A Look Back at Chrysler's Eagle Premier

Through the years, there have been differentAfter the AMC went to Chrysler, the Premier was
vehicles produced for the global auto market. Year inreleased under the Eagle brand.
and year out, car manufacturers always come upChrysler chose to exploit the European roots of the
with new models or upgrade existing ones. Some ofpremiers and aimed to attract the attention of car
the vehicles will forever be etched in the memory ofbuyers who have set their sights on European brands
the auto industry. These cars have set the bar highersuch as Audi, Mercedes, Saab, and Volvo. To give
for the succeeding generation of vehicles. Timethe premier a truly European look, Chrysler enlisted
passes and cars which have earned the praise of thethe help of Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign.
auto industry are now considered classics.While the exterior design of the car is not as stylish
A memorable model of time passed. One vehicleas European rivals, its clean lines and simplistic design
which can be considered as a classic on its own is thecues set it apart from its competitors. The platform
Eagle Premier and this one is made by Chrysler. Eagleof the Premier is one of the strong selling points of
is the defunct marque owned by the Chrysler Groupthe vehicle. The platform that the Premier shared
and is formed from the remnants of the Americanwith the Renault 25 is stiff and light which gives it an
Motors Corporation. That in itself gives the Premier aadvantage over some of its competition. The
claim to immortality since it is the very last modelPremier's powerplant is a 3.0-liter PRV V6 engine. The
with direct roots from the American automobilesaid engine was rated to produce 150 horsepower.
company founded in 1954.While the power output may seem minimal, that
While the Premier may not bring with it the flair andpower gives the Premier respectable performance
popularity of its rivals, it is considered as one of theduring its heyday.
best American cars in the last 20 years or so. AutoDuring its introduction, the Eagle Premier became the
enthusiasts call the Premier a vehicle with a Europeanfirst vehicle from Chrysler to be equipped with a
styling and with an American price and size. Thethree-speed automatic transaxle. The vehicle can also
European connection of the Premier is in its platformbe equipped with performance enhancing parts such
which it shares with the Renault 25. In fact, theas an Eagle cold air intake system to give it extra
Premier was originally slated to be called the Renaultpower.
Premier. But financial woes forced the FrenchWhile consumer acceptance of the Eagle is good,
automaker to sell the struggling American MotorsChrysler did not reach their goal of producing 260,000
Corporation to Chrysler.units of the Premier. In 1992, the line was
It is widely known in the automotive circle thatdiscontinued making the Premier the last car with
Chrysler wanted the Jeep brand owned by AMC.direct roots at the American Motors Corporation.