Equipment
232/145hp six, 3-speed, US Mag wheels, Pirelli tires, column shift, factory radio, dash clock, aftermarket air conditioning.
Condition
Tidy, partially restored engine bay. Dull original chrome and older quick respray. Good newer upholstery, but the rest of the interior is original and a little tired. The knob for the end of the shifter is missing. Dirty but dry, mostly original underbody. The rear window is heavily scratched. The original spare is in the trunk. The wheel and tire choice is odd for a car that is otherwise period correct. This Marlin gets credit just for existing, because when was the last time you even saw one? It's a driver, but it's cool to see in person and nobody shopping for one of these things can afford to be too picky.
Market commentary
The Houston bidders weren't picky about the price, either, paying a retail but not generous amount for a rarely seen car. The Marlin is a Rambler Classic with a fastback roof conceived in a rather desperate attempt to respond to the Mustang's explosive popularity and it worked, with 10,300 built of which just 2,000 had the six-cylinder engine like this. The wheels and tires? If it isn't fast (and it isn't) at least it can look good.
