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=== Problems at Renault and assassination === In France, Renault continued to experience financial trouble. The investment in American Motors (including the construction of a new Canadian assembly plant in [[Brampton]], Ontario) forced cuts at home, resulting in the closure of several French plants and mass [[layoff]]s. Renault was down to just three alternatives regarding its American holdings: (1) it could declare American Motors officially bankrupt, thereby losing its investment; (2) it could come up with more money, but Renault management perceived American Motors as a bottomless pit; or (3) American Motors could be put up for sale, and the French company could get back part of its investment. At the same time, Renault's new chairman, [[Georges Besse]], continued to champion the French firm's future in the North American market, pointing to the company's completion of the newest and most advanced automotive assembly plant in North America, then known as [[Brampton Assembly|Bramalea Assembly]], as well as the recent introduction of the thoroughly modern, fuel-injected 4.0 L and 2.5 L engines. In addition, Jeep vehicles were riding an unprecedented surge in demand. It seemed to Besse and others that American Motors was on course for profitability. However, on November 17, 1986, Besse, who had a high-profile among French capitalists, was assassinated by a member of a French clandestine far-left extremist group, [[Action Directe]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= https://www.britannica.com/topic/Direct-Action |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|title=Direct Action |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |date=February 20, 2008 |access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref> AMC's plans to reinvigorate sales with higher-priced Renaults continued for a little longer, with the plan being a three-pronged lineup beginning with the mid-sized [[Eagle Medallion|Medallion]], the larger [[Eagle Premier|Premier]] above it, and the sporty [[Renault Alpine GTA/A610|Renault Alpine]] providing a halo car.<ref name=Wards87>{{cite book | ref = WYB87 |title=Ward's Automotive Yearbook 1987 |publisher=Ward's Communications |location=Detroit, MI |editor-last=Stark |editor-first=Harry A. |volume=49 |date=1987 |page=178 |isbn=((0-910589-00-7))}}</ref><!-- This invalid ISBN is indeed printed (twice) in the book. It seems that they obtained a valid ISBN for Ward's Automotive Yearbook 1983, 0-910589-00-3, and then just incremented that in the following years, resulting in invalid ISBNs. You can see the printed ISBNs here: 1983: https://books.google.de/books?redir_esc=y&id=Gdy1AAAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=ISBN 1984: https://books.google.de/books?redir_esc=y&id=IOO1AAAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=ISBN 1985: https://books.google.de/books?redir_esc=y&id=t4lTAAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=ISBN 1986: https://books.google.de/books?redir_esc=y&id=p8q1AAAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=ISBN 1987: https://books.google.de/books?redir_esc=y&id=TXlaAAAAYAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=ISBN --> The Medallion and the Premier both went on sale, but Alpine never made its planned mid-1987 rollout.
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