The Renault Alliance was dull. Born in France as the Renault 9 in 1981 and built beginning in 1982 in Kenosha, Wis. by American Motors during that company’s, well, alliance with the French automaker, the Alliance was powered by a 1.4-liter for that was frugal but little else. The addition of a 1.7-liter version and a one-model spec SCCA racing class was entertaining but did little for the production models.

In the meantime, the Volkswagen GTi and Dodge Omni GLH were headlining the “hot hatch” or “pocket rocket” trend of the ‘80s. Well, AMC could play that game too, even if all the cards in its hand were in the suit of Renault. Introduced with the 1987 model year, the new GTA would be based on the two-door sedan version of the Alliance (there were also a four-door sedan and three-door and five-door hatchbacks) and on the two-door convertible.

History/driving impressions by John Matras originally published in Sport Compact Car April 2000

The two-door sedan was well proportioned but not particularly interesting, so AMC went to the German accessory maker Zender to design a front spoiler, “ground effects” body side cladding and a rear spoiler. New 15-inch alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin Sport XGT 195/50VR-15 rubber replaced the stock 13-inch rims. Suspension changes were adapted directly from the Renault Cup Alliance racers. The springs on the GTA front McPherson struts were 70 percent stiffer while the torsion bars on the trailing arm rear suspension was firmed up 64 percent. The front anti-roll bar was left alone while the rear was increased by 40 percent. AMC threw in a 1/2 degree negative camber and a 3/4-inch drop all around, and with monochrome paint treatment in white, black, red or Dover Gray, the GTA began to look like a brawny little guy you might not want to mess with.

That 82-bhp engine under the hood was no Charles Atlas, however, and to do something about that, AMC went to an old American tradition: Cubic inches. Renault had a turbo 1.4-liter for its home market hot rods, but the boys in Kenosha figured torque was more important than peak output. The quickest way was longer connecting rods and a stroker crank to make a two-valve SOHC engine. The bore was increased by one mm, but stroke went from 83.5 mm to an even 93 mm, raising total displacement to 1965 cc. Horsepower peaked at 95 at 5250 rpm with maximum torque ending up at 114 lb-ft at 2750 rpm, 13 more than the 1.7 and 500 rpm lower. A special close-ratio five-speed gearbox, along with a 4.07 final drive, allow quicker acceleration, while the 0.76:1 five-gear ratio permitted effortless 85-mph cruising.

Ventilated front discs provided more fade-free stopping. That was more like it.

Also more like it were the interior changes, including the more supportive sport seats direct from the European R11 and a leather-wrapped steering wheel identical to that in the R5 Turbo. Special door panels and a red stripe on the dash set the GT apart from lesser Alliances, as did a “grain” shift knob and a leather gearshift boot.

The GTA gave up horsepower to the VW GTi, and Renault/AMC had a, well, spotty quality reputation, but the GTA brought a $8,999 base price to the table, compared to over $12k for the VW. The convertible GTA, even at just under $13,000 base price, was in a class by itself. Adding options like air conditioning ($705), AM/FM/stereo cassette ($367), cruise control ($188) and fog lights ($183) raised the price, but the GTA still promised thrills at a lower price.

And it delivered on the promise. Road & Track recorded .81g on the skidpad for the convertible, while Motor Trend clocked .8g for the sedan. Slalom performance was improved, with better balance and reduced understeer. Indeed the GTA could be tossed about easily. AutoWeek found the steering overly light, however, and noticed “serious torque steer under heavy throttle.” Worse, “body shake that troubles the hardtop GTAs…positively devastates the convertible” on the “pothole tracks” around Detroit. The 10-second 0-60 mph time was a second slower than the GTA’s, but again, there was that price difference.

The GTA lasted only a single model year, however. Chrysler bought the unprofitable American Motors from Renault in 1987 and axed the Alliance and GTA shortly before the 1988 models were to go into production…but actually after the’ 88 press materials were produced. Eagle had landed, and the Eagle Summit, built by Mitsubishi, replaced the Alliance and GTA.

Addendum: Renault has produced a number of high performance cars, including the 1964-1970 Renault 8 Gordini, 1963-1977 Alpine A110 , the R5 Turbo...but the Renault GTA is what it was, fun and inexpensive and made in America. wasn’t one of them.

Did you own a 1987 Renault GTA back then? Do you own one–exceedingly rare–now? Tell us about it in the comments.