As part of Roy Abernethy's remake of AMC's corporate identity, divorcing the larger car lines from the historic Rambler brand that had "become synonymous with frugality" and the economy compact car image.
The Rambler Marlin became known as the AMC Marlin starting with the 1966 model year.
All references to "Rambler" were removed from the car and promotional materials.
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).
New was an electronic tach on the top of the dash.

The year also saw the introduction of the fastback Dodge Charger, a derivative of the intermediate-sized Dodge Coronet, and a sporty model in direct response to the Marlin.
The Charger "was immediately paired up in the automotive press with American Motors' year-old Marlin, another fastback specialty machine." "
The fastback Charger had been introduced in mid-season of 1966 in retaliation to the AMC Marlin, Mustang, and Plymouth's Barracuda".
Together, the intermediate-sized Charger and Marlin were "unusual, distinctive and in a class by themselves."
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.

AMC broadened the car's market appeal by lowering the base price to US$2,601 (US$20,496 in 2019 dollars) and offering more options.
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.
By comparison, Chrysler did a similar thing with the pricing and content of its Dodge Charger from the 1966 to the 1967 model years.
Despite these changes, Marlin production fell to 4,547 in 1966.

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".
The 287 cu in (4.7 L) two-barrel V8 engine with the three-speed automatic achieved 0 to 60 mph in 11.7 seconds, and was the quietest, but least responsive of the group.
The test Marlin's standard drum brakes were criticized as inadequate, with the authors recommending the optional disk brakes.
As part of Roy Abernethy's remake of AMC's corporate identity, divorcing the larger car lines from the historic Rambler brand that had "become synonymous with frugality" and the economy compact car image. The Rambler Marlin became known as the AMC Marlin starting with the 1966 model year. All references to "Rambler" were removed from the car and promotional materials. 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). New was an electronic tach on the top of the dash.
The year also saw the introduction of the fastback Dodge Charger, a derivative of the intermediate-sized Dodge Coronet, and a sporty model in direct response to the Marlin. The Charger "was immediately paired up in the automotive press with American Motors' year-old Marlin, another fastback specialty machine." "The fastback Charger had been introduced in mid-season of 1966 in retaliation to the AMC Marlin, Mustang, and Plymouth's Barracuda". Together, the intermediate-sized Charger and Marlin were "unusual, distinctive and in a class by themselves." 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.
AMC broadened the car's market appeal by lowering the base price to US$2,601 (US$20,496 in 2019 dollars) and offering more options. 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. By comparison, Chrysler did a similar thing with the pricing and content of its Dodge Charger from the 1966 to the 1967 model years. Despite these changes, Marlin production fell to 4,547 in 1966.
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". The 287 cu in (4.7 L) two-barrel V8 engine with the three-speed automatic achieved 0 to 60 mph in 11.7 seconds, and was the quietest, but least responsive of the group. The test Marlin's standard drum brakes were criticized as inadequate, with the authors recommending the optional disk brakes.
Rambler Marlin