Eagle Premier
Eagle Premier | ||
---|---|---|
Curb weight 2,991–3,068 lb (1,357–1,392 kg) | | |
Chronology | ||
Predecessor | AMC Matador | |
Successor | Eagle Vision |
The Eagle Premier is a full-size executive car that was developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) during the 1980s through its partnership with Renault. This model was manufactured in the then-brand-new Brampton Assembly in Canada. Chrysler Corporation bought the rights to the Premier when it acquired Renault's outstanding shares in AMC in 1987, and began selling the car under the new Eagle marque.
The four-door
Design
In 1982 American Motors and Renault, a major shareholder in AMC since 1979, began work on a new downsized full-size front-drive passenger car, code-named X-58, for introduction in late 1986.[1] A companion two-door coupe, code named X-59, was to debut for the 1988 model year.[2][3] These two body styles were to be the first full-size cars sold by AMC since the 1978 AMC Matador to re-position the automaker with a broader product offering in the marketplace.[1][2]
Rather than engineer a completely new chassis for the Premier the then-new
The exterior by
The Eagle also featured new technology to improve the luminous efficiency of its headlamp system, afford greater styling freedom, and have a rectangular frontal aspect.[11] The 1988 Eagle Premier was one of the first cars featuring Valeo headlamps with nonparabolic, complex-surface reflector headlamps with optic lenses.[12]
Stretched in all dimensions, the Premier provided more interior room than any of its contemporaries. The interior was an all-new design by AMC's in-house staff under the direction of Dick Teague. It also included features that were considered unique at the time. The instrument panel featured "a heavy dose of electronics",[13] with all driver controls housed within a fingertip distance from the steering wheel. It used an unusual dash-mounted gear selector with a thin metal lever at the end which was a grip handle; instead, if the gear selector shifted downward in the traditional fashion, the lever dropped into the dash pod in which it was mounted. The climate controls used an unusual up-down button that cycled through the different heating modes, indicated by an array of lights. All of these controls were housed in a control panel on the right side of the steering column. On the left side of the column, another control contained the light and windshield wiper controls. The turn signal control was also electronic returning to its centered position immediately after a driver signaled a turn, and a gong indicated its cancellation after completing a turn.[13] The optional cruise control was built into the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Other features included intermittent wipers, as well as automatic variable-speed that adjusted wiper speed to the amount of water that hit the windshield; with less moisture, the slower they would move, but increasing their action if a passing truck splashed the windshield with a large amount of water.[14] Standard on all Premiers was an electronically tuned stereo sound system.
There was a choice of two
Developed by AMC, which was "the Big Three's little sister ... with almost no resources, and fighting a vastly superior enemy", Bob Lutz, then a vice president at Chrysler, wrote that the Premier sedan as one of the "impressive succession of new products" that Chrysler gained from acquiring the small automaker.[17] The Eagle Premier replaced the so-called "Liberty car" that Chrysler had been developing as the basis of its future cars for many years, but was experiencing problems with this major project.[18]
The Eagle Premier was described as "a world-class car" by automotive journalists, in addition to its international origins with an Italian design and Canadian assembly.[19] "Considered by some the most sophisticated car in Chrysler's lineup", the Eagle Premier offers an "incredible 122 cubic feet of interior room; almost unheard of for a mid-sized passenger car" along with "European handling".[20] The Premier was "final offspring of the AMC-Renault marriage" and the new car entered the marketplace "well endowed in just about every department. It has the most powerful conventional engines in its field, state-of-the-art electronics with a first-ever feature, and is made in the newest assembly plant in the world."[21] Road test by Car and Driver described the new "Euro-sedan" as competitive, a "pleasant surprise," "with a dash of weirdness," and concluded that "it's a sure bet to scare hell out of its competition."[22]
Model years
1988
The Eagle Premier was launched in January 1988, with the first production models rolling off the assembly line on September 28, 1987.[23] Although the car is sometimes referred to as a Renault Premier, this car was never marketed anywhere in the world as a Renault. Pre-production prototypes left the factory with Renault emblems on their grille and wheel covers, but had an Eagle nameplate on the trunk lids. The Eagle marketing department had to indicate this difference in its dealer information brochures and videos. Before its January 1988 launch, all pre-production cars had the Renault emblem removed from the grille and steering column horn hub pad. Depending on which stereo system was ordered, one would find either a Renault or Eagle emblem in the car through 1989 on the stereo. It was to have been the first body style in a series of three, along with a four-door station wagon and a two-door coupe. After Chrysler purchased Renault's stake (46%) in AMC and all other outstanding stock (54%), the wagon and coupe body styles were canceled as was a planned Premier DL model featuring a five-speed manual gearbox.
The interior of the LX featured standard six-passenger seating, with reclining 55/45 split front bench seats along with a rear seat that included a fold-down center armrest. Map pockets were standard in the front seatbacks. The standard four-speed automatic transmissions were operated using a column shifter. The ES models included lower bodyside cladding, a firmer suspension, and larger "touring" tires, as well as individual front bucket seats with adjustable see-through headrests and a full-length console with center armrest. The ES models had seating for five adults. The front bucket seats were optional in the LX, and a console-mounted gear shift was optional in both the LX and ES.
The Premier was highlighted in Chrysler's broad product line as being "shaped right" in its being the most aerodynamic sedan built in North America and offering "an American car with European sophistication and handling."[24]
1989
The second model year the Premier saw almost no other changes except for the addition of cruise control and the mid-year introduction of an ES Limited model featuring monochromatic paint and body-colored trim.[9][15]
Marketing focused on "the swift reflexes of eagles" describing the Premier's fully independent suspension components to be sure-footed and athletic to "inspire driver confidence" in addition to the car's exclusive 7-year, 70,000-mile protection plan.[25] During 1989 sales in the Japanese market began as the Chrysler Premier ES; only a single version was available, fitted with the 3-liter V6 engine and the four-speed automatic transmission. Claimed maximum power is 150 PS (110 kW); sales ended during 1990.[26] While sold as a Chrysler and given the model code E6U, the Eagle badging remained unchanged from the North American model. The only visible changes were indicator lights on the front fenders and the incorporation of amber turn signals into the rear lights to meet local requirements.
The "sporty" two-door companion model that was announced by Iacocca for this model year to "get the Eagle soaring" with new products and a "brand personality that's unique ...and exciting... and upscale" was not released.[3]
1990
In 1990 the Premier was substantially reengineered. Standard were 4-wheel disc brakes and a stainless steel exhaust system. The electrical system was replaced with standard Chrysler parts that proved to be more reliable than the original Renix system.[15] The exterior was changed slightly, the Design Giugiaro badges being removed from the front fenders as a result.[15] The fuel crisis period was fading and most buyers selected the V6 engine.[27] The four-cylinder engine was officially dropped from the lineup, with the V6 remaining as the sole engine.[15]
A
Because of its design "as up-to-date as anything in the mid-sized market," the Premier now became the foundation for Chrysler's next generation of automobiles.[18]
1991
The 1991 model year had little news for the Premier except for a new anti-lock braking system (ABS) that was also available on the Canadian-built Dodge Monaco twin.[28] The new safety feature came standard on the ES Limited and was optional on other models.[29] The Limited model received a new front grille and rear tail lamp assemblies.
The marketplace saw a downturn and all automakers began offering incentives to move inventory. At the beginning of the year, supplies of the Eagle Premier climbed up to 222 days and Chrysler gave a $1,000 discount to dealers on the invoice price, a $1,500 rebate to purchasers, and a $2,000 incentive to the dealer per car after their fourth sale.[30] An ES Limited model listing for $19,978 was only $15,478 after the marketing incentives.[30] By the end of the year, Jeep-Eagle dealers had low inventories of Premiers – with only 28 days supply – compared to 119 days for overstocked cars such as the Chevrolet Caprice.[31]
1992
The Eagle Premier and its
Production Figures:
Yearly Total | |
---|---|
1988 | 45,546 |
1989 | 41,349 |
1990 | 14,243 |
1991 | 11,634 |
1992 | 4,730 |
Total | 117,502 |
Legacy
The Eagle brand targeted consumers that would not typically include purchasing an American sedan, "but would have instead sought out a Volvo or an Audi."[35] The "upscale" Premier was the flagship of the new Eagle division at Chrysler and in the same class "as cars like the Audi 5000, ... roomy, understated and elegantly turned out."[9]
The original projections were to have annual production of 150,000 Premiers.[38] Magna International had signed a contract in 1986 to supply body panels for the Premiers. As a result, the automotive supplier received $10 million in grants from the governments of both Canada and Ontario to expand the metal stamping plant in Milton, Ontario.[38] However, the Premier did not achieve its sales targets, with calendar year production for 1989 only reaching 32,720 examples.[39]
Critics have argued that Chrysler did not properly market the Premier, having confused its intended market. ES models were compared directly with the
The Premier carried many vestiges of AMC and Renault's engineering long after Chrysler acquired the car's design. For example, the vehicle identification number for the entire 1988 model year production retained AMC format.[41] The AMC logo was featured on many of the car's components through to the end of production.
The introduction of a rebadged model named
A new, "highly advanced" factory (called Bramalea Assembly) was built to manufacture the Premier at Bramalea.
The Premier inspired many of the LH platform's design features. François Castaing, formerly AMC's Vice President of product engineering and development, became Chrysler's Vice President of vehicle engineering in 1988, and as a result, the Premier was the starting point for Chrysler's new LH sedans. Although the cab forward styling was quite different, the engines in the LH cars were mounted longitudinally, like the Premier. This was "a hallmark of Renault's front-wheel-drive designs" and unlike any other car built by Chrysler up to that time.[42] The LH platform's dedicated transmission, the A606, was also quite similar in design to the electronically controlled automatic featured in four-cylinder Premiers. The Premier's body shell was used for LH prototype development mules, under which the LH drivetrain was tested.[43]
Although only a four-door sedan, the Premier could be a "future classic" according to an automotive journalist, Dan Roth, as "one of the best American cars of the last 20 years, able to hold its own against luxury European marques, and being a caretaker of the last AMC car (Jeeps aren't cars!) would be a responsibility we'd relish."[4]
Notes
- ^ a b Dunne, Jim (June 1986). "Inside Detroit". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 163, no. 8. p. 40. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Can American Motors Shed Its Sad-Sack Image?". BusinessWeek. 28 April 1986. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8143-2522-3. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Roth, Dan (16 April 2007). "Future Classic: Eagle Premier". autoblog com. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-87341-605-4.
The Giugiaro-styled Eagle Premier of the late 1980s and early '90s, though built in North America, was a rebodied version of Renault's 25
- ^ Csere, Csaba (January 1992). "Grading on the Curve". Car and Driver. Vol. 37, no. 7. p. 164.
- ^ "Eagle Premier". Autocar & Motor. Vol. 185. Haymarket. 1990. p. 7.
...the US firm guaranteed the sale of 300,000 of AMC's Renault 25-based models, now known as the Eagle Premier.
- ^ "Engineering the New Cars". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 164, no. 10. October 1987. p. 136. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Swan, Tony; Dune, Jim (October 1988). "Sweating the Details". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 165, no. 10. p. 67. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Wilkinson, Tom; Keebler, Jack (April 1986). "Taurus". Popular Science. Vol. 228, no. 4. p. 30. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- doi:10.4271/840041. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- doi:10.4271/970901. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b Dunne, Jim (October 1987). "The Priority is Design". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 164, no. 10. p. 55. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Mateja, Jim (4 March 1990). "At Least Monaco Has Familiar Ring". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Zatz, David (16 November 2020). "1988-92 Eagle Premier, 1990-92 Dodge Monaco, and 1988-89 Eagle Medallion". allpar.com. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "1989 Eagle Premier Brochure". oldcarbrochures.org. p. 18. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-471-46322-1. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Dunne, Jim (September 1989). "Inside Detroit". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 166, no. 9. p. 45. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Keane, Tom (2 January 1988). "Eagle Premier ready to soar across USA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google News.
- ^ "Features". Ebony Man. Vol. 5. 1989. p. 62. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Engineering the New Cars". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 164, no. 10. October 1987. pp. 136, 138, 139. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "1988 Eagle Premier ES: Chrysler's Euro-Sedan Is A Pleasant Surprise". Car and Driver. April 1988. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-7391-8826-2. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
...September 28, 1987. On that date, Chrysler's first 1988 Eagle Premier rolled off its assembly line.
- ^ "We shape it right (advertisement)". Ebony. Vol. 43, no. 8. June 1988. pp. 88–89. Retrieved 1 May 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Swift Reflexes of Eagles (advertisement)". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Vol. 42, no. 12. December 1988. p. 126. Retrieved 1 May 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "クライスラー プレミア ESのカタログ" [Catalog: Chrysler Premier ES]. CarSensor.net (in Japanese). Recruit Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-4672-8. Retrieved 1 May 2022 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-0-7853-0778-5. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Gite, Lloyd (November 1990). "Family Comfort". Black Enterprise. Vol. 21, no. 4. p. 122. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Henry, Ed (July 1991). "Bargains: Cars". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Vol. 45, no. 7. p. 47. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ Henry, Ed (December 1990). "The '91 cars How to get the car you want at a price you'll like". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Vol. 44, no. 12. p. 31. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-451-17178-8.
- ^ Ward's automotive yearbook 1992. Vol. 55. Ward's Communications. 1993. pp. 98–101.
- OCLC 43301709.
- ^ Saunders, David (30 March 2018). "Junkyard Classic: 1989 Eagle Premier ES Limited". curbsideclassic. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ McCosh, Dan (July 1988). "Luxury for Less". Popular Science. Vol. 233, no. 1. pp. 28–32. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Chrysler-AMC-Renault story" (PDF). AutomoBear.com. 1 September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7710-4638-4.
- ^ Bellu, René, ed. (September 1989). "Salon: Toutes les Voitures du Monde 90/91". L'Auto Journal (in French) (14 & 15). Paris: 321.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-684-80437-8. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
Eagle Premier
- ^ "Mitchell VIN Decoding, AMC/Jeep" (PDF). pp. g13–g17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Gold, Aaron. "Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco: American-branded Eurocars". cars.about.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "1993-1997 Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and Chrysler Concorde, New Yorker, and LHS". allpar.com. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
External links
- "1988-92 Eagle Premier, 1990-92 Dodge Monaco, and 1988-89 Eagle Medallion". allpar.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
- Derek Dorroh's tribute to the Eagle Premier
- Online club for Eagle Premier & 90-92 Dodge Monaco owners
- Eagle Premier at the Internet Movie Cars Database