Which 1957 AMC model is often cited as the first mid-sized car with a big-block V8?

The 1957 AMC model often cited as the first midsize car with a big-block V8 was the Rambler Rebel.

American Motors introduced the Rebel in December 1956 for the 1957 model year. It combined the relatively compact Rambler body and 108-inch wheelbase with AMC’s new 327-cubic-inch V8, giving the car far more power than buyers generally expected from the company’s economical image.

The Rebel is frequently described as the first postwar midsize car to receive a large-displacement or “big-block” V8. That wording reflects period context: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler did not yet offer intermediate-sized cars in the same way, so AMC’s combination of a lighter body and large V8 stood out well before the classic 1960s muscle-car formula became common.

Only about 1,500 1957 Rebels were produced. They were silver with gold side inserts, and Motor Trend called the car the fastest stock American sedan at the time. The Rebel therefore occupies an important place as a muscle-car precursor, even though it predates the genre’s best-known era.