Editing American Motors Corporation (section)

== 1980s product developments ==
{{more citations needed|section|date=January 2020}}

In 1980, all American Motors cars received a new rust-proofing process using [[Ziebart]] as Factory Rust Protection. The extra protection also included aluminized trim screws, plastic inner fender liners, and galvanized steel in every exterior body panel, along with the unibody getting a deep-dip (up to the window line) bath in [[Epoxy|epoxy-based primer]]. American Motors backed up the rust protection program with a 5-year "No Rust Thru" component to its comprehensive "Buyer Protection Plan."

=== AMC Eagle ===
[[File:AMC Eagle wagon.jpg|right|thumb|1981 AMC Eagle Wagon]]
[[File:1981 AMC Concord 4-door beige PAfr.jpg|thumb|right|1981 AMC Concord]]
In August 1979, for the 1980 model year, American Motors introduced four-wheel-drive versions of the [[AMC Spirit|Spirit]] and [[AMC Concord|Concord]], calling the collective line the [[AMC Eagle]]. Eagles rapidly became one of the company's best-known products and are considered one of the first "[[crossover SUV]]s".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gold |first1=Aaron |title=AMC Eagle: No, Seriously, This Was the First Crossover SUV |url= https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/amc-eagle-no-seriously-was-first-crossover-suv-265257 |work=Autotrader |date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221010024251/https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/amc-eagle-no-seriously-was-first-crossover-suv-265257 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunting |first1=Benjamin |title=The AMC Eagle Invented the Crossover 20 Years Too Soon |url= https://www.insidehook.com/article/vehicles/amc-eagle-invented-crossover-too-soon |work=InsideHook |date=November 22, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221010024252/https://www.insidehook.com/article/vehicles/amc-eagle-invented-crossover-too-soon |url-status=live }}</ref> Eagles used the 2-wheel drive body shells mounted on an all-new platform developed by American Motors in the late 1970s. Featuring an innovative full-time four-wheel-drive system, it sold best in snow-prone areas. Sales started strongly but declined over time. While the two-wheel drive Spirit and Concord were discontinued after 1983 as the company concentrated on its new [[Renault Alliance]], the Eagle survived for five years longer, albeit only in station wagon form, into the 1988 model year. This meant the four-wheel-drive Eagle was the lone representative of the American Motors brand from 1984 until the 1988 model year. All the company's remaining output was branded Renault or Jeep. The last AMC Eagle was built on December 14, 1987.

=== Renault Alliance, Encore, and GTA ===
[[File:Alliance retrav.jpg|thumb|right|The Renault Alliance, based on the Renault 9, was built by American Motors Corporation from 1983 until 1987.]]
[[File:Renault GTA 2-door, av.jpg|thumb|right|1987 GTA two-door sedan]]
[[File:87-GTA-Convertible.jpg|thumb|1987 GTA convertible]]

The [[Renault Alliance]] was the first joint product of the American Motors-Renault partnership. Introduced in 1983, the Alliance was a front-wheel-drive [[Renault 9]] compact car slightly restyled for the American market by Dick Teague, mainly to comply with American safety standards, and produced by American Motors at Kenosha. The car was badged as a Renault, and some cars also carried American Motors badges. It was available as a sedan with two or four doors and later as a convertible. The [[hatchback]], introduced in 1984 and badged as the [[Renault Encore]], was the same as the European Renault 11 model.

The new model, introduced during increased interest in small cars, won several awards, including [[Motor Trend Car of the Year]]. ''Motor Trend'' declared: "The Alliance may well be the best-assembled first-year car we've ever seen. Way to go Renault!" The Alliance was listed as number one on ''[[Car and Driver]]'s'' list of [[Car and Driver Ten Best|ten best cars]] for 1983.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=1983 10 Best Cars: AMC/Renault Alliance – An Alliance Builds an Alliance |magazine=Car and Driver |date=January 1983 |volume=28 |issue=7 |url= http://www.caranddriver.com/features/archive/1983_10best_cars-10best_cars/an_alliance_builds_an_alliance_page_2 |access-date=November 24, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100917091637/http://www.caranddriver.com/features/archive/1983_10best_cars-10best_cars/an_alliance_builds_an_alliance_page_2 |archive-date=September 17, 2010}}</ref> The positive reception and sales of 200,000 Alliances by 1984 was hindered by the availability of only two body styles. The Alliance was a European-designed car that was not fully suited to U.S. market demands. The distribution network was also not well supported, which led to the lower quality delivered by dealerships with "disastrous consequences" for the image of the automobiles and high warranty costs because of quality failings, which greatly impacted sales from 1985 to the end of production in 1987.<ref name="foreign">{{cite book|first1=Geoffrey |last1=Jones |first2=Lina |last2=Gálvez-Muñoz |title=Foreign multinationals in the United States: management and performance |chapter=6 |year=2001 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-25055-9 |pages=110–112 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AnsvkPyJPiAC&q=Renault+Alliance&pg=PA110 |access-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref>

After the 1983 model year, American Motors focused entirely on four-wheel drive autos; the company stopped producing rear-wheel-drive cars. American Motors facilities were then used to assemble the Renault-branded Alliance and Encore compact and subcompact cars.

For the final 1987 model year, a higher-performance version of the Alliance 2-door sedan and the convertible was sold as the [[Renault Alliance#GTA|Renault GTA]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/09/29/the-one-to-watch-1987-renault-gta-brochure |title=The One To Watch: 1987 Renault GTA brochure |first=Mark J. |last=McCourt |date=September 29, 2015 |website=hemmings.com |access-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230329212646/https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/09/29/the-one-to-watch-1987-renault-gta-brochure |url-status=live }}</ref> This version had a Renault two-liter engine that was exclusive to it and not shared with the European Renault 9 and 11 models.<ref name="vance">{{cite web|url=http://www.autos.ca/motoring-memories/motoring-memories-amc-renault-alliance-1983-1987 |last=Vance |first=Bill |title=Motoring Memories: AMC-Renault Alliance, 1983–1987 |publisher=Autos Canada |date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=February 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="works">{{cite web|url= http://auto.howstuffworks.com/amc-cars4.htm |title=AMC Pacer, AMC Alliance, Chrysler Buys AMC |author=((Auto Editors of ''Consumer Guide'' ))|publisher=howstuffworks |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=February 17, 2015}}</ref> It was described as "dandy little sports car" and a "pocket rocket" defined as a low-priced "car based on high production economy but with emphasis placed on appearance, performance and handling."<ref name="kucinski">{{cite news|url= https://www.mcall.com/1986/12/20/renault-alliance-gta-is-a-dandy-little-sports-car-road-test/ |title=Renault Alliance GTA Is a Dandy Little Sports Car – Road Test |date=December 20, 1986 |first=Leonard |last=Kucinski |newspaper=The Morning Call |access-date=February 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://jalopnik.com/5603848/for-2900-this-canadian-gta-will-gtfo |title=For $2,900, This Canadian GTA Will GTFO |publisher=jalopnik |date=April 8, 2010 |access-date=February 17, 2015}}</ref>

The Encore models were renamed Alliance Hatchback in 1987. Alliance and GTA production ended in June of that year, while the Renault 9 and 11 models continued through the 1988 model year in Europe, being replaced by the all-new Renault 19.

=== Jeeps ===
[[File:Jeep Cherokee XJ 4D Laredo burgundy SOP rr.jpg|thumb|right|Jeep Cherokee Laredo]]
[[File:Jeep Comanche Pioneer white MD r.jpg|thumb|right|Jeep Comanche Pioneer]]
More beneficial to American Motors' future was the introduction of an all-new line of compact [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)|Jeep Cherokee]] and [[Jeep Wagoneer|Wagoneer]] models in the autumn of 1983 for the 1984 model year. Renault's [[François Castaing]], head of AMC's product development team, designed the new Jeep platform with styling by Dick Teague. Renault was interested in selling the Cherokee in Europe, but the vehicle needed to be lighter and more fuel-efficient to meet European expectations. The new XJ weighed {{convert|3,100|lb|kg|0|abbr=off}}, due to its unibody construction and lighter components such as the front seats taken from the [[Renault 9 and 11]] and new [[Renault Alliance]].

According to David Tracy, "The new XJ Jeep ... was {{convert|1200|lb|disp=sqbr}} lighter, {{convert|31|in|disp=sqbr}} shorter, six inches narrower, and four inches lower than the Cherokee SJ it replaced, and yet — thanks to unibody construction — the XJ kept 90 percent of its predecessor's interior volume." And, not only was fuel economy much improved, but "articulation is also better, as is ground clearance, as well as approach, departure, and break-over angles. These, along with its smaller profile, make the XJ better both off-road and on."<ref>{{cite web |last=Tracy |first=David |title=It's Incredible How Big of a Quantum Leap the Jeep Cherokee XJ Was over Its SJ Predecessor |date=May 29, 2018 |url= https://jalopnik.com/its-incredible-how-big-of-a-quantum-leap-the-jeep-chero-1826390951 |work=Jalopnik |access-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230405094941/https://jalopnik.com/its-incredible-how-big-of-a-quantum-leap-the-jeep-chero-1826390951 |url-status=live }}</ref>

AMC's initial forecasts of 40,000 Cherokee and Wagoneer sales were shattered, with sales amounting to 75,000 in their first year. The three leading [[off-roading]] magazines, ''[[Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road]]'', ''[[Four Wheeler]]'', and ''Off-Road'' each named the new Jeep Cherokee as the "4x4 of the year."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Renault Connection |date=May 1, 1985 |url= https://www.automotive-fleet.com/147556/the-renault-connection |work=Automotive Fleet |access-date=November 15, 2023}}</ref> The popularity of these downsized Jeeps pioneered a new market segment for what later became defined as the [[sport utility vehicle]] (SUV). They initially used the AMC {{convert|150.4|cid|L|1|abbr=on}} [[AMC Straight-4 engine|OHV four-cylinder engine]] with a [[carburetor]], and a General Motors-built {{convert|2.8|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} carbureted V6 was optional. In 1986, throttle-body injection replaced the carburetor on the 2.5&nbsp;L I4 engines. A Renault {{convert|2.1|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} Turbo-Diesel I4 [[Diesel engine|diesel]] was also offered. Starting with the 1987 models, a new {{convert|4.0|L|cuin|0|abbr=on}} I6 engine, derived from the older {{convert|258|CID|L|abbr=on}} I6 with a new head design and an electronic [[fuel injection]] system, replaced the [[Outsourcing|outsourced]] V6. American Motors' "new" engine was designed with help from Renault and incorporated Renault-Bendix ([[Renix]]) parts for fuel and ignition management. The 4.0 developed an outstanding reputation for reliability and toughness. Retained by Chrysler after the buyout, the design received continuous improvements and refinements until its discontinuation at the end of the 2006 model year. The AMC 4.0 engine saw extensive application in XJ Cherokees and Wagoneers, Grand Cherokees, and Wranglers, and many of those engines saw (or are seeing) extremely long lives, quite a few exceeding {{convert|300000|mi|km|abbr=on}}. Chrysler built the XJ Cherokee until the end of the 2001 model year in the U.S. and until 2005 in China.

Three other designs continued to be used after the Chrysler buyout: the Grand Wagoneer full-size luxury SUV, the full-sized J-series pickups (built on the same chassis as the earlier SJ model Wagoneers and Cherokees that dated from 1963 with the AMC {{convert|360|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8), and the [[Jeep Comanche]] (MJ) compact pickup, which debuted in 1986. Unlike most sport-utility vehicles based on adapted pickup truck designs, the Cherokee XJ SUV came first, and the Comanche was designed as a later pickup truck version.

Production of the full-sized pickups ceased after 1987. The Grand Wagoneer and 360 V8 engine were dropped after 1991 (the last American-made vehicle whose engine used a [[carburetor]] for fuel delivery), and the Comanche was discontinued after 1992.