Renault Medallion Eagle Medallion: Американская история французского автомобиля

Car model produced by Renault and marketed by American Motors Corporation

The Eagle Medallion, also marketed as the Renault Medallion, is a rebadged and mildly re engineered North American version of the French Renault 21 marketed by American Motors Corporation under the Renault brand for the 1988 model year, and by Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division for the 1989 model year. The front engine, front wheel drive, four door D segment, or mid size Medallion was launched in North America on 1 March 1987. The Medallion was imported from France, sharing its platform with the Renault 21. Just eight days after the North American introduction of the Medallion, Renault initiated the sale of its stock in American Motors to Chrysler on 9 March 1987.

The Renault 21 was introduced in Europe in 1986 to compete in the large family size market such as the VW Passat. Its design was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Modified to meet safety and emissions requirements, as well as rebadged as the Medallion, it became a captive import for Renault's corporate partner, American Motors Corporation (AMC). It went on sale on 1 March 1987 as a 1988 model and filled the gap left after the slow selling Renault 18i/Sportwagon and the venerable AMC Concord. Both the 18i sedan and Concord had been discontinued after the 1983 model year, while the Sportwagon version of the 18i was marketed through 1986. Therefore, from 1984 until 1987, AMC/Renault dealers offered no sedan larger than the small C segment Alliance. The larger D segment Medallion sedan was thus important to American Motors dealers and filled a hole in its product line when it was launched. The Medallion was an Americanized version of the Renault 21, "a highly successful car in the European market." The Medallion was the second entry in a three model marketing effort to expand market coverage for AMC/Jeep/Renault dealers beyond the four wheel drive Jeep utility vehicles. The first product in that plan was the C segment Renault Alliance that launched for the 1983 model year, while the third was the E segment Eagle Premier, which launched ten months after the D segment Medallion. AMC/Renault was planning to sell between 40,000 and 45,000 Medallions annually. Badged as the Renault Medallion at its press launch in the winter of 1986, it went on sale 1 March 1987 a mere 8 days before Chrysler agreed to buy Renault's shares in American Motors as an early 1988 model. The Medallion retained its Renault branding after the Chrysler buyout, through the end of the 1988 model year, despite Chrysler's creation of the Jeep/Eagle Division in the fall of 1987. Because the Medallion had been launched as a 1988 Renault model before Chrysler's buyout of AMC and creation of the Eagle marque Chrysler's first new brand since 1955 Chrysler waited until the beginning of the 1989 model year to rebrand the Medallion as an Eagle, so as not to confuse buyers by selling the Medallion under both Renault and Eagle nameplates for 1988. The cars were marketed as "Eagle Medallion" for the 1989 model year and sold through the newly formed Jeep Eagle division. As a distinct Chrysler subsidiary, the nearly 1,200 AMC Jeep Renault dealer organization would initially remain independent. As part of the buyout, Chrysler would continue AMC's program for U. S. distribution of the new Renault Medallion for five years, but not to sell a specific number of the French imports.

Medallion sedans were offered in base DL and uplevel LX sedans, as well as a DL wagon, for the long 1988 model year. Standard equipment on all Medallions included a tachometer, digital clock, AM/FM stereo, tinted glass, tilt steering wheel, power steering, power brakes, and a driver's seat height adjuster for the reclining front seats. Exterior styling showed many unusual features, including slightly skirted rear wheel arches, fixed chromed door handles with hidden squeeze type actuators, and a decklid that wrapped over the tops of the rear fenders. At the front, the Medallion featured flush mounted composite headlamps a first for an AMC vehicle mounted on either side of a flush grille with 3 horizontal black bars and a prominent Renault diamond logo. Medallion DL sedans offered a different taillight lens pattern than uplevel LX sedans did, with smoked clear reflector lenses continuing inward from the Medallion's reversing lights, and surrounding the upper portion of the decklid mounted rear license plate depression. The LX sedans showed red lenses in this area instead. A power sunroof option on LX models was available later in the 1988 model year. Medallion station wagons had a longer wheelbase, and rear doors were much longer than those of their sedan counterpart, to improve optional third seat ingress and egress. While unusual for its class in the North American market, the wagon's uniquely longer wheelbase (more than longer than the much larger Eagle Premier's) was in keeping with French station wagon tradition to maximize interior space for passengers or cargo. This design was also used on the competing Peugeot 504 and 505. The new Renault Medallion station wagon was reviewed by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine as "surprisingly comfortable, with a load of standard features for its relatively modest $10,693 base price." The "powerful engine allows it to whiz through city traffic with ease" and the wagon's interior was "spartan," but "spacious and comfortable." A week long review of an automatic transmission equipped 1988 Medallion by The Milwaukee Sentinel described it as an "eye appealing alternative for those shopping for a compact four door sedan" offering "peppy" performance with an engine that "purred contently at highway speeds" while offering a smooth ride in both the city and on the highway returning an actual combined fuel economy, but the sedan's low weight at , was criticized as too light on open roads in the wind and the insulation to reduce road noise seemed inadequate. A long term test by Popular Mechanics found the Medallion "low on flash, high on comfort" especially on long distance journeys and along the roughest roads in New York City, and the editors came to regard it as a "pretty nice car." Other automotive guides recommended the Medallion for its comfortable ride and interior roominess, as well as summarizing that Chrysler does not "have a domestic model in this category that's quite as nice." The 1989 Medallions were also covered by Chrysler's new "7/70 Protection Plan" that was a comprehensive warranty on the entire vehicle for seven years or 70000 mile (112654 km). The rear of the 1989 Medallions now featured an "imported for Eagle" badge and the terms of the AMC buyout included the continued sales of Renault built cars in the U. S. However, Chrysler decided to cease importing the Medallions from Renault at the end of the 1989 model year. This also ended the potential revival of a four wheel drive Eagle station wagon.

The Eagle name came from the innovative all wheel drive AMC Eagle line, but the Medallion was a standard passenger car and its sales were also hindered by marketing missteps. Automotive reviews of the Medalion were favorable, but the model was hindered by poor launch into the North American market because of AMC's limited marketing resources. The Medallion was also overshadowed by numerous domestic and imported competitors "that were far easier to sell customers into if they were in the market for a sedan or station wagon of this size." This reflects the struggles with the Medallion line launched just before Renault exited from U. S. market and that Chrysler only wanted to continue sales of highly profitable Jeep models. The Medallion was ranked as "a damn good car — winning numerous accolades and enjoying a 9 year model run outside the States." Robert Lutz, the head of the Chrysler Corporation at the time, said in his 2003 book Guts that the Medallion, and its larger linemate, the Premier were "sales proof" in that no matter how attractive and competitive the cars were, customers in large enough number to ensure success would not take notice. Chrysler was focused on "import intenders," rather than working with an independent Renault. As a result, the Eagle models became badge engineered cars sourced from its Japanese partner, Mitsubishi Motors, a relationship it had since 1971. In 1986, Honda introduced their luxury brand Acura with the Acura Legend and Acura Integra thereby further competing in a crowded market segment. The smaller Eagle Summit made by Mitsubishi was also marketed by Jeep Eagle dealers, primarily for Alliance and Encore owners to trade into. The imported Medallion also competed with Chrysler's numerous domestic Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler models. In Canada, the Medallion was replaced by the Mitsubishi Galant based Eagle 2000GTX.