Eagle Premier
Encyclopedia
The Eagle
Premier was a full-size
automobile
developed by the American Motors Corporation
(AMC) and Renault
partnership, inherited by Chrysler Corporation
when it acquired AMC in 1987, and marketed from 1987 through 1992. A rebadged
variant was also marketed as the Dodge Monaco
from 1990 to 1992.
and Renault
, a major shareholder in AMC since 1979, began work on a new 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 were to be the first large cars sold by AMC since 1978, a position in their model range traditionally occupied by the Nash
and AMC Ambassador
models since the 1930s, and were to designed for the automaker to offer a broader product offer in the marketplace.
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 featured a four-wheel independent system with MacPherson strut
s at the front wheels and two torsion bars at each rear wheel, with stabilizer bar
s in both front and rear.
The exterior by Giorgietto Giugiaro
's Italdesign
was picked over other concepts generated by AMC's own styling department and other independent firms. The Premier's body's drag coefficient
of 0.31 is slightly lower than 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 7-year, 100000 miles (160,934 km) warranty
. The car's trunk
capacity was also large, offering 16.3 cu ft (0.4615646061 m³) of cargo space.
The Eagle also featured new technology to improve luminous efficiency of its headlamp
system, afford greater styling freedom, and having a rectangular frontal aspect. The 1987 Eagle Premier was one of the first cars featuring Valeo
headlamps with nonparabolic, complex-surface reflector headlamps with optic lenses.
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 Richard A. Teague
. It also included features that were considered unique at the time. The instrument panel featured "a heavy dose of electronics", with all driver controls housed within a fingertip distance from the steering wheel. For cars equiped with bench seats, an unusual dash mounted gear selector used a thin metal lever at the end of which was a grip handle; instead if the gear selector shifting 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. 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. Standard on all Premiers was an electronically-tuned stereo sound system.
There was a choice of two powertrain
s. Eschewing the Renault 25's French-built four-cylinder engines, the base Premier LX trim featured a standard 2.5 L AMC four-cylinder
engine. Featuring electronically controlled throttle-body fuel injection
, it developed a peak power output of 111 hp and 142 lb.ft of torque at 1400 rpm
, and was coupled to a new electronically controlled four-speed automatic gearbox, developed by ZF Friedrichshafen
. Fuel economy for the base model was EPA
estimated at 22 miles per US gallon in the city and 31 miles per US gallon on the highway, giving it a 527 miles (848 km) cruising range with the 17 US gal (64 l; 14 imp gal) gas tank. Optional in the LX and standard in ES models was a 3.0 L version of the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo
(PRV) V6 engine
, fitted with multiple port fuel injection, producing peak power and torque figures of 150 hp and 171 lb.ft. Factory acceleration estimates from standstill to 60 miles per hour
(96 km/h) were 11.5 seconds with the four-cylinder, and 10 seconds with the six. Fuel efficiency was rated at 18 miles per US gallon for the city and 27 miles per US gallon on the highway. The Premier's powertrains were covered by a 7-year, 70000 miles (112,654 km) warranty, which was longer than offered by any of the competitors at the time.
"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". 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."
& Encore). It was to have been the first body-style in a series of three, along with a four-door wagon and a two-door coupe
, named Renault Allure. After Chrysler purchased AMC from Renault, the wagon and coupe body styles were cancelled as was a planned Premier DL model featuring a five-speed manual gearbox. The car was renamed Eagle Premier, the new marque taking its name from AMC’s last product
.
The interior of the LX featured standard six-passenger seating, with reclining 55/45 split front bench seat
s along with a rear seat that included a fold-down center armrest. Map pockets were standard in the front seat backs. 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 seat
s with adjustable see-trough headrests and a full-length console
with center armrest. The ES models had seating for five adults. The front buckets seats were optional in the LX, and a console mounted gear shift was optional in both LX and ES.
exhaust system. The entire electrical system was replaced with standard Chrysler parts, which proved to be more reliable than the original Renix
system. The exterior was changed slightly, the Design Giugiaro badges being removed from the front fenders as a result. The (unpopular) four-cylinder engine was officially dropped from the lineup, with the V6 remaining as the sole engine.
A badge engineered
version of the Premier was added using a familiar Chrysler name, the Dodge Monaco, a moniker that was first used by Dodge
in 1965 and last used in 1978 on a full-size, rear-drive sedan.
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.
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. An ES Limited model listing for $19,978 was only $15,478 (adjusted for inflation equivalent to US$ in dollars after the marketing incentives. By the end of the year, dealers had low inventories of Premiers – with only 28 days supply – compared to 119 days for overstocked cars such as the Chevrolet Caprice.
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 2999 lb (1,360 kg)], the stiffest (torsionally), and the best riding almost 8.7 inches (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 grants from the governments of both Canada
and Ontario
to expanded the metal stamping plant in Milton, Ontario
. However, the Premier did not achieve its sales targets.
Critics have argued that Chrysler did not properly market the Premier, having confused its intended market. ES models were compared directly with the Audi 80
, Acura Legend
, and similar ‘import’ sedans, while LX models were aimed at a lower tier market competing against the Ford Taurus
and GM A-platform
cars (Buick Century
, Chevrolet Celebrity
, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
). Chrysler also ended up with six different brands after the purchase of AMC, just one less than GM, which was four times as large automaker. Not only could Chrysler not afford to properly promote and advertise each of its brands, it also faced the legacy of failure by French cars in the United States. Of the Premier and Renault Medallion (based on the Renault 21 sold overseas), Bob Lutz, then a Vice President at Chrysler, said they were “unsellable”.
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. 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 Dodge Monaco
resulted from a contractual obligation to use 260,000 of the PRV engines over five years, a clause in the AMC buyout from Renault. The Monaco sold poorly, and both it and the Premier were cancelled in 1992. There was little marketing support for the Premier by the Jeep-Eagle
dealers themselves because they were focused on selling the highly successful and more profitable Jeep
models. Furthermore, the decision to eventually combine Jeep-Eagle with Chrysler-Plymouth
dealers called for the long-term corporate goal of phasing out the Eagle brand. There were 139,051 Premiers and Monacos built at Bramalea. Chrysler paid a penalty for every car not produced and V6 engine not purchased from Renault.
These cars offered features that were considered quite advanced for their time. However, as a result, many vehicles have suffered from electrical problems, having proven to be one of the cars' bigger drawbacks over time. It was also chastised for various mechanical problems, particularly unreliability of the transmissions and frequent overheating of the V6 engine. Despite this, they are still seen as being a car that was on the cutting edge of design and features.
A new, highly advanced factory (called Bramalea Assembly) was built to manufacture the Premier at Bramalea, near an existing AMC plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. This state of the art plant was opened in 1986 and was one of AMC's assets that interested Chrysler. It was renamed Brampton Assembly
after the buyout. Brampton Assembly was retooled for the production of the Chrysler LH-cars
that debuted in autumn of 1992, including the Premier's replacement, the Vision
, and the Vision's sister vehicles, the Dodge Intrepid
and the Chrysler Concorde
.
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 to that time. 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 mule
s, under which the LH drivetrain was tested.
Although only a four-door sedan, the Premier could be a "future classic" according to 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."
Eagle (automobile)
Eagle was a marque of the Chrysler Corporation following the purchase of American Motors Corporation and aimed at the enthusiast driver.Though short-lived, the Eagle Vision sedan sold in respectable numbers, while the sporty Eagle Talon sold more than 115,000 units.-Overview:Following the...
Premier was a full-size
Full-size car
A full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. In the United States, the EPA uses "large car" to denote full-size cars....
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
developed by the American Motors Corporation
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
(AMC) and Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
partnership, inherited by Chrysler Corporation
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
when it acquired AMC in 1987, and marketed from 1987 through 1992. A rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
variant was also marketed as the Dodge Monaco
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
from 1990 to 1992.
Design
In 1982 American MotorsAmerican Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
and Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, a major shareholder in AMC since 1979, began work on a new full-size
Full-size car
A full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. In the United States, the EPA uses "large car" to denote full-size cars....
front-drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
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 were to be the first large cars sold by AMC since 1978, a position in their model range traditionally occupied by the Nash
Nash Ambassador
Ambassador was the model name applied to the senior line of Nash automobiles from 1932 until 1957. From 1958 until the end of the 1974 model year, the Ambassador was the product of American Motors Corporation , which continued to use the Ambassador model name on its top-of-the-line models...
and AMC Ambassador
AMC Ambassador
- 1958 :American Motors planned to produce a stretched a wheelbase version of the Rambler platform for Nash dealers to be the new Nash Ambassador, and another for Hudson dealers...
models since the 1930s, and were to designed for the automaker to offer a broader product offer in the marketplace.
Rather than engineer a completely new chassis for the Premier the then-new Renault 25
Renault 25
The Renault 25 is an executive car produced by the French automaker Renault from 1983 to 1992. During its time, the 25 was Renault's flagship, the most expensive, prestigious, and largest vehicle in the company's line-up. It placed second in the 1985 European Car of the Year contest...
's monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
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 featured a four-wheel independent system with MacPherson strut
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
s at the front wheels and two torsion bars at each rear wheel, with stabilizer bar
Sway bar
A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring...
s in both front and rear.
The exterior by Giorgietto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
's Italdesign
Italdesign Giugiaro
Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A is an automobile design and engineering company based in Moncalieri, Italy founded in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A...
was picked over other concepts generated by AMC's own styling department and other independent firms. The Premier's body's drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
of 0.31 is slightly lower than the 1986 Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
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 7-year, 100000 miles (160,934 km) warranty
Warranty
In business and legal transactions, a warranty is an assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen; the other party is permitted to rely on that assurance and seek some type of remedy if it is not true or followed.In real estate transactions, a...
. The car's trunk
Trunk (automobile)
The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
capacity was also large, offering 16.3 cu ft (0.4615646061 m³) of cargo space.
The Eagle also featured new technology to improve luminous efficiency of its headlamp
Headlamp
A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
system, afford greater styling freedom, and having a rectangular frontal aspect. The 1987 Eagle Premier was one of the first cars featuring Valeo
Valeo
Valeo is a French automotive components manufacturer.-History:The Société Anonyme Française du Ferodo was founded in 1923 in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris...
headlamps with nonparabolic, complex-surface reflector headlamps with optic lenses.
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 Richard A. Teague
Richard A. Teague
Richard A. Teague , born in Los Angeles, California, was an industrial designer in the North American automotive industry...
. It also included features that were considered unique at the time. The instrument panel featured "a heavy dose of electronics", with all driver controls housed within a fingertip distance from the steering wheel. For cars equiped with bench seats, an unusual dash mounted gear selector used a thin metal lever at the end of which was a grip handle; instead if the gear selector shifting 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. The optional cruise control
Cruise control
Cruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.-History:...
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. Standard on all Premiers was an electronically-tuned stereo sound system.
There was a choice of two powertrain
Powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
s. Eschewing the Renault 25's French-built four-cylinder engines, the base Premier LX trim featured a standard 2.5 L AMC four-cylinder
AMC Straight-4 engine
The American Motors Corporation straight-4 engine was used by a number of AMC, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles from 1984-2002.*For an outline of all engines used by AMC see -Development:...
engine. Featuring electronically controlled throttle-body fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, it developed a peak power output of 111 hp and 142 lb.ft of torque at 1400 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
, and was coupled to a new electronically controlled four-speed automatic gearbox, developed by ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
. Fuel economy for the base model was EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
estimated at 22 miles per US gallon in the city and 31 miles per US gallon on the highway, giving it a 527 miles (848 km) cruising range with the 17 US gal (64 l; 14 imp gal) gas tank. Optional in the LX and standard in ES models was a 3.0 L version of the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo
PRV engine
The PRV engine is an automobile petrol V6 engine that was developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars – and sold from 1974 to 1998. It was gradually replaced after 1994 by another joint PSA-Renault design, known as the ES engine at PSA and the L engine at Renault.-Corporate history:The...
(PRV) V6 engine
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
, fitted with multiple port fuel injection, producing peak power and torque figures of 150 hp and 171 lb.ft. Factory acceleration estimates from standstill to 60 miles per hour
0 to 60 mph
The time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph is a commonly used performance measure for automotive acceleration in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the rest of the world 0 to 100 km/h is used...
(96 km/h) were 11.5 seconds with the four-cylinder, and 10 seconds with the six. Fuel efficiency was rated at 18 miles per US gallon for the city and 27 miles per US gallon on the highway. The Premier's powertrains were covered by a 7-year, 70000 miles (112,654 km) warranty, which was longer than offered by any of the competitors at the time.
"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". 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."
1988
The Premier was initially to be called the Renault Premier (mid-1987 production left the factory with Renault badging, and Eagle had to indicate this difference in its dealer information brochures and videos) in fitting with the other Renault products co-designed with and built by AMC for sale in North America (AllianceRenault Alliance
The Renault Alliance is a subcompact automobile manufactured and marketed in North America by American Motors Corporation , with 623,573 examples manufactured for model years 1983-1987, and with a three and five-door hatchback variant, the Renault Encore marketed beginning in 1984.The two models...
& Encore). It was to have been the first body-style in a series of three, along with a four-door wagon and a two-door coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
, named Renault Allure. After Chrysler purchased AMC from Renault, the wagon and coupe body styles were cancelled as was a planned Premier DL model featuring a five-speed manual gearbox. The car was renamed Eagle Premier, the new marque taking its name from AMC’s last product
AMC Eagle
The AMC Eagle is a compact-sized four-wheel drive passenger vehicle that was produced by American Motors Corporation . The AMC Eagle line of vehicles inaugurated a new product category of "sport-utility" or crossover SUV....
.
The interior of the LX featured standard six-passenger seating, with reclining 55/45 split front bench seat
Bench seat
The bench seat was the traditional seat installed in American automobiles. This seat featured a continuous pad running the full width of the cabin...
s along with a rear seat that included a fold-down center armrest. Map pockets were standard in the front seat backs. 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 seat
Bucket seat
A bucket seat is a seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from bench seats which are flat platforms designed to seat multiple people. Bucket seats are standard in fast cars to keep riders in place when making sharp or quick turns...
s with adjustable see-trough headrests and a full-length console
Center console (automobile)
The center console in an automobile refers to the control-bearing surfaces in the center of the front of the vehicle interior...
with center armrest. The ES models had seating for five adults. The front buckets seats were optional in the LX, and a console mounted gear shift was optional in both LX and ES.
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.1990
In 1990 the Premier was substantially re-engineered. Standard were 4-wheel disc brakes and a stainless steelStainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
exhaust system. The entire electrical system was replaced with standard Chrysler parts, which proved to be more reliable than the original Renix
Renix
Renix made automobile electronic ignitions, fuel injection systems, electronic automatic transmission controls, and various engine sensors.The term Renix also has a number of applications...
system. The exterior was changed slightly, the Design Giugiaro badges being removed from the front fenders as a result. The (unpopular) four-cylinder engine was officially dropped from the lineup, with the V6 remaining as the sole engine.
A badge engineered
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the Premier was added using a familiar Chrysler name, the Dodge Monaco, a moniker that was first used by Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
in 1965 and last used in 1978 on a full-size, rear-drive sedan.
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.
1991
The 1991 model year Premier featured anti-lock brakes. They came standard on the ES Limited and optional on other models. The Limited model was treated to a new front grill 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
Invoice
An invoice or bill is a commercial document issued by a seller to the buyer, indicating the products, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller has provided the buyer. An invoice indicates the buyer must pay the seller, according to the payment terms...
price, a $1,500 rebate to purchasers, and a $2,000 incentive to the dealer per car after their fourth sale. An ES Limited model listing for $19,978 was only $15,478 (adjusted for inflation equivalent to US$ in dollars after the marketing incentives. By the end of the year, dealers had low inventories of Premiers – with only 28 days supply – compared to 119 days for overstocked cars such as the Chevrolet Caprice.
1992
The Eagle Premier and its virtual clone, the Dodge Monaco, continued basically unchanged for 1992, except every model received the grill and tail lamps that were only on the Limited in 1991. Chrysler also announced it would be the Premier's final year as the automaker prepared to launch all its new LH models in the Bramalea assembly plant. Bramalea ended Dodge Monaco and Eagle Premier output on December 7, 1991.Legacy
In its time the car was considered one of the sportiest sedans (by measure of road holding and drive precision) available on the American market. The fully independent suspensionIndependent suspension
Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, live axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side affects...
on all the wheels made for better ride quality
Ride quality
Ride quality refers to the degree of protection offered vehicle occupants from uneven elements in the road surface, or the terrain if driving off-road. A car with very good ride quality is also a comfortable car to ride in. Cars which disturb vehicle occupants with major or minor road...
and handling
Car handling
Automobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving at rest. Handling and braking are the major components of a vehicle's...
characteristics, as did the rack and pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
steering design. "The Premier was for its size, the lightest car that Chrysler built at the time [with a shipping weight of 2999 lb (1,360 kg)], the stiffest (torsionally), and the best riding almost 8.7 inches (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
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
had signed a contract in 1986 to supply body panels for the Premiers. As a result, the automotive supplier received $10 million grants from the governments of both Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
and Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
to expanded the metal stamping plant in Milton, Ontario
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
. However, the Premier did not achieve its sales targets.
Critics have argued that Chrysler did not properly market the Premier, having confused its intended market. ES models were compared directly with the Audi 80
Audi 80
The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
, Acura Legend
Acura Legend
The Acura Legend, sold as the Honda Legend outside the U.S., Canada, and parts of China, was a luxury vehicle sold from 1986 to 1995 as both a sedan and coupe. It was the first flagship sedan sold under the Acura nameplate, until being renamed in 1996 as the Acura 3.5RL. The 3.5RL was North...
, and similar ‘import’ sedans, while LX models were aimed at a lower tier market competing against the Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
and GM A-platform
GM A platform (FWD)
The General Motors A platform was a mid-size car automobile platform designation used from 1982 to 1996. Previously the A body designation had been used for rear wheel drive mid-sized cars....
cars (Buick Century
Buick Century
Buick Century is the model name used by the Buick division of General Motors for a line of full-size performance vehicles from 1936 to 1942 and 1954 to 1958, and from 1973 to 2005 for a mid-size car....
, Chevrolet Celebrity
Chevrolet Celebrity
The Chevrolet Celebrity is a mid-size car produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors . The Celebrity was introduced in 1981 for the 1982 model year. The Celebrity was the best-selling car in the United States in 1986...
, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera is a mid-size car that was sold from 1982 through 1996 by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors.It shared the front-wheel drive A platform with the very similar Buick Century, Pontiac 6000 and Chevrolet Celebrity; both Olds and Chevy considered using the Celebrity...
). Chrysler also ended up with six different brands after the purchase of AMC, just one less than GM, which was four times as large automaker. Not only could Chrysler not afford to properly promote and advertise each of its brands, it also faced the legacy of failure by French cars in the United States. Of the Premier and Renault Medallion (based on the Renault 21 sold overseas), Bob Lutz, then a Vice President at Chrysler, said they were “unsellable”.
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
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
for the entire 1988 model year production retained AMC format. 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 Dodge Monaco
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
resulted from a contractual obligation to use 260,000 of the PRV engines over five years, a clause in the AMC buyout from Renault. The Monaco sold poorly, and both it and the Premier were cancelled in 1992. There was little marketing support for the Premier by the Jeep-Eagle
Jeep-Eagle
Jeep-Eagle was the name of the automobile sales division created by the Chrysler after the US$2 billion takeover of American Motors in 1987...
dealers themselves because they were focused on selling the highly successful and more profitable Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
models. Furthermore, the decision to eventually combine Jeep-Eagle with Chrysler-Plymouth
Chrysler-Plymouth
Chrysler-Plymouth was a division of the Chrysler Corporation, an American automobile company founded by Walter P. Chrysler. The division sold cars with both Chrysler and Plymouth brand names...
dealers called for the long-term corporate goal of phasing out the Eagle brand. There were 139,051 Premiers and Monacos built at Bramalea. Chrysler paid a penalty for every car not produced and V6 engine not purchased from Renault.
These cars offered features that were considered quite advanced for their time. However, as a result, many vehicles have suffered from electrical problems, having proven to be one of the cars' bigger drawbacks over time. It was also chastised for various mechanical problems, particularly unreliability of the transmissions and frequent overheating of the V6 engine. Despite this, they are still seen as being a car that was on the cutting edge of design and features.
A new, highly advanced factory (called Bramalea Assembly) was built to manufacture the Premier at Bramalea, near an existing AMC plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. This state of the art plant was opened in 1986 and was one of AMC's assets that interested Chrysler. It was renamed Brampton Assembly
Brampton Assembly
Brampton Assembly is a Chrysler automobile factory is located at 2000 Williams Parkway East, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Originally built by American Motors Corporation for US$260 million, the manufacturing plant was specially designed for building the Eagle Premier.-History:In June 1984,...
after the buyout. Brampton Assembly was retooled for the production of the Chrysler LH-cars
Chrysler LH platform
The LH platform served as the basis for the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and the final Chrysler New Yorker. A Plymouth to be called the "Accolade" was planned, but never saw production...
that debuted in autumn of 1992, including the Premier's replacement, the Vision
Eagle Vision
The Eagle Vision was a full-size, front-wheel drive sedan, marketed as a sports version of the Chrysler LH platform, produced from 1993-1997. It was sold by the Eagle division of the Chrysler Corporation, replacing the AMC/Renault-designed Eagle Premier...
, and the Vision's sister vehicles, the Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Intrepid
The Dodge Intrepid is a large four-door, full-size, front-wheel drive sedan car model that was produced for model years 1993 to 2004. It was mechanically related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans...
and the Chrysler Concorde
Chrysler Concorde
The Chrysler Concorde was a large four-door, full-size, front wheel drive sedan produced by Chrysler from 1993 to 2004. It replaced the Chrysler Fifth Avenue on the lineup. One of Chrysler's 3 original Chrysler LH platform models derived from the American Motors/Renault-designed Eagle Premier, it...
.
The Premier inspired many of the LH platform’s design features. François Castaing
François Castaing
François J. Castaing is a 27-year veteran automotive executive with Renault, American Motors, and Chrysler. He is an engineering graduate from École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers in Paris, and worked in Europe for Gordini and Renault before being named Vice President for Product...
, 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
Cab forward
The term cab forward refers to various rail and road vehicle designs which place the driver's compartment substantially farther towards the front than is common practice.- Rail locomotives :...
styling was quite different, the engines in the LH cars were mounted longitudinally
Longitudinal engine
In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
, like the Premier. This was "a hallmark of Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
's front-wheel-drive designs" and unlike any other car built by Chrysler to that time. 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 mule
Development mule
A development mule or a test mule in the automotive industry is a vehicle equipped with experimental or prototype components for testing. Automakers evaluate aspects of vehicles before a full pre-production car is built to find problems. Mule cars are drivable, often years ahead of actual production...
s, under which the LH drivetrain was tested.
Although only a four-door sedan, the Premier could be a "future classic" according to 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."
External links
- Eagle Premier - The Accidental Dodge at Allpar provides detailed information about the Premier.
- Derek Dorroh's tribute to the Eagle Premier
- Online club for Eagle Premier & 90-92 Dodge Monaco owners