AMC Alliance: The Car with an Appropriate Name

AMC Alliance: The Car with an Appropriate Name

Photo Courtesy of Curbside Classics

In the 1980s, cars were going through an identity crisis. It may not have been evident during the time; but looking back, it is obvious that car makers were unsure of what consumers really wanted. Many of the cars were ugly to look at and were disappointing to drive. Chevy seemed to have many of the clunkers of the day, from the Chevy Cavalier, Chevette, and Citation, but other car makers had their own fair share.

Subcompact Car with Impressive Features

As car makers were recovering from the fuel and energy issues from the 1970s and from the long gas guzzlers that dominated the previous decade, one car maker did create a pleasant car that set the stage for many more to come. Surprisingly, that car was the AMC Alliance. The car technically was a Renault and AMC Alliance, because it was created with the French automaker. While it was a bit boxy, the car used very little fuel and it was enjoyable to drive. The AMC Alliance actually became a car of the year because it was a breath of fresh air.

A Breath of Fresh Air

One of the reasons that the AMC Alliance was so refreshing (along with the fuel-sipping engine and comfortable interior) was the fact that it came with a convertible top. There were very few affordable convertibles and some of them were down-right horrible – like the Chrysler Lebaron. If you were a lucky teenager in the 1980s, you would have had a Volkswagen Cabriolet, but the AMC was a convertible that self-respecting adult could have driven, too. The other convertibles were incredibly expensive, like models by Porsche, BMW, and other foreign makers. The friendly AMC Alliance set the stage for affordable convertibles that has continued today.

Photo Courtesy of Car & Driver

Creating an Alliance between Countries and Drivers

The name that Renault and AMC chose was very fitting. An “alliance” is a union created for the benefit of two organizations or groups. Since the car was developed by two car companies from different countries, it was created in an alliance. The driver and car also worked together as an “alliance” as the car was enjoyable to drive

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