american-motors | MagentaDot Brands

Young man in a red 1957 Rambler Rebel t-shirt standing beside New Brighton Pier.

From Banner to Tee: Designing a T-Shirt Inspired by the 1957 Rambler Rebel

March 12, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

A Spark of Inspiration Mid-Project

When I was deep into the process of re-creating a 1957 American Motors dealership banner for my friend’s Rambler Rebel restoration, I found myself intrigued by the car’s oddball charm. Its rarity fascinated me. My friend had showed me the 1957 Rambler Rebel in his workshop, which he’s been pouring his heart into restoring, it was in its bare metal current state. Its unibody design was clearly visible and surprising, I didn’t know that any cars were made by American Automakers in the 1950s where the body structure itself provides the main strength.

Curious to understand how this innovation came about, I dove into research. I uncovered fascinating details about the car’s legacy. Monocoque construction contributed to its lightweight agility and record-breaking 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds in 1957 at the Daytona Beach Speed Week. The research also yielded low-resolution images of the car speeding along the test track, and still images of it at Daytona Beach Speed Week.

It occurred to me that the bold graphic design of the banner, with its vintage fonts and striking colours, would look great on a t-shirt. This would be especially true if I paired it with a digital illustration of the Rebel in motion on the track.

Man wearing a red 1957 Rambler t-shirt standing beside New Brighton Pier, celebrating the Rambler Rebel’s legacy. — *Rocking the rebel vibe at New Brighton Pier! This red 1957 Rambler t-shirt honours my friend’s restoration of the iconic Rambler Rebel—a bold nod to its underdog spirit!*

Photocomposite of a 1957 Nash Rambler silk banner in lustrous red with a black-and-white 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan auto show image.

The 1957 Rambler Rebel: A Banner Worth Raising Again

March 8, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Picture this: it’s 1957, and the American automotive landscape is a parade of chrome and tail fins—cars flexing their excess like peacocks in Detroit showrooms. Then, rolling out of the chaos, comes the 1957 Rambler Rebel. Not a conformist, not a follower, but a four-door rebel with a metallic silver streak and a secret under the hood. My friend, a car nut with grease under his nails and a gleam in his eye, is restoring one of these rare beauties right now. And me? I’m the design guy who got roped into re-creating an American Motors dealership banner from that very year—a bold, period-perfect piece to match his labour of love.

But why go to all this trouble for a car most folks don’t know they’ve forgotten?

1957 Rambler Rebel sedan on a test-driving track, showcasing its silver finish and classic design. — *Revving into history! This 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan tears up the test track, proving its muscle car credentials with style and grit—America’s forgotten badass in action!*

Let me tell you a story about the Rebel that explains it all.

Photocomposite of a 1957 Rambler Rebel sedan in motion as a blurred silver streak backdrop, with a crisp red silk banner in the foreground featuring heat-pressed vinyl graphics. — *Speeding into the spotlight! This photocomposite pairs a motion-blurred 1957 Rambler Rebel with its stunning red silk banner, reborn to honour a rebel with a cause!*

Bearded man wearing a navy blue t-shirt featuring a 1967 AMC Marlin in a 1960s Grand Prix poster style, beside New Brighton Pier.

American Motors Marlin: From shutter to screen to t-shirt

December 4, 2024 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Hey there! I’m just starting a project that’s close to my heart as a child of the 60s and a Graphic Designer. It involves a big, flashy 1967 American Motors car, the Marlin. This two-door fastback car produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1965 to 1967 is not your everyday car. The automakers really wanted to make something special, something that stood out. That’s how the 1967 American Motors Marlin was born. It came equipped with a powerful 343 cubic inch V8 engine to boot, which was a statement in itself. It was initially launched as the Rambler Marlin in 1965, but in 1966 and 1967 it was rebranded as the AMC Marlin.

1967 was the last year of production for the Marlin and is considered by many to be the most desirable due to its culmination of Marlin styling and beautiful proportions.