Re: Maybe Not So Dark

[farna@xxxxxxx]

Renault's problem when they were involved with AMC is the classic French problem (well, I'll admit it's stereotypical AND strictly an American -- and maybe other "foreigners" -- viewpoint!) -- they already know the best way to do things, just ask them! I'm sure they think the same thing about Americans, so who's right?? 

Anyway, the French wouldn't "take advice" from AMC engineers and marketing. My understanding is they told Renault that the 1.4L engine would be fine for an economy model, but the car (Alliance) would sell better with the 1.7L as the standard engine and a little larger engine (the 2.0L based on the 1.7L block was made just for the GTA the way I understand it, and not available at the time) would be a nice option. The French had sold thousands of the 1.4L models all over the world, and "knew" it was more than adequate for Americans since it was for everyone else. Well,"adequate" is all it was! I had one. Only when the numbers started sliding did they finally start building primarily 1.7L models, and by then repuation had slipped and it was to late. Most people of the world spend a lot less time on Interstates/Autobahns/Autostrada than Americans do! I've driven in Europe, Japan, and Korea. Smaller roads, generally slower traffic, and twisty/crowded roads. Europeans in general d!
 on't travel as much as half the US population (the other half stays close to home like the Euros, I've discovered). But that half eats up (wears out) more cars!! We have more miles of good highways than all of Europe combined! Europeans prefer cars that handle well over raw power. My opinion: the French just took it that we just WANT raw power for the sake of having it, they knew what we really needed and we'd get over it once we saw how well the car handled and road with so little power. NOT!! My 1.4L automatic Alliance (I think they were surprised to see just how many auto models sold also) was great around town, but struggled with a medium load on the Interstate at 65 mph in hilly terrain (not mountains -- that would have been murder!). Flat land was okay, but I lived in Georgia at the time, not Kansas!! 

They did finally get their heads out of their rears though. When the Alliance was being phased out and replaced with the Medallion, and the Premier was being introduced along with the Espace minivan and Alpine sports car. Of course they sold out to Chrysler before the Espace and Alpine (I would have badged it AMX/4 and made some minor mods to it if I were AMC at the time, at least for a "special" model if not all -- I'm sure one of the older AMC dealerships would have done something like that had AMC/Renault not) ever made it over. The Premier did relatively well considering there was no real marketing done for it, and the Medallion was a nice car (I almost bought a demo wagon!). The only problem was once Renault pulled out Chrysler and even ex-AMC/Renault dealers didn't want to do much with it service wise. If there was a hard to troubleshoot problem you were just SOL! I don't know if that had anything to do with what support they were getting from Renault or they just knew!
  support would be limited in the future -- or they just wanted to sell you something to replace "that French junk". Getting parts/tech support for one now is almost impossible unless you know enough about cars to work on it yourself with help over the Internet. 


On April 24, 2005 JOE B FULTON wrote:

> Win on Sunday, sell on Monday?
> 
> The Renault team just one it's fourth Formula One race
> in a row today.  Fernando Alonzo held off Michael
> Schumacher (in a Ferrari) for over 15 laps to win a
> nail biter.  Those engines turn 19 grand and must last
> at least two races.  What is different about Renault
> now than when they were involved with our struggling
> independent?
> 
> Joe Fulton
> 
> Salinas, CA
> 
> 
> 
> .


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