The Renault Alliance is a subcompact car built and sold in North America by American Motors Corporation from 1983 to 1987. It was a re-engineered Renault 9, joined by the Encore hatchback in 1984, and production reached 623,573 cars, all made in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Renault Alliance at a glance
| Maker | American Motors Corporation, Kenosha, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Production | 1983–1987 model years |
| Bodies | two- and four-door sedan, convertible from 1985 |
| Hatchback | Renault Encore, from 1984 |
| Sport version | Renault GTA, from 1987 |
| Based on | Renault 9 and 11 |
| Exterior design | Robert Opron, Renault Styling |
| Interior and convertible | Richard Teague, AMC |
| Built | 623,573 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Alliance, which also covers the Encore.
History of the Renault Alliance
The Renault-AMC deal
Competition from the Big Three, rising Asian imports, new safety rules and the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 left American Motors weak. It had three product lines, government vehicles, Jeeps and passenger cars, but in 1979 sales fell sharply and its two per cent share of the US car market made the decline dangerous. Banks refused AMC more credit to develop new products, so it turned to Renault for a $90 million loan; as the recession of the early 1980s began, AMC signed an agreement giving Renault a share of its ownership in exchange for the right to sell Renault cars in the United States. By the end of 1980 Renault held a controlling interest in AMC, which some called ‘Franco-American Motors’.
A Renault 9 for America
The Alliance and Encore derived closely from the Renault 9 and 11, re-engineered for the US and Canadian markets. Robert Opron, director of Renault Styling, designed the exterior, while AMC’s Richard Teague did the interior and the exteriors of the two-door sedan and the convertible, both models developed by AMC alone. The Alliance came as a two- and four-door sedan, with a convertible added for 1985; the three- and five-door Renault Encore hatchbacks arrived for 1984 and a sportier Renault GTA for 1987.
The end
All cars were built in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and production reached 623,573 before it ended and AMC was acquired by Chrysler in 1987.
Design and features
- Renault 9 and 11 engineering: the European design reworked for American buyers.
- Opron and Teague styling: Renault’s exterior design with AMC’s interior and convertible.
- Three body styles: sedan, convertible and the Encore hatchback.
- Kenosha-built: every car assembled in Wisconsin.
Renault Alliance versions
- Alliance sedan (1983): two- and four-door versions.
- Alliance convertible (1985): designed by AMC’s Richard Teague.
- Encore (1984): three- and five-door hatchback.
- GTA (1987): the sporting version.
The Alliance came from the Renault 9 and 11, and its place in Renault’s American story is shared with the Renault Torino. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Video: Renault Alliance suspension system, 1985
Video by Renault Alliance Club Passion on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Alliance, English Wikipedia: history, bodies, styling, production
