What Would Have Happened...

[AxelTheRed]

I started thinking the other day, "What would the American auto industry be like today if Chrysler hadn't bought American Motors way back in '87?" Nowadays, the American economy could probably benefit from having a fourth automaker.

Obviously AMC was in some deep crap twenty years ago, but as I've read, some analysts believe that the company would have turned itself around had it not been sold to Chrysler.

The company had to continuously innovate to compete with the Big Three, plus they had Jeep...so what do you guys think would have happened to it by now?

[FAPTurbo]

Well judging by their past performance, I'd say they'd be selling Ramblers that would make GM's W-Bodies look thoroughly modern.

Oh, and some Chinese conglomerate would buy it out because Pacer's and Gremlins would likely have a huge cult following in China.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Captainbooyah

[AxelTheRed]

Oh, and some Chinese conglomerate would buy it out because Pacer's and Gremlins would likely have a huge cult following in China.

224037[/snapback]

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I actually LIKE the Pacer. I don't know what it is...something about a dorky car that looks kind of like a frog. Plus all the glass would let in a lot of natural light, which I think would be kinda pleasant.

[Robert Hall]

Well judging by their past performance, I'd say they'd be selling Ramblers that would make GM's W-Bodies look thoroughly modern.

Oh, and some Chinese conglomerate would buy it out because Pacer's and Gremlins would likely have a huge cult following in China.

224037[/snapback]

They'd still be owned by Renault and building 4th generation Alliances and Encores..

[balthazar]

Well, AMC was certainly way ahead of the curve WRT AWD in cars. Whether they could've lasted independantly until the current AWD trend is another question.

[pow]

Toyota would have bought it.

[Drew Dowdell]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but something I recall was that the deal for Chrysler was much more attractive because AMC already had a substantial amount of work done on the design of the LH car, but not so much that they couldn't be altered into Chrysler's lineup.

So if the deal hadn't gone through, the LH cars would have been AMCs and not Chryslers.

[Sixty8panther]

It would be pretty effin awsome to see an AMX concept

as a reaction to the new 2004 Mustang & 2010 Camaro.

I'm rather bring back Plymouth first, given the option.

Plymouth was a great brand before Chrysler forgot they

existed for like 3 decades. The PT should have stayed a

Plymouth like planned and they could be a hot brand

again today.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[Cory Wolfe]

I think it'd be... interesting... to see a modern line up of Eagles.

[the_yellow_dart]

Jeep would still be Jeep, and we wouldn't have crap like the Compass.

[Sixty8panther]

Jeep would still be Jeep, and we wouldn't have crap like the Compass.

224124[/snapback]

Can I get an AMEN!?

The Compass is the lamest Jeep ever!

A FWD unibody Jeep? Gimmie a fuc*ing break!

[CARBIZ]

AMC had some limited success in the early 1960s with the Rambler, but they could't quite figure out the car market. The Eagle/Spirit was ahead of its time in terms of the AWD craze, but the cars were ugly even for their time.

Maybe if Renault could have kept pouring cash into it and kept Jeep going until the SUV craze took off, it may have paid off.

I wonder where DCX would be today if Chrysler had never bought Jeep? Jeep owned 25% of the SUV market at one point.

[the_yellow_dart]

AMC really didn't push their ownership much back in the day. I wasn't even aware that Jeep was AMC until I became a real car nerd. A friend of mine had an '86 Cherokee recently, and the only indication was an embossed (colourless) version of the logo on the seat belts and key. Not even the letters "AMC" anywhere.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think they would have done better had they changed their name to Eagle back in 1980. Investing a bit in FWD <it was the all the craze at the time 68> and staying away from the French could have helped too. A small, FWD, non-Renault car to go up against the J-body and K-car would have probably kept them afloat long enough till the SUV kicked in. Then the Concord and it's derivatives could have been an American Subaru and Jeep would have kept going with it's existing lineup. Definately would have kept the Commanche and Grand Wagoneer.

[Satty]

See: Subaru

I think they could have found a niche in the market that Subaru eventually got to with the standard AWd thing and an tought looking Outback-like wagon and so on.

[Hudson]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but something I recall was that the deal for Chrysler was much more attractive because AMC already had a substantial amount of work done on the design of the LH car, but not so much that they couldn't be altered into Chrysler's lineup.

So if the deal hadn't gone through, the LH cars would have been AMCs and not Chryslers.

You have some of the details confused.

When AMC was bought by Chrysler, AMC had just developed the Renault Premier from the Renault 25. Chrysler was readying the senior K-based cars: Dodge Dynasty and Chrysler New Yorker/Fifth Avenue/Imperial.

Chrysler's engineers, some of who came from AMC, used the Eagle Premier as a starting point, primarily its longitudinal engine setup. This led to the replacement for the Dynasty/New Yorker where were the Chrysler LH cars.

If AMC hadn't been absorbed into Chrysler, the LH cars would have been different Chrysler products and AMC would have probably had another Renault-based product (Renault Safrane?) in 1994 or 1995 to replace the Renault Premier.

While I think that Jeep would have flourished in the 1990s once the SUV craze really kicked in, AMC's car products would have still dragged the company down. Unless Ghosn could have fixed it, AMC would have closed or been sold in the late 1990s, assuming that the company survived until the Grand Cherokee was ready.

[AxelTheRed]

I think AMC would have turned itself around with its '88 products, for a while at least. It would probably hit a rough spot in the early 90s and have to merge with Renault, but it would've been in the right place at the right time for the SUV craze.

We would also probably be looking at a Daimler/Renault/AMC right now too, as opposed to DaimlerChrysler. By now AMC would probably only be offering vehicles branded AMC and Jeep, but they'd probably benefit from having help from Daimler-Benz and Renault, and we might have actually had some really great cars coming from them today (although they'd still be in the same trouble the rest of the American automakers are right now)...possibly a new Javelin to compete in the upcoming pony car wars against the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger.

And Chrysler would still have Plymouth.

This is absolutely the most positive fate I could think of for American Motors.

Edited December 6, 2006 by AxelTheRed

[razoredge]

AMC was going nowhere in the mid 70's, they certainly were not going to pull through the 80's. They were small had no finacial clout, hell look at the almighty GM, Mopar & FoMoCo today.

What was that song? "Im going down" "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" "You aint in Kansas no More"

Chrysler bought the British "Rootes Groupe "(Sunbeam, Hillman, Singer) in 67 and that was the end of the nice Alpine roadsters and the Tiger. There was a new gen of Alpines and the sheet metal sucked, the end was near for all the Brits by that time anyhow........then came the bumper height laws and emissions. The small companies just didnt stand a chance. The Japs put everything they had and their cheap labor into the auto industry and the rest is history. Simply looking back paints a very clear picture.

[mrmonte]

They made some weird good stuff, one of the cars I learned to drive on was a 76 hornet wagon. It ran well and was comfortable and had a lot of room. You really have to admire the cars they came out with like the eagle 4wd models and the Grand Wagoneer which is the forerunner to todays SUV. I think they were way ahead of their time and just needed a little polishing. I would have liked to know what their plans were down the road if they werent bought out.

[occupant]

I have yet to own an AMC product but I'm always looking. I think the Premier could have been much better if it had AMC guys running the program and they probably would have introduced a wagon model as well. I have a feeling that today's AMC lineup would be all rebadged Renaults if they had stuck around and stayed French. And considering the Clio, Megane, and Laguna are great cars...I don't think that would be so bad. Then you have the big Renault, the Vel Satis. Took me awhile to find a picture of the latest generation...