They’re mighty rare nowadays, but there was a time when Eagle Premiers (and Dodge Monacos) were being sent out into the great big world, having been birthed at Brampton, Ontario. There’s no less than four on this load, but that should not suggest it was outselling its carrier-mates. Not by a very long shot.
The only Premiers that have been found and written up at CC were both by David Saunders. Perhaps they were a bit more common in relative terms in the country of their birth?
I think I recall from previous posts that Chrysler was required to build the last of the Premier and Monaco models owing to a contractual obligation with Renault.
I think I’ve said before that my sister picked up an end-of-the-line ’92 Monaco for $9988, which was something like 30% under MSRP. Dodge dealers just wanted them gone.
Correct–Chrysler had agreed to buy a certain number of Douvrin V6 engines. They ended up paying a penalty fee for not fulfilling the agreeement. I assume the alternative (building more Premiers and Monacos) was worse.
Those Renault based sedans were very good, but Chrysler couldn’t handle the showroom competition. They weren’t profitable enough for Chrysler. All those vehicles on that carrier were pretty darn good. The Jeeps probably not problem-free, but worth more today than all the others.
Suddenly I’m smitten with the idea of an original-recipe short-wheelbase Chrysler minivan with red paint and gloss black steelies.
With a modern engine and transmission, of course.
Another GMC Brigadier hard at work. 6V-92 humming away or more likely a miserable 6-71 being thrashed to death. Nice big rectangular fuel tanks, cast spoke wheels all the way around.
Those trailers always amazed me as they swayed back and forth rolling down the highway. Must have required some good training and maybe some notes for a new guy to operate the trailer ramps to get this thing loaded and not accidentally smash up a new vehicle.
Another issue would be getting the trailer hung up. The GMC dealer I worked at was located on a steep grade street and the entrance was also a hill. The car & truck haulers quickly learned that you had to come up the hill and turn left to get into our place. Our entrance was just down a bit from the crest of the hill so there was always a lot of tire squealing and the occasional accident. Broadway was a busy street and there were lots of trucking operations, 4 truck dealerships and other business’ in this area.
I could listen to Detroits all day. Young me learned very early to beware of GMCs, Gradalls and the like.
I remember a near-brush with an Eagle Premiere. Marianne was thinking about replacing her Honda Accord after it got dented up in a hailstorm, and I went around to several dealers with her. I don’t know why we stopped at the Jeep-Eagle dealer, but she started to get excited over one of the Premieres. I talked her out of it. It was not cheap, and I was afraid of the fact that it was a semi-orphan without much of anything that it shared parts with. Oddball designs have always scared me a bit because of parts/service issues if something went wrong. She kept the Accord in the end.
When I had a pipe dream of getting a Premier ~25 years ago, I found a website for Premier owners. It said there was very little in the way of aftermarket parts for the cars.
iirc, the original AMC Brampton plant was building Jeeps when Bramalea, aka new Brampton, was building Premiers. The minivans were built in Windsor, so that is an all-Canada truckload. Considering the position of the vans, I’m thinking that truck started in Windsor with a full load of vans. Offloaded some vans along the way. Arrived at Brampton, and filled up with Wranglers and Premiers.
The irony is the contrast between the Eagle, and the Wrangler and minivan. I don’t need to say anything that hasn’t been said about the Chrysler minivan, but the original Wrangler was perhaps equally significant and will end up being longer-lived as a brand than Caravan. Though initially derided as the “Yuppie Jeep”, from its YJ designation and comparative creature comforts compared to its CJ predecessors, it originated the Wrangler name which is now synonymous with real Jeeps and has been far more popular than the CJ ever was. The Premier and Monaco, pretty much forgotten except here on CC.
Stylistically, the Premier could have been a Mercedes wannabe, with a slightly extended wheelbase. Mostly in the wheel/tire placement, in the front fender. Certainly, less awkward looking than the production car. With its wheels/tires appearing located too far rearward within the front fenders. Creating the unattractive excess front overhang.
Premiere TV advertising was terrible, and even though by Guigiaro the styling was too bland, particularly the front end. The interior was also too gray and plain even for 1990. For some reason every test went on about the gear lever being weird because it went around a pod, like that was a big deal, and how the engine didn’t sound the way they wanted it to. I test drove one. It was fine.
In 1990 Chrysler went all-drivers side airbag, but not on the Premiere with a different column/steering wheel they obviously didn’t want to put any money into, putting them at more of a disadvantage.
I drove a round trip across the country back then. Given that no one bought them there seemed to be one at every roadside rest stop on the interstates. A couple years later and there were none to be seen anywhere.