View source for Eagle Premier

{{short description|Car produced by American Motors Corporation and Chrysler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}

{{Infobox automobile
|image= 1992 Eagle Premier ES Limited.jpg
|caption= 1992 Eagle Premier ES Limited
|name= Eagle Premier
|manufacturer= {{ubl | [[American Motors Corporation|AMC]]/[[Renault]] | (before September 1987) | [[Chrysler]] ([[Eagle (automobile)|Eagle]]) | (after September 1987) }}
|aka= {{ubl | AMC Premier | Chrysler Premier (Japan) | [[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-segment|E]])
|body_style= 4-door [[sedan (car)|sedan]]
|layout= [[Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive]]
|platform= [[Chrysler B platform|Chrysler B-body]]
|engine= {{ubl | 2.5&nbsp;L ''[[AMC straight-4 engine|AMC]]'' [[Straight-four engine|I4]] | 3.0&nbsp;L ''[[PRV engine|PRV]]'' [[V6 engine|V6]] }}
|transmission= {{ubl | 4-speed [[Audi]] ''AR-4'' [[Automatic transmission|automatic]] | 4-speed [[ZF Friedrichshafen|ZF]] [[ZF 4HP18 transmission#4HP18FL|4HP18FL]] automatic }}
|assembly= Canada: [[Brampton|Brampton, Ontario]] ([[Brampton Assembly]])
|related= {{ubl | [[Dodge Monaco]] | [[Renault 25]] }}
|designer= {{ubl | [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]] at [[Italdesign]] | [[Dick Teague]]}}
|length= {{cvt|192.8|in|mm|0}}
|wheelbase= {{cvt|106.0|in|mm|0}}
|height= {{cvt|53.3|in|mm|0}}
|width= {{cvt|70.0|in|mm|0}}
|weight= {{cvt|2991|-|3068|lb|kg}}
}}

The '''Eagle Premier''' is a [[E-segment|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|Chrysler Corporation]] bought the rights to the Premier when it acquired Renault's [[Shares outstanding|outstanding shares]] in AMC in 1987, and began selling the car under the new [[Eagle (automobile)|Eagle]] marque.

The four-door [[sedan (car)|sedan]] was manufactured from September 1987 (for the 1988 [[model year]]) until December 1991 (for the 1992 model year). A [[badge engineering|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. 

==Design==
In 1982 American Motors and Renault, a major [[shareholder]] in AMC since 1979, began work on a new downsized [[full-size car|full-size]] [[front-wheel drive|front-drive]] passenger car, code-named X-58, for introduction in late 1986.<ref name="inside1986">{{cite magazine|last=Dunne| first=Jim |title=Inside Detroit |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=June 1986 |volume=163 |issue=8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0OMDAAAAMBAJ&q=code+X58+AMC&pg=PA40 |page=40 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> A companion two-door coupe, code named "X-59", was to debut for the 1988 model year.<ref name="bw1986">{{cite magazine|magazine=BusinessWeek |date=28 April 1986 |title=Can American Motors Shed Its Sad-Sack Image? |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oUw1AAAAMAAJ&q=A+two-+door+coupe,+the+X-59,+debuts+in+1988 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140129053935/https://books.google.com/books?id=oUw1AAAAMAAJ&q=A+two-+door+coupe,+the+X-59,+debuts+in+1988 |archive-date=29 January 2014 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="IacoccaSpeech52">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tTMAUA-99XYC&q=as+familiar+and+respected+as+Chrysler+Jeep+Eagle+Premier+sporty+two-door+companion+to+get+Eagle+soaring&pg=PA52 |page=52 |title=I Gotta Tell You: Speeches of Lee Iacocca |editor-first=Matthew Wayne |editor-last=Seege |publisher=Wayne State University Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-8143-2522-3 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="inside1986"/><ref name="bw1986"/> The strategy was to expand AMC's reliance on sub-compact cars (which were the [[Renault Alliance|Alliance]] and Encore) as demand was increasing for larger, "family-size" cars such as the [[Chevrolet Celebrity]] and the new [[Ford Taurus (first generation)|Ford Taurus]].<ref name="it's_American">{{cite web|url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/magazine/eagle-premier-its-american-pas-francais/ |title=Eagle Premier— It's American Pas Français |date=25 March 2024 |work=Hemmings |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>

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.<ref name="roth">{{cite web| url= https://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/16/future-classic-eagle-premier |last=Roth |first=Dan |title=Future Classic: Eagle Premier |website=autoblog com |date=16 April 2007 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=Mike |last1=Covello |first2=James M. |last2=Flammang |title=Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946-2002 |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-87341-605-4 |quote=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}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Grading on the Curve |first=Csaba |last=Csere |magazine=Car and Driver |volume=37 |issue=7 |date=January 1992 |page=164}}</ref> Using the Renault 25 chassis<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine =Autocar & Motor | title = Eagle Premier | volume=185 |page=7 |publisher=Haymarket |year=1990 |quote=...the US firm guaranteed the sale of 300,000 of AMC's Renault 25-based models, now known as the Eagle Premier.}}</ref> the suspension was derived from the Renault Medallion (Renault 21).<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Engineering the New Cars |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=October 1987 |volume=164 |issue=10 |page=136 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zOMDAAAAMBAJ&q=Premier+suspension+Renault+Medallion&pg=PA139 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The suspension featured a four-wheel independent system with [[MacPherson strut]]s at the front wheels and two [[torsion bar suspension|torsion bar]]s at each rear wheel, with [[sway bar|stabilizer bar]]s in both front and rear.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

[[File:1990 Eagle Premier LX in Dark Cherry Pearlcoat with gray interior at Rambler Ranch 7of7.jpg|thumb|The "Design Giugiaro" badge on front side bumper extension]]
The exterior by [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]]'s [[Italdesign Giugiaro|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<ref name="sweat">{{cite magazine |last1=Swan |first1=Tony |last2=Dune |first2=Jim |title=Sweating the Details |magazine=Popular Mechanics |volume=165 |issue=10 |page=67 |date=October 1988 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MeUDAAAAMBAJ&q=Eagle+Premier&pg=PA67 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> is slightly lower (more efficient) than the 1986 [[Ford Taurus]] that was well known for its aerodynamic shape.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Wilkinson |first1=Tom |last2=Keebler |first2=Jack |title=Taurus |magazine=Popular Science |date=April 1986 |volume=228 |issue=4|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=96DnlrVhzDsC&q=1986+Ford+Taurus+aerodynamic+shape&pg=PA30 |page=30 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The Premier's body was finished using a baked enamel clearcoat for all the available colors. The body was covered by a seven-year, {{convert|100000|mi|0|adj=on}} [[warranty]]. The car's [[trunk (automobile)|trunk]] capacity was also large, offering {{cvt|16.3|cuft|L|0}} of cargo space.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

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.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Headlamp Developments with DMC Reflectors Including Homofocal Arrangements (SAE Technical Paper 840041) |journal=Society of Automotive Engineers |date=1 February 1984 |first=Charles W. |last=Spencer |url= https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/840041/ |doi=10.4271/840041 |access-date=29 March 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The 1988 Eagle Premier was one of the first cars featuring [[Valeo]] headlamps with nonparabolic, complex-surface reflector headlamps with optic lenses.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Complex Shape Headlamps: Eight Years of Experience (SAE Technical Paper 970901) |journal=Society of Automotive Engineers |date=27 February 1997|first1=Eric |last1=Blusseau |first2=Laurent |last2=Mottet |url= https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/970901/ |doi=10.4271/970901 |access-date=29 March 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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",<ref name="priority">{{cite magazine|last=Dunne |first=Jim |title=The Priority is Design |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=October 1987 |volume=164 |issue=10|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zOMDAAAAMBAJ&q=Eagle+Premier+a+heavy+dose+of+electronics&pg=PA51 |page=55 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> with all driver controls housed within a fingertip distance from the steering wheel. This included a dash-mounted gear selector that has been described reminiscent of the 1955 [[Chrysler PowerFlite transmission]] shifter.<ref name="it's_American"/> The Premier features a metal lever at the end which was a grip handle: if the gear selector shifted downward in the traditional fashion, the lever dropped into the dash pod in which it was mounted.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

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.<ref name="priority"/> 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.<ref name="mateja">{{cite news|first=Jim |last=Mateja |date=4 March 1990 |title=At Least Monaco Has Familiar Ring |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/03/04/at-least-monaco-has-familiar-ring/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121001113614/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-03-04/travel/9001180645_1_renault-premier-v-6 |archive-date=1 October 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> Another exclusive was the computer controlled automatic temperature control climate system that did not run the interior blower fan until the until the heater core became warm, thus enhancing passenger comfort.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

Standard on all Premiers was an electronically controlled AM/FM stereo sound system. It had an exclusive feature of being a "self-diagnosing" radio.<ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/> A premium speaker system was standard on the ES models.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Eagle---AMC-and-Chrysler/1988-Eagle-%28Chrysler%29/1988-Eagle-Premier-Brochure/slides/1988_Eagle_Premier-02.html |title=1988 Eagle Premier brochure |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=2 July 2024}}</ref> Successive years featured more sophisticated entertainment units that included a seven band equalizer with memory functions, an advanced cassette deck with music search functionality, and a CD player.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/eaglaCDe-premier-dodge-monaco-stereo-from-mitsubishi.228477/ |title=Eagle Premier-Dodge Monaco Stereo from Mitsubishi |first=Jeremy |last=Schrag |date=16 November 2024 |website=allpar.com |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>

For the initial launch, 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 [[AMC straight-4 engine|2.5 L AMC four-cylinder]] engine. Featuring electronically controlled throttle-body [[fuel injection]], it developed a peak power output of {{cvt|111|hp|kW PS|0}} and {{cvt|142|lb.ft|Nm|0}} of torque at 1400&nbsp;[[Revolutions per minute|rpm]].<ref name="Allpar-Eagle">{{cite web |title=1988-92 Eagle Premier, 1990-92 Dodge Monaco, and 1988-89 Eagle Medallion |url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/1988-92-eagle-premier-1990-92-dodge-monaco-and-1988-89-eagle-medallion.228759/#post-1085222857 |website=allpar.com |date=16 November 2020 |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref> This engine was coupled to a new electronically controlled four-speed automatic gearbox, developed by [[ZF Friedrichshafen]]. Fuel economy for the base model was [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] estimated at {{cvt|22|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp}} in the city and {{cvt|31|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp}} on the highway, giving it a {{convert|527|mi|0|adj=on}} cruising range with the {{cvt|17|usgal|L impgal|0}} gas tank. It is unclear as to whether any four cylinder models were actually produced and sold though. 

Optional in the LX and standard in ''ES'' models was a 3.0&nbsp;L version of the [[PRV engine|Peugeot-Renault-Volvo]] (PRV) [[V6 engine]], fitted with multiple port fuel injection, producing peak power and torque figures of {{cvt|150|hp|kW PS|0}} at 5000&nbsp;rpm and {{cvt|171|lb.ft|Nm|0}} at 3570&nbsp;rpm.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Eagle---AMC-and-Chrysler/1989-Eagle-(Chrysler)/1989-Eagle-Premier-Brochure/slides/1989_Eagle_Premier-18.html |title=1989 Eagle Premier Brochure |page=18 |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref> Fuel efficiency of the V6 was rated at {{cvt|18|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp}} for the city and {{cvt|27|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp}} on the highway. Factory acceleration estimates from [[0 to 60 mph|standstill to 60 miles per hour]] (97&nbsp;km/h) were 11.5 seconds with the four-cylinder, and 10 seconds with the six. The Premier's powertrains were covered by a 7-year, {{convert|70000|mi|0|adj=on}} warranty, which was longer than offered by any of the competitors at the time.

Developed by AMC, which was "the Big Three's little sister ... with almost no resources, and fighting a vastly superior enemy", [[Bob Lutz (businessman)|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.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=B1ht0aQ1KZoC&q=the+Big+Three's+little+sister+with+almost+no+resources,+and+fighting+a+vastly+superior+enemy+impressive+succession+of+new+products+Premier+sedan&pg=PA31 |page=31 |title=Guts: 8 Laws of Business from One of the Most Innovative Business Leaders of Our Time |first=Robert A. |last=Lutz |publisher=Wiley |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-471-46322-1 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="PM-sept89">{{cite magazine|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=a-QDAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Premier+takes+the+place+of+the+so-called+Liberty+car+Chrysler+has+been+working+on+for+the+past+few+years&pg=RA1-PA45 |page=45 |title=Inside Detroit |first=Jim |last=Dunne |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=September 1989 |volume=166 |issue=9 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19880102&id=3lMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6764,404925&hl=en |first=Tom |last=Keane |title=Eagle Premier ready to soar across USA |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=2 January 1988 |via=Google News |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> "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".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Features |page=62 |magazine=Ebony Man |volume=5 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YJgdAQAAMAAJ&q=Eagle+Premier |year=1989 |access-date=21 November 2015}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Engineering the New Cars |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=October 1987 |volume=164 |issue=10 |pages=136, 138, 139 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zOMDAAAAMBAJ&q=Premier+final+offspring+of+AMC&pg=PA138 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> Road test by ''Car and Driver'' magazine 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."<ref>{{cite web |title=1988 Eagle Premier ES: Chrysler's Euro-Sedan Is A Pleasant Surprise |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a43495663/1988-eagle-premier-es-by-the-numbers/ |work=Car and Driver |date=April 1988 |access-date=7 November 2023}}</ref>

== Model years ==
[[File:Eagle Premier.jpg|thumb|Eagle Premier]]

=== 1988 ===
The Eagle Premier was launched in January 1988, with the first production models rolling off the assembly line on 28 September 1987.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1hTrCgAAQBAJ&q=September+28,+1987.+On+that+date,+Chrysler's+first+1988+Eagle+Premier+rolled+off+its+assembly+line&pg=PA61 |page=61 |title=The New Domestic Automakers in the United States and Canada: History, Impacts, and Prospects |first=Andrew J. |last=Jacobs |year=2015 |publisher=Lexington Books |quote= ...September 28, 1987. On that date, Chrysler's first 1988 Eagle Premier rolled off its assembly line. |isbn=978-0-7391-8826-2 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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 seat]]s 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 seat]]s with adjustable see-through headrests and a full-length [[Center console (automobile)|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."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=We shape it right (advertisement) |magazine=Ebony |date=June 1988 |volume=43 |issue=8 |pages=88–89 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=A8wDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Eagle+Premier&pg=PA88 |via=Google Books |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref>

=== 1989 ===
[[File:1989 Eagle Premier in white with burgundy upholstery at Rambler Ranch 2of3.jpg|thumb|1989 Eagle Premier]]
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.<ref name="sweat"/><ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/> The list of standard features was expanded or enhanced such as eight premium "Accusound by [[Jensen Loudspeakers|Jensen]]" speakers becoming standard on ES models.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Eagle---AMC-and-Chrysler/1989-Eagle-%28Chrysler%29/1989-Eagle-Premier-Brochure/slides/1989_Eagle_Premier-19.html |title=1989 Eagle Priemier brochure |page=19 |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>

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 seven-year, 70,000-mile protection plan.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Swift Reflexes of Eagles (advertisement) |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |date=December 1988 |volume=42 |issue=12 |page=126 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gAUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+swift+reflexes+of+Eagles+Jeep-Eagle&pg=PT1 |via=Google Books |access-date=1 May 2022 }}</ref> 

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.<ref name="IacoccaSpeech52"/>

====Exports to Japan====
During 1989 sales in the Japanese market began as the '''Chrysler Premier ES'''.<ref name="it's_American"/> Available in one version and included the 3.0&nbsp;L V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission. The maximum power was {{cvt|150|PS|kW|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.carsensor.net/catalog/chrysler/premier/ES/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210214045357/https://www.carsensor.net/catalog/chrysler/premier/ES/ |archive-date=14 February 2021 |title= クライスラー プレミア ESのカタログ |trans-title=Catalog: Chrysler Premier ES | language=ja |website=carsensor.net |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref> While branded 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. Marketing of the special model ended during 1990.

=== 1990 ===
[[File:1990 Eagle Premier LX in Dark Cherry Pearlcoat with gray interior at Rambler Ranch 1of7.jpg|thumb|1990 Eagle Premier LX]]
In 1990 the Premier was substantially reengineered. Standard were four-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.<ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/> The exterior was changed slightly, the ''Design Giugiaro'' badges being removed from the front fenders as a result.<ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/> The fuel crisis period was fading and most buyers selected the V6 engine.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cranswick |first1=Marc |title=The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-4672-8 |page=312 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=20kjDQAAQBAJ&dq=Eagle+Premier&pg=PA312 |via=Google Books |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref> The four-cylinder engine was officially dropped from the lineup, with the V6 remaining as the sole engine.<ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/>

A [[Badge engineering|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.<ref name="mateja"/>

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.<ref name="PM-sept89"/>

The automatic shifter was relocated to the floor.

=== 1991 ===
[[File:EaglePremier4.jpg|thumb|1988 Eagle Premier interior]]
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.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9Z5TAAAAMAAJ&q=Except+for+optional+anti-lock+brakes,+there+was+little+'+91+news+for+the+Canadian-built+Dodge+Monaco,+a+twin+to+the+Eagle+Premier+that |page=583 |title=Chronicle of the American automobile: over 100 years of auto history |first=James M. |last=Flammang |publisher=Publications International |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-7853-0778-5 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The new safety feature came standard on the ES Limited and was optional on other models.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Gite |first=Lloyd |title=Family Comfort |magazine=Black Enterprise |date=November 1990 |volume=21 |issue=4 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=t14EAAAAMBAJ&q=1991+Eagle+Premier&pg=PT121 |page=122 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="bargains">{{cite magazine|last=Henry |first=Ed |title=Bargains: Cars |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |date=July 1991 |volume=45 |issue=7 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aQQEAAAAMBAJ&q=1991+Eagle+Premier&pg=PA47 |page=47 |access-date=26 June 2017}}</ref> An ES Limited model listing for $19,978 was only $15,478 after the marketing incentives.<ref name="bargains"/> 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]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Henry |first=Ed |title=The '91 cars How to get the car you want at a price you'll like |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |date=December 1990 |volume=44 |issue=12 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tAMEAAAAMBAJ&q=1991+Eagle+Premier&pg=PA31 |page=31 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref>

=== 1992 ===
[[File:1992 Eagle Premier ES in Sterling Metallic with gray leather interior at Rambler Ranch 2of7.jpg|thumb|1992 Eagle Premier ES]]
The Eagle Premier and its [[badge engineering|badge engineered]] variant, the Dodge Monaco, continued mostly unchanged for 1992,<ref name="cars1992">{{cite book|title=Cars Consumer Guide 1992 |publisher=Publications International |year=1992 |page=137 |isbn=978-0-451-17178-8 }}</ref> except every model received the grille and tail lamps that were only on the Limited in 1991.<ref name="Allpar-Eagle"/> 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.<ref name="cars1992"/> Bramalea ended Dodge Monaco and Eagle Premier output on 17 December 1991.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ward's automotive yearbook 1992 |volume=55 |publisher=Ward's Communications |year=1993 |pages=98–101}}</ref>

'''Production Figures:'''
{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable defaultcenter" style="width:40%;"
|+Eagle Premier Production Figures<ref>{{cite book |last=Flammang |first=James M. |title=Standard catalog of American cars, 1976-1999 |date=1999 |publisher=Krause Publications |others=Ron Kowalke |isbn=0-87341-755-0 |edition=Third |location=Iola, WI}}</ref>
!Year:
!Units produced:
|-
|'''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."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/junkyard/junkyard-classic-1989-ealge-premier-es-limited/ |title=Junkyard Classic: 1989 Eagle Premier ES Limited |first=David |last=Saunders |date=30 March 2018 |work=curbsideclassic |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The "upscale" Premier was the flagship of the new Eagle division at Chrysler and in the same class "as cars like the [[Audi 100|Audi 5000]], ... roomy, understated and elegantly turned out."<ref name="sweat"/>

''[[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.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=McCosh |first=Dan |title=Luxury for Less |magazine=Popular Science |volume=233 |issue=1 |pages=28–32 |date=July 1988 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=R4zUHMZQudoC&q=Eagle+Premier&pg=PA30 |via=Google Books |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The fully [[independent suspension]] on all the wheels made for better [[ride quality]] and [[car handling|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 {{cvt|2999|lb|kg|0}}], the stiffest (torsionally), and the best riding almost {{cvt|8.7|in|mm|0}} 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."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.automobear.com/PDFs/AutomoBear%20-%20The%20Chrysler-AMC-Renault%20story.pdf |title=The Chrysler-AMC-Renault story |website=AutomoBear.com |date=1 September 2003 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130202200854/http://automobear.com/PDFs/AutomoBear%20-%20The%20Chrysler-AMC-Renault%20story.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2013 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Magna>{{cite book |last=Lilley |first= Wayne |title=Magna Cum Laude: How Frank Stronach Became Canada's Best-Paid Man |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |year=2008 |pages=132–133 |isbn=978-0-7710-4638-4}}</ref> [[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 [[Government of Canada|Canada]] and [[Government of Ontario|Ontario]] to expand the metal stamping plant in [[Milton, Ontario]].<ref name=Magna/> However, the Premier did not achieve its sales targets, with calendar year production for 1989 only reaching 32,720 examples.<ref name="salon91">{{cite magazine |editor-last=Bellu |editor-first=René |date=September 1989 |title=Salon: Toutes les Voitures du Monde 90/91 |issue=14 & 15 |page=321 |magazine=L'Auto Journal |location=Paris |language=fr}}</ref>

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 (FWD)|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 an automaker.<ref name="fallrise">{{cite book |last1=Ingrassia |first1=Paul |last2=White |first2=Joseph B. |title=Comeback: The Fall & Rise of the American Automobile Industry |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1995 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780684804378/page/192 192]–193 |url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780684804378 |url-access=registration |quote=Eagle Premier |isbn=978-0-684-80437-8 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> Not only could Chrysler not afford to properly promote and advertise each of its brands, but it also faced the legacy of failure by French cars in the United States.<ref name="fallrise"/>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mitchellsupport.com/ondemand5/VIN/VIN.pdf |title=Mitchell VIN Decoding, AMC/Jeep |pages=g13–g17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150806235331/http://www.mitchellsupport.com/ondemand5/VIN/VIN.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2015 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> The AMC logo was featured on many of the car's components through to the end of production.

[[File:Wiki cars 181.jpg|thumb|right|Dodge Monaco [[Badge engineering|badge engineered]] variant]]
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 in low numbers, and both it and the Premier were canceled 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.<ref name="fallrise"/>

A new, "highly advanced" factory (called Bramalea Assembly) was built to manufacture the Premier at Bramalea.<ref name="sweat"/> This was 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 platform|Chrysler LH-cars]] that debuted in the autumn of 1992, including the Premier's replacement, the [[Eagle Vision|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 [[Longitudinal engine|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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://cars.about.com/od/detoursanddiversions/ig/American-branded-Eurocars/Renault-25.htm |last=Gold |first=Aaron |title=Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco: American-branded Eurocars |website=cars.about.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140101113000/http://cars.about.com/od/detoursanddiversions/ig/American-branded-Eurocars/Renault-25.htm |archive-date=1 January 2014 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/1993-1997-dodge-intrepid-eagle-vision-and-chrysler-concorde-new-yorker-and-lhs.228908/#post-1085223006 |title=1993-1997 Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, and Chrysler Concorde, New Yorker, and LHS |website=allpar.com |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref>

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."<ref name="roth"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924233829/http://home.earthlink.net/~drdorroh/ Derek Dorroh's tribute to the Eagle Premier]
* [https://archive.today/20151207173557/https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/eaglepremier/info Online club for Eagle Premier & 90-92 Dodge Monaco owners]
* {{imcdb vehicle|make=Eagle|model=Premier|Eagle Premier}}

{{Eagle}}
{{American Motors}}
{{Eagle Timeline}}
{{amc Timeline}}
{{Renault vehicles timeline 1980 to date, Western European and North American market}}

[[Category:Eagle vehicles|Premier]]
[[Category:Front-wheel-drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Full-size vehicles]]
[[Category:Renault vehicles|Premier]]
[[Category:Sedans]]
[[Category:1980s cars]]
[[Category:1990s cars]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Cars discontinued in 1991]]