Eagle · 1987–1991

Eagle Premier

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 sedan was manufactured from September 1987 (for the 1988 model year) until December 1991 (for the 1992 model year). A rebadged variant was also marketed as the Dodge Monaco from 1990 until 1992. The Premier was exported to Japan where it was marketed as a Chrysler.

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Predecessor: AMC Ambassador · Successor: Eagle Vision

All Eagle Premier data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

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. A companion two-door coupe, code named "X-59", was to debut for the 1988 model year. 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. The strategy was to expand AMC's reliance on sub-compact cars (which were the Alliance and Encore) as demand was increasing for larger, "family-size" cars such as the Chevrolet Celebrity and the new Ford Taurus. Rather than engineer a completely new chassis for the Premier, the then-new Renault 25's monocoque underpinnings were used as a basis and adapted for the new product. Using the Renault 25 chassis the suspension was derived from the Renault Medallion (Renault 21). The suspension consists of a four-wheel fully independent system with MacPherson struts at the front wheels with a stabilizer bar while the rear wheels feature forward-angled gas-filled shock absorbers and the suspension setup has four torsion bars mounted across the car with two acting as springs and two as sway bars. The exterior by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign was picked over other concepts generated by AMC's styling department and other independent firms. The Premier's body's drag coefficient of 0.31 is slightly lower (more efficient) than that of the 1986 Ford Taurus that was well known for its aerodynamic shape. The Premier's body was finished using a baked enamel clearcoat for all the available colors. The body was covered by a seven-year, 100,000-mile (160,934 km) warranty. The car's trunk capacity was also large, offering 16.4 cu ft (464 L) of c

Model years

=== 1988 === The Eagle Premier was launched in January 1988, with the first production models rolling off the assembly line on 28 September 1987. 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 option

Legacy

The Eagle brand targeted consumers that would not typically consider purchasing an American sedan, "but would have instead sought out a Volvo or an Audi." 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." Popular Science, in a four-car road test, considered the Premier one of the sportiest sedans (by measure of road holding and drive precision) available on the American market. The fully independent suspension on all the wheels made for better ride quality and handling characteristics, as did the rack and pinion steering design. "The Premier was for its size, the lightest car that Chrysler built at the time [with a shipping weight of 2,999 lb (1,360 kg)], the stiffest (torsionally), and the best riding almost 8.7 in (221 mm) of wheel travel vs. 4.5 for the K-cars that underpinned every Chrysler car then available. It benefited from decades of Renault experience with front-wheel-drive, and a good example will still impress even today." The engineering levels achieved in the Premier are arguably the most refined in a sedan that was then produced by AMC or Chrysler. The original projections were to have annual production of 150,000 Premiers. 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. However, the Premier did not achieve its sales targets, with calendar year production for 1989 only reaching 32,720 examples. Critics have argued that Chrysler did not properly market the Premier, having confused its intended market. ES models were compa

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Specifications

name: Eagle Premier
Manufacturer: AMC/Renault, (before September 1987), Chrysler (Eagle), (after September 1987)
aka: AMC Premier, Dodge Monaco, Renault Premier (never sold)
Model years: 1988–1992
Production: September 1987 – 17 December 1991
Predecessor: AMC Matador
Successor: Eagle Vision
Class: Executive car (E)
Body style: 4-door sedan
Layout: Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform: Chrysler B-body
Engine: 2.5 L AMC I4, 3.0 L PRV V6
Transmission: 4-speed Audi AR-4 automatic, 4-speed ZF 4HP18FL automatic
Assembly: Canada: Brampton, Ontario (Brampton Assembly)
Related: Dodge Monaco, Renault 25
Designer: Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, Dick Teague
Length: 192.8 in
Wheelbase: 106.0 in
Height: 53.3 in
Width: 70.0 in
Kerb weight: 2991 -