cover that continued over the trunk opening).

"[37] General Motors and Ford also positioned products similar to the Marlin as specialized "personal luxury" coupes and introduced 2-door fastback versions of their full- and intermediate-sized car lines.

For example: high-level trim packages that had previously been standard, as well optional floor or center console mounted 4-speed manual transmission and a dash-mounted tachometer, affected small changes in pricing and equipment that paralleled the competition.

Popular Science magazine road test comparison of three 1966 sporty fastbacks (Ford Mustang, Plymouth Valiant, and AMC Marlin) highlighted the Marlin's quiet interior, high quality upholstery and positioned seats with adjustable backrests that "permit almost any driver to find an ideal seat-to-wheel-to-pedal relationship", as well as the "best-balanced ride on good roads and bad".

[38] The 1967 model year saw an increase in specialty market segment that included "the luxurious personal cars, Thunderbird, Riviera, Marlin, Charger, Toronado and Eldorado.

Motor Trend magazine compared two "Sporty Specialties" – the 1967 AMC Marlin and Dodge Charger – concluded that both are "caught in the middle" because "neither has the compactness of the basic sports-personal archetypes such as the Mustang or Camaro, nor the posh elegance to social climb" of models such as the Cadillac Eldorado or Buick Riviera.

The front end shared the Ambassador's vertically stacked headlights in slightly protruding nacelles, and an all-new recessed extruded aluminum grille with horizontal bars that bowed forward in the center.

The rear bumper was slightly different from the one used on the Ambassador and Rebel station wagons, the top edge being a continuous horizontal line that fits up against the body.

The interiors continued to offer premium materials and fittings, including wood-grain trim, and were the same as on the Ambassador 990 and DPL two-door hardtop models (with the exception of the "Custom" package that had two matching pillows) that "rival more expensive cars for luxury and quality, yet are durable enough to take years of normal wear.

The interior design was new and featured a safety-oriented dashboard with the instruments and controls grouped in front of the driver, while the rest of the dash was pushed forward and away from the passengers.

[44] This was partly a result of customers' diminishing confidence in the financial health of the automaker under Abernethy's leadership, partly confusion caused by AMC's move away from its loyal "economy" customer market segments into segments dominated by the domestic "Big Three" (GM, Ford, and Chrysler),[47] and partially a reflection of cannibalism of its potential market by the successful introduction of the Javelin.

Buyers did not turn to the "family"-sized fastbacks including the Dodge Charger, which saw 1967 model sales drop by half compared to its prior 1966 introductory year.

[51] While the Big Three automakers in the U.S. were focusing on high performance during the early 1960s, AMC ran advertising that said: "Why don't we enter high-performance Rambler V-8s in racing?

[59] Sponsored by Queen City Rambler, a Charlotte, North Carolina AMC dealership, the car ran almost stock, even with a radio antenna.

The passenger seats were removed, a roll bar installed, and the factory exhaust system replaced with open headers that exited below the doors.

Therefore, the Marlin's introduction in 1965 can be viewed as stopgap marketing move by AMC, influenced by the company's lack of a V8 engine at that time to fit the compact Rambler chassis.

The press release by the Democratic ticket chided: "...the fact that Mitt Romney was embarrassed by his brand new car shows just how out of touch with regular working people he is.

The rear-wheel drive, two-seat sports car was developed when Chrysler was merged with German automaker Daimler-Benz (forming DaimlerChrysler) and shared most of its components with the Mercedes-Benz SLK320.

[84] Examples include automotive journalist Rob Rothwell, who wrote "...when I first espied the rear lines of the Chrysler Crossfire I was instantly transported back to 1965 and my favorite car of that year, the Rambler Marlin.

According to Steve Magnante of Hot Rod magazine, Jo-Han appears to be poised for a comeback with its most famous unassembled model kits favoring offbeat subjects, "but save up-this stuff is pricey.

[95] In addition to the two-tone paint with chrome bumpers and grille, the model features a detailed interior finished in white and the front seat backs can be tipped forward (as in the actual cars).