Captive Import Subcompacts

I've been trying to imagine a world where Renault dumping their cars and future designs on American Motors somehow saved the company, but it's hard to piece together. There was plenty of potential, I mean, we got the Cherokee XJ out of it. But the Le Car and the Alliance, despite being dirt cheap and capable, never sold like they were supposed to.

I've been trying to find a Le Car for sale for years, and it's ruining my life.
 
I've been trying to find a Le Car for sale for years, and it's ruining my life.

What a hill to die on.

My favorite LeCar story was the owner, on finding that a replacement starter was somehow priced $400 at the AMC/Renault Dealer Parts Counter, and not covered by the warranty :tiredface::'(:mad: decided to sell it back and
used that $400 they wanted(and a quoted crazy amount of labor$$$), and the modest sum he got back that dealer for that almost new car to get a last years(but still 'New') Ford Courier pickup from the Dealer across the road

That pickup also had more power and better mileage, but worse ride. That the one thing Renault did right on that turd. It was smooth going down the road.

You could get Courier parts at the regular autoparts stores, and then pick and choose between Ford and Mazda for the bits they didn't have. No more $400 Starters

It lasted 300,000 miles, till it a had a too close encounter with a Deer.
 
Well, ya, once you got past the whole roaring sea of flames feature and before the floor pan rusted out. I had a buddy who had to replace his floor boards with, well, floor BOARDS. Footwells rusted out back to where the seats attached on both sides, sheet of 1/2" marine plywood and he was good to go.

I swear the car was stiffer after he put those things in.


Ah yes, the only American car in my lifetime where the back seat was an OPTION.
Buy lifetime do you mean you owned one or just the time or you were alive. The the Vega panel truck I don't remember what they called it had no back and if you ordered the passenger front seat it is an option you could get it.
 

CalBear

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Buy lifetime do you mean you owned one or just the time or you were alive. The the Vega panel truck I don't remember what they called it had no back and if you ordered the passenger front seat it is an option you could get it.
"Panel Truck" Vegas were marketed and sold as lower cost options for commercial Panel vans for florists, plumbers, and others who needed space but not heavy payloads. even today you can get commericial vans with no passenger seat and what amounts to a painted metal box behind the seat. That was why I specified "car"

Yes it was idiotic, but Chevy even marketed it as a "truck".
 
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