Editing American Motors Corporation (section)

=== 1977–1982: Gerald C. Meyers ===

On May 24, 1977, [[Gerald C. Meyers]] replaced the retiring William Luneburg as president and Chief Operating Officer. Only 5 months later, upon the retirement of Chapin, Meyers became chairman and CEO on October 21, 1977.<ref name="foster">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D05p17q4cSYC&q=Gerald+C.+Meyers+AMC&pg=PA165 |page=165 |title=The Story of Jeep |first=Patrick R. |last=Foster |publisher=KP Books |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-87349-735-0 |access-date=June 27, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=ward>{{cite book|title=Ward's Automotive Yearbook |publisher= Ward's Reports |year=1979 |page=237 |volume=41}}</ref> At the time, Meyers was 49 years old, and became the youngest top executive in the automobile industry.<ref name="hyde">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PerGbKxOPZYC&q=Gerald+Meyers+AMC+born&pg=PA231 |page=231 |title=Storied independent automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors |first=Charles K. |last=Hyde |year=2009 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn= 978-0-8143-3446-1 |access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref> Meyers abandoned AMC's policy of head-on competition and instead focused on revamping its four-wheel drive vehicles, a market segment left untended by the large automakers, and by acquiring advanced technology.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GaggAQAAMAAJ&q=AMC+The+company+was+looking+for+a+lot+more+than+a+steady+hand+on+the+tiller+—+it+was+looking+for+a+savior |title=American Motors |magazine=Financial World |volume=149 |issue=1 |page=128 |date=January 1980 |access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref>

Meyer's began talks with [[Renault]] in 1979 and from 1980, American Motors partnered with the French automaker to help finance their manufacturing operations, obtain much-needed capital, and source subcompact vehicles.<ref name="BW-1982">{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=X44pAQAAIAAJ&q=Gerald+C.+Meyers,+53,+a+20-year+veteran+of+the+company+who+orchestrated+the+complicated+AMC's+linkup+between |magazine=Business Week |title=American Motors |page=21 |year=1982 |access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref>

On December 16, 1980, Renault became the principal owner of American Motors.<ref name="Peterson D1"/>

At age 53, Meyers retired from the company in February 1982. By that time, Renault controlled 46% of American Motors.<ref name="battling">{{cite magazine |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954995,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061106104821/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954995,00.html |archive-date= November 6, 2006 |title=Battling for Survival |date=February 1, 1982 |magazine=Time |access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref>