The AMC 327 engine debuted in a special edition Rambler Rebel, of which 1,500 were made. They were an early American muscle car. All Rebels had silver paint with a gold-anodized "spear" on each side. The 327 was not available in any other Rambler models in 1957 other than the special edition Rebel. The Rebel's engine differs from the 327s installed in the 1957 Nash Ambassador and Hudson Hornet models in that it uses mechanical valve lifters and a higher compression ratio. Since both engines were rated at , it is probable that the Rebel's was underrated.