(first posted 5/23/2013. I have no idea what happened to this Medallion, but I’d like to think it’s still running)
Is this the very last running 1988 Renault Medallion? I can’t really say for sure, but these two guys – John (left) and Jacob (right) – are my heroes, for being determined to keep this one going. And what a noble cause, one that’s not likely to make them rich, but possibly a wee bit famous today. Of course, “running” is a matter of degrees; it currently has a misfire in one cylinder that they’re having a hard time pinning down and fixing. Well, it somehow wouldn’t be quite right if this Medallion were purring like a kitten, eh?
image: njsimca
I haven’t seen a Medallion – in either Renault or Eagle guise – in many a year, and some of you younger readers may have never laid eyes on one. So let’s do a bit of history before we catch up with our intrepid mechanics. Like so many French cars, there’s more to the Medallion than meets the eye, or the usual Renault stereotypes. Its stats are certainly pretty impressive.
The Medallion is a federalized Renault 21, part of Renault’s last-ditch efforts to inject some fresh French blood into AMC’s dying passenger car line. It essentially replaced both the lame-ented R18 and the obsolete Concord in the line-up, slotting between the compact Alliance and the full-size Premier. Which – in theory – gave AMC a pretty comprehensive and competitive line-up of modern FWD cars. But then theories don’t always pan out.
The Renault 21 was new in France one year earlier, designed to be a competitor to the popular VW Passat and such. Its clean design was by the top designer of the period, Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was roomy, had that famous French ride, and not surprisingly, had a few quirks. One of the more unusual aspects is that it was built in four wheelbase lengths (six, strictly speaking), and with both transverse and longitudinal engines.
These two pictures (by Hooniverse commenter Vavon), explain the four different wheelbase lengths perfectly. First off, the R21/Medallion station wagon (“Nevada”, in Europe), had a substantial wheelbase extension in the rear, reflecting the common and comprehensive French approach to turning a sedan into a very roomy seven-seater (like the famous Peugeot wagons). But take a close look at the front wheels of these two: the top one has its wheels further forward than the bottom one.
Renault used the R9/11’s (Alliance) transverse engine/transaxle in the smaller-engined R21s (1.4 and 1.7 L), but didn’t have a transmission strong enough for the bigger engines (1.9 through 2,2L). So it kept the same longitudinal ahead-of-the-axle-line power trains from its R18 and other older Renault predecessors, and as also used in the larger 25/30 cars for the bigger engined versions. That required setting the wheels further back, as in the lower wagon pictured. Strictly speaking, the all-wheel drive versions had a few millimeter different wheelbase, so technically there were six wheelbase variants. Let’s not keep it simple.
Here’s a graphic picture (also posted by Vavon) of just how roomy these wagons were. Try that in a Hornet Sportabout! Since there were no wagon versions of the big Renault 25/30, the 21 Nevada was the biggest wagon in the line-up, and explains its role as a pre-minivan family hauler. Actually, the Renault Espace came out in 1984, but it took a while for vans to really catch on in Europe.
The US-bound Medallion-badged cars all came with the 2.2 L SOHC gas four (no diesels), rated at 103 hp. This is the same engine also found in US-bound Fuegos as well as the gas-powered version of the LeSharo motorhome.
Speaking of badging, the Medallion started out as a Renault in the US, but mid-year in 1988, it became an Eagle, as it’s perhaps better known as (or not). So there’s both Renault and Eagle 1988 Medallions. Gets a bit complicated, eh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLhiaj3VNzw
This ad is for the Eagle Medallion, so it must have been from later in the year.
The Medallion had a short life in the US; after Chrysler’s buy-out of AMC, it had no choice but to keep the bigger Premier in production. Maintaining adequate production volume on that was a challenge, and Chrysler resorted to a Dodge-branded version, the Monaco, to try to keep the lines running, until it finished development of the Premier-based new LH cars. But the Medallion was shown the door, in favor of Mitsubishi products for the Eagle line-up. 1989 was the final year, and I suspect there’s none too many of those left either.
This had been Jacob’s dad’s car, and ended up sitting in his driveway for five years with a broken water pump. But it only has 69,000 miles, which probably motivated John in the first place to adopt it, and fix that issue. It probably also explains the excellent condition of the upholstery; actually, these cars had quite a nice interior to go along with lots of room. And call me a Franco-phile, but I rather like that dashboard quite a lot. As is obvious, this one is an automatic. A five speed stick was also available.
John and Jacob have been hard at work re-doing the cooling/heating system hoses, having to make up replacements with short sections of straight hose, connectors and clamps, as original replacement hoses are NOT readily available. Walk into an auto parts store and say “1988 Renault Medallion”, and you will be assumed delusional. They had to order that nice new white overflow tank from France. One of the guys asked me if a Nissan dealer might be able to help them out, since the Renault/Nissan alliance. I don’t think so.
You don’t adopt an old orphan French car because it’s going to be easy; it’s like going on a pilgrimage, a higher calling. They were able to find an engine gasket kit, which was needed when they pulled the cylinder head in order to fix the front camshaft seal. That’s no joke.
But the engine has what they say is a misfire in one cylinder. They’re currently hunting down the vacuum system, checking for leaks. But I wonder if that would cause a misfire in just one cylinder? Hmmm. Anyone got any good ideas?
Any 1988 Medallion experts out there that can help diagnose this one’s misfire? I’d sure like to see it back on the road, purring as smoothly as the day it left its AMC/Renault dealer’s lot. It would make me proud to know that my hometown has what may well be the last 1988 Renault Medallion plying its streets, thanks to these hometown CC heroes!
Swap in the drive tran from a dakota (2000 or so) that’ll get them easier parts avaliability and possibily a five speed. It will be the one part of the car that is reliable and they could go on to fix all the other issues, if it has any. another plus is they could get a whole dakota really really cheap.
Check the fuel injector harness. A misfire could be no fuel not just no spark. Cjeck it.
You’re right! I have never had the fortune of seeing one of these in person (at least in recent memory). One has to think of what this car could have done in the U.S. market, had Chrysler not dropped it so promptly in favor of more rebadged Mitsubishi Colts. I really think Chrysler could have made the Eagle brand semi-successful, had they given it more than a minute of attention. From what you wrote here, the Medallion line seems pretty competitive for its time. Combined with the Premier (which I think was a good car; again, it failed because of marketing on Chrysler’s part), I think Eagle could have been a strong competitor to upscale import brands like Volvo, Saab, Audi, and Acura.
Been driving mine every day since I bought it in San Francisco in 2000…still using it today 3 8 2016 and it is my most comfortable car for long hauls!
You want to sell your car?
Looking to sell mine!
Hi. Do you have an Medallion for sel ?
Out of curiosity… Do you happen to know if this car spent an extended amount of time parked at the Menlo Park Caltrain station in 2000? I could almost swear that this is the same one I used to see there when I worked in that part of the world.
Not selling it…and as of today, 9/22/2017, still driving it to work and still going strong. bummer is the primer that is burning out and gives it a leper look….sat outside since I got it in 2000….and YES…I bought it in the bay Area…..do not recall where but it was down there.
Is mine the last one around, on top of my 64 caravelle 69 R10 and 64 Fiat 500?
Who knew San Fransisco was in Eure-et-Loir? 😀
Eric, have you visited the Renault Club of North America for help? Have you adjusted the valves in the J7T 2.2L engine every 18 months like you’re supposed to? Did you know that French engineers number their cylinders in the opposite direction than the rest of the world does with number 4 being next t the timing belt? Are you using the correct spark plugs? (Oftentimes people are able to remove the catalytic converter and whn you do, you have to move to a hotter plug, e.g. I recommend the NGK iridiums and w/o a catalytic converter you need one whole number LESS than the one for the catalytic converter. This helps the engine burn more efficiently and reduces NOx emissions. Transmission parts are available through ALTOUSA dealers nationwide. NEVER use LUCAS HD gear oil in the manual transmission or any Renault transmission with a Final Drive… it is the most corrosive gear oil on the market and can;t be used on classic vehicles at all! Recommended engine oil is Shell Rotella, cheapest at Walmart. Mobil ATF 220 is one of the only ones available in North America meeting DExtron II thru IIIH specifications… using anything more advanced is a disaster for the automatic transmission.
I have a grey 88 in Sacramento. 12/5/2020. Still have yours in SF?
Still drive it in SF in 2020, going on 2021?
And somehow the car managed to rust at the window frame.
At least the interior isn’t just beige, gray, or black. If the 7 passenger wagon had ever been brought here, it truly would have been an odd duck.
It was – somewhere I have an ’89 Eagle full line brochure that shows it.
How many sold is another matter entirely.
Just . . . Wow.
I have to disagree with Brendon. I don’t think this car would have made it here. Japanese cars were the answer in the 80s. German cars were popular for their driving and handling feel, but Japanese was the way to go if you wanted to drive and forget about repairs.
Every time a French car got briefly popular, (mostly Renaults), they developed a reputation for being brittle/fragile and in need of frequent repairs. The German stuff was probably not much better, but was more expensive when new and had a snob-factor going for it that Renaults never had. The Renault LeCar had been a minor hit here not long before these, but only for a short time as a reputation for service woes spread like crazy.
I also salute these hardy souls who are trying to keep Mademoiselle on the road. They deserve an award. Like a Medallion. Oh, wait. . .
This is awesome! I admire these fellows’ Quixotic project, and wish them every success. We need to save at least one of every car ever built, and you’re right, Paul, this is probably the last running Medallion anywhere.
I read somewhere(maybe even here) that the structure of the intrepud was based on these cars, is this true?
The intrepid suspension was loosely based on the R21 (Medallion) and it’s bigger sibling R25 (Premier). The Jeep Cherokee / Grand Cherokee by the way was a Renault inspired design. Check out the Cherokee seats…almost identical to the R9 (Alliance…er Appliance).
Maybe the seats and the interior were, but I have see design sketches for the Cherokee dating back to 1978-79.
The Premier was heavily based on the R25, and the LH was developed with the Premier as a starting point. The LH mules were built from Premiers.
Hello I don’t know what you are talking about I drove a Medallion Eagle wagon for 187,000 miles till she died of transmission failure, in the USA! 9 passenger, roof rack, back storage space plush seats & more great heater & air Cond..Sweet car and she would do a hairpin turn with the e-brake super sweet! Long sleek handled like a dream gas mileage supreme, Mercedes ride or better. I still have engine rebuilt partially and another replacement engine and all the parts. Including that little white tank! heater fan motor was fussy, shew never burned oil, half shafts or front axles had to be replaced but sweet car! I miss her. Have battery tray hood prop rod and hoses and wiring harness. No rust on her either but car gone just parts. 2.2 L engine resleeveable piston cylinders, brandy new head new valve guides, bearings, valves and more. PS I am woman, so if some of my terms are off excuse please. I started the rebuild on tranny and have some parts as well. Intake fuel injection, manifold new in box, oil pan gasket new in package. anyone need them? PS next car was Intrepid! 1995 and still own her and still running. 🙂
I’m only just now dropping in to read about these cars here.
Tp Harriet, it is a shame that you had to let that wagon go….perhaps a transmission could have been found if yo’d been able to wait for it. I think these cars were sold in Mexico of not, they were in South America…and there would be enough around to part some out for shipping here.
I see a 1989 Eagle Medallion each and every day, out there in my back yard. It sits, covered, awaiting attention, with 52,500 kilometres on it since new. I got it in December 2007 from the second owner….with 50,000kms on it. On March 1 2008, some drunk in a pickup truck ran into the rear end while I was stopped behind an SUV that was also at a light.
I had seen him coming, and tried to get out of the way, but the snow banks and oncoming traffic made it impossible. The drunk hit me, pushed me ahead, my car hit the SUV, and the drunk slammed it into reverse and fled the scene. My attempts to avoid the SUV helped reduce the damage; I drove it home, and parked it. I located some parts in Wisconsin, went across the border to get them, and have been waiting for the right combination of available time and available money to look kindly on the Medallion so I can fix it.
These cars were far nicer to drive than an Accord or Camry, or anything made in the USA in the class. With the 2.2 litre engine, they had good acceleration even with the three speed auto box as mine has. When I was driving this car, I frequently had meetings in another city, along with other people from my office. One of the other guys drove a Volvo V70 wagon, so we’d take turns driving…and kept telling me the Medallion seemed to be a fast, good handling car compared to his Volvo….which had a 5 cylinder turbo in it.
I recall test driving a 5 speed sedan when they were new, and could never understand why people bought Honda and Toyota and even VW instead of these cars….better ride and handling, smoother shifting, far better seating, a heck of a lot of fun to drive hard, and bigger interior with far more trunk space.
One really unique characteristic I liked was the tendency of these cars, like Renault R5GTLs and the older Citroen DS sedans before them, to drop the rear end down first on hard braking, since they had pure trailing arm rear suspension. That meant the brake drag would LENGTHEN the wheelbase automatically and lower the rear ride height at the same time, as long as the rear brakes were in use. I didn’t do any handbrake turns in mine, but I know how much fun Harriet would be having with hers…..
I think the North American car market often proves that success here is not always equated with excellence or even reasonably high levels of design achievement….just with mass acceptance. Sadly some really good designs have commercially faltered here whereas they sold well everyplace else, and developed a good enthusiastic following.
Best of luck to the guys who are trying to keep theirs alive. There are probably manuals out there on the net in English that they can download to help them figure it out. Testing the plugs wires will help, checking the individual injectors one by one, and looking to see that the timing and valve train are as specified should help.
These engines are normally very reliable, as long as the cooling system is bled properly. If a head gasket blows, there’s been an air pocket in the coolant….or overheating and percolating inside the head….but be extra careful taking the head off, since with a replaceable wet sleeve design, a slight displacement of the cylinder barrel where it seals against the lower part of the block, will lead to water leakage and more trouble.
Hi there John,
Do you still have the medallion? Please let me know. Thank you in advance for your time
Regards,
Hector
Obviously not John and a few years later. Still looking for one?
Harriet, Please send me an email. I am in Laguna Niguel, Ca. I am carefully and I do mean carefully getting my Medallion LX in great shape again. I recently aquired this beautiful 5 speed. This is my second one. First was a 5spd. DL that I drove forever. A friend bought it for his 16 year old about 10 years ago. I moved on to Peugeot MI16 and found this LX about a year ago. I traded some old Peugeot parts for the car. Fixed the drivers side power window, sorted out a few electrical problems(still have a few to go), changed the oil and filter, installed new fuel pump and filter, The car started up after being off road for at least 5 years. Still have a kittle crud in fuel tank. Should have pulled and drained it. Car came with a trunk full of new spares. I ahve spent the last few days polishing the white paint, from the bottom of the car up. I aim to show it at Woodley Park in November at the french Italian show. The sunroof works great and the A/C blows cold R12. Many people are interested but I plan to keep it and restore it little by little. My dialy driver has been Alfa 164 for the past 3 years…All of my friends in France are a bit envious. Parts are harder to find now but I am very resourceful…jeff
Harriet still awaiting your email on Medallion parts…jeff robinson1779@cox.net
A four(ish)-cylinder salute to John and Jacob!
After seeing Ed’s shots from the New York Insectoid Show, the restrained styling of this “Medallio” is a relief.
Hahaha I remember seeing these cars everywhere here in France when I was a child… Renault 21, Renault 25…
Here you can see a Renault 25 V6 (an engine call PRV).
I can help and send part to John and Jacob from France where I still live. Parts are easy to find and inexpensive. Let’s call this “Worldwide Gearhead Help” 🙂
Paul, let me know if I can help !
The Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco mentioned above was an Americanized R25; the reason Chrysler had to keep it around was that their purchase agreement required them to buy a certain number of PRV V6s over a 5-year period.
When did you last see a R21? I haven’t in years. The V6 was as rare as duck teeth at the epoch when new. On warm Sunday afternoons may see a eighty something guy out in his R25. In France people do not have CC, just old cars they can not afford to get rid of. Vive la difference?
As Eight Pack mentioned, this generation of the Renault 21 was a huge hit in its home country. I do recall these were briefly offered in the US, but I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever seen three or four of them on the road here.
These guys, like the characters with the DKW Junior written up a few weeks back, are to be commended.
Ya know…I’m reading this, and the mind wanders…
WHAT IF…
…Renault’s linkup with AMC had panned out better, as they then adopted Nissan?
IMAGINE.
Nissan’s lessons in engineering transplanted to Renault, as they are; and then spread over AMC’s new lineup. French styling; Japanese engineering, American sales and service…and an AMC badge.
Whilst Chrysler tries to give a sixteenth facelift to their K and Super-K series cars. Now that the Panther is dearly departed, the Plymouth Iacocca is the “Senior Design,” the “One that Started It All.” Chrysler-Iacocca LLC, debtor-in-posession, expects to sell 2900 this year….
I think the European versions, with their shorter, black bumpers, stil look really good – they’re very clean, functional and IMO still very modern looking. I drove one of these as a rental car in France for a few days, probably around 1989, and I remember thinking it was really pretty nice. I always thought they over-Americanized this and the Premiere.
The Medallion was a nice car, It was a lot of car for the money. Competed with cheap econo-boxes, but outclassed them with their room, ride, suspension, handling. Renault’s biggest problem was the anti-French sentiment with the US consumers. It’s a real shame. The R21 was a huge seller in France, Argentina, and many parts of the world. I’d love to find a Medallion with a 5-speed (the 3 speed auto was a bit of a disappointment – as were many automatics of that vintage! Vive la différence! Mort à l’ennui!
Was it anti-French sentiment or anti-Renault sentiment?
I know my father always associated the brand with the Dauphine, which, whatever its virtues may have been, was all wrong for the U.S. market.
For me, Renault meant the odd little LeCar and the frumpy Alliance/Encore. For basic, affordable transportation, they weren’t any worse than the competition, but they didn’t inspire comparisons with BMW or Volvo. It didn’t help that they were being sold alongside outdated models like Concorde and that many AMC dealers had all of the polish and glamour of a used car lot.
Renault had their work cut out for them if they wanted to move upmarket, and clearly they didn’t have the stamina to make that investment.
My dad had a 21 Savanna. I remember it as our first properly “modern” car, after Cortinas, 504s and Volvo 244s. The interior felt spacious, it handled beautifully, the engine had plenty of guts and the 5 speed was very sweet (if a little crunchy at times – ours was a high miles example). On the UK motorways it smooth and quiet, but you could also happily chuck it around the back roads.
We got very good usage out of it, but when it finally started to die, it showed another side of being a “modern” car – it had complicated systems that were expensive to replace. No problem though, because by that time we had had more than our money’s worth out of it, and just flicked it on for cheap.
Nothing but fond memories.
Its not really anti-French itself, I like French wine and cheese and other food-stuffs in general, but when it comes to cars……..sheeeeesh.
Its not like Renault did have a bad rep in the US going all the way back to the Dauphine….
I don’t recall an anti-French sentiment at that time….I think these were poor sellers because French (and British) cars had already earned a poor reliability/expensive fix reputation, and why put up with that when you can get any number of Japanese-derived sedans for many less headaches?
Even the 2nd & 3rd tier Japanese brands (Mazda, Mitsubiishi) were a better bet…
+1. The same happened here in Australia – before the Japanese came, French, German, Italian and British small cars were common. So were breakdowns, and hard-to-get parts. By the mid-seventies the Japanese had relegated other countries’ cars to the “Why did you buy THAT?” category. It’s hard for image or mystique to stand up against anvil-like reliability when the choice appeared to be one or the other.
The misfire is probably one of two things IF it is the same cylinder each time:
either a duff plug or HT lead (easy) or – and this is more likely given the bad water pump, a head gasket failure or other compression issue- possibly a leaky valve, but if the head must come off, no more work to do than a HG change and head skim.
And yes, these were the inspiration for the Intrepid and its clones- or rather the 25/Premier was. Regardless, I think it was AMC engineering who had a hand in those- not unlike how ex-Panhard engineers begat the Citroen GS, or how ex-NSU and DKW engineers gave VW most of their FWD technology.
I barely remember these from my childhood in the US- mainly at car shows, where they were fun to play with- the dashbaords were unlike anything around in the late 80s. Even to my 11 year old self they felt fragile though.
However, I think most were scrapped in a few years- not because of any inherent defects, but because the engineering was so different that local garages refused to service them, and thus repairs were too expensive. I also remember the autobox being particularly weak on the Premiers- and probably these too. I know in Europe the autos had a horrid reputation- something like 30K between rebuilds, making the early Ultradrive look like a Torqueflite by comparison. Renault has never made a decent autobox- and this one is only slightly above the Ferlec in durability. However, nobody in Europe buys automatics, so these had a decent reputation in the UK, as long as you avoided the high-spec models loaded up with fragile electronics. Most are long gone here too, as to be fair is everything from 1988, aside from the usual Mercedii, Volvos, Saabs, BMWs, and surprisingly quite a few Peugeot 205’s- the most surprisingly durable car of the 80s, surpassed only by the Citroen Xantia a few years later.
I think the reason these disappeared so quickly is not so much unreliability, but that they were typical company cars, like Mondeos or Cavaliers. Just like Luminas and Taurii tend to get used up early in fleet use, so do their contemporaries in Europe.
I know the 1990-92 Premiers were modified to accommodate Chrysler parts to make manufacturing more economical, though there’s an obvious benefit to those who want to keep their old Premiers/Monacos on the road. The Medallion died in 1989 and Chrysler didn’t touch them, so it doesn’t surprise me there are major parts availability problems.
Anyone have sales figures?
Given that it wasn’t common even when it was being off-loaded in ports…I’d put a guesstimate at around 6000.
FWIW, they did have the head off when they replaced the camshaft seal. But I think they’ll show up here later and chime in.
I did take the head off and i already reground the valves.
My wife bought a used R5 automatic, it worked for a couple of months, then crapola. Local dealer said it needed new transmission. More than the car was worth. Friend suggested another dealer on the other side of Paris who said only the fluid in the box needed washed out and changed.
Worked perfectly. Until wrecked while parked on the street in front of building. You are right, you can never trust French cars.
If the engine uses multiport fuel injection, a bad injector can also cause a single cylinder misfire. The check is simple- Swap the cylinder 1 injector with any other cylinder, and replace if the misfire moves to the new cylinder.
Ok, I think I get what this car was designed to do. I’ve seen the renault diesel rv and thought it was about the right size for two. Would not touch it with a 10′ pole. I get making a swiss army knife chassis and if they were reliable I expect it would have worked better.
I think chrysler came closer than this with the K car. Wagon, car, work truck and rv if you include the AM general one ton truck that used the engine and transaxle. I imagine it’s impossible to totally be all things for everyone.
It is not the last running in North America, saw one in perfect conditon last summer on the south shore of Montreal, Quebec! No rust, headlights clear as new!
Hi Domspun!
Do you remember where?
Do you know the owner?
Have any tips of who he is?
I’m from the south shore too! have a medallion station wagon imported from Ohio!
Thanks
Tom
How many are the Medallio version like this one?
Maybe this was the Italian-market version!
R21 was a huge success in Europe and North Africa, R21 was much better finished ,designed and assembeled than R18, better material, better handeling and quieter ride.
R21 and R25 are cars that saved Renault by their reliability and overall high Quality/Price ratio.
There are many R21 diesel wagons still running in Nort Africa, with milage upward of 300K miles , R21 diesel wagon did not dethron Peugeot 505 GLD wagon in north africa, as inter-city collective taxi, but gave quite a hard time to 505.
Bravo to those youngester for their herculian efforts to preserve this piece of Renault’s past glory.
John and Jacob would be well served by taking an intensive french course at the local community college this summer. I’m not saying this tongue-in-cheek. I suspect that there is a enthusiast website or two that would have invaluable information on R21 trouble spots, DIYs, part sources and work-arounds that they could use…but it is probably in french.
Enthusiast sites have saved my bacon more than a few times with my fleet. Just this weekend, a good DIY and the ensuing pages of comments were very helpful when I replaced the control arms and bushings on my car.
I’m not surprised to see someone trying to keep one of these running; I just sort of expected that they’d be in Kenosha. 😉
I remember these from back in the day, the 6 window greenhouse and overall proportions are very similar to the both the second and third generation VW Passat (2nd gen was the Quantum in the US and the 6 window was the Santana ROW). I also see a hint of the Toyota Sprinter/Chevy Nova. Down to practicalities, to fix the misfire I suggest a compression test and check the spark plug, plug wires and distributor cap. Also, for English speaking assistance, try something like the Practical Classics web site, these sold well in the UK so there are some enthusiasts and parts specialists. Otherwise French classes and quickie Euro/Dollar exchange rate conversions will be de rigeur.
Wow, what an amazing find! The Premier/Monaco used to be fairly popular where I live (and can still be spotted occasionally), and I’ve seen a few Renault 18s over the years, but I can’t ever remember seeing a Medallion with my own two eyes. From what I’ve read, the majority of them in the US were also badged as Eagles and I think the switchover may have occurred as soon as Chrysler officially took over. There were probably less than a thousand of these ever brought into the country and I’m sure this is one of only a handful that has survived.
I’m certainly not a Medallion expert, but the EFI system on these is nearly identical to the ’87-’90 Jeep 4.0 engine, which I’ve got tons of experience with… and I’d lean towards the “misfire” problem being either a timing issue or a bad sensor/ground. When I get home from work tonight I’ll dig through my old bookmarks, there’s lots of excellent diagnostic info out there for the Jeeps which should apply here.
The 1988 Renault Medalliion was introduced at the 1987 Chicago Auto Show. A few weeks later, Lee Iacocca signed a purchase agreement to buy AMC from Renault.
There were TV ads for the 1988 model that spring, but then pulled.
Chrysler Corp then relaunched the 1989 Eagle Medallion at the 1988 Chicago Auto Show. But it was killed off in summer ’89. Dealers still had some leftover 89’s into 1990.
These spring intros of coming model years started about this time, too. So nowadays, you go to the ’20xx Show’ to see the “20xx + y” cars.
That ad copy probably confused more people than it helped. What car was it competing against? All of them? A four-door Mercedes or a two-door 200SX sporty coupe/hatchback? An Audi or a Mazda? I guess if you cast a wide enough net you’re bound to catch something.
And for the record I had an 86 200SX – 102 HP – the Medallion had 1 more!
That ad copy PROVES that You can say great things about any car by carefully picking your targets, but result is so trasparent , Honestly : ” Trunk size Bigger than a Buick Somerset.” Woo Hoo! been waiting for just that, what are the odds?
It’s kind of a “were 2nd from last” in all these areas. But of course all those cars that they were comparing it too had at least one or more thing that they were best in class or at least competitive.
I actually drove one of these once. The Olds dealer I worked for took one in trade, and it immediately went to the back lot. I grabbed the keys to check it out; it was a 2-year-old car with less than 30,000 miles on it. I started it up and pulled out into the street, where it promptly stalled. Luckily it restarted, albeit with a serious misfire. I chugged it back to the lot and parked it. The used car manager promptly wholesaled it.
Perhaps they all came standard with that misfire…
This was my third and last Renault (after R4 and R18) and it was an interesting car. Very nice design, roomy, and comfortable . Also 1.7 liter engine with carburetor, 90 HP and 5 speed was surprisingly peppy. 0 – 100 km/h in about 10.7 seconds and top speed around 190 km/h was not that bad. But (un)reliability was abysmal, this is not just a rumor. Many things got wrong with it, worst of all was the cooling system. Cooling capacity was adequate (when it was working fine temperature would stay right in the middle of the range), but at any moment you can expect a cloud of steam…
There were also number of other problems, and a case of severe misfire among them, but only when lights were off.
This car had electronic ignition, and it turned out that when power voltage was a bit higher, ignition electronic would start to behave erratically. So your friends John and Jacob might check that part as well.
Part of the problem was also general ignorance on the service side.
But the engine design was generally OK, the same engine type was used in Volvo 400 series and it was performing flawlessly (Volvo 440 was my next car). I guess that Volvo had much better quality control than Renault at the time.
Not the last of its kind in America. Someone has a Wagon in really nice, and running, shape around here. I’ve seen it a couple times.
these were really plentiful at least until 10 years ago, right now they’ve basically disappeared…for a middle class european car of that age it was pretty large
All right SeattleO, that takes the pressure off.
I’d track that person down, sell the Medallion to them as a parts car. I’m all for Quixotic quests, but Don Quixote wasn’t French either.
Could be just me though, my middle aged patience isn’t what it was in my 20’s.
Hats off to these guys…
Can anyone name another three-row wagon with a forward facing third seat? Without actual people in the seats, it is hard to tell how roomy it looks. This is the first three-row wagon I’ve seen that looks like it might be able to carry both people and luggage without a roof rack.
All of the GM clamshell wagons from 1971-1976 had a forward facing 3rd row seat, I think the big Peugeot 505 wagons also had a forward facing 3rd row. I think the GM glass-topped Vista Cruiser and Sport Wagons also had a forward facing 3rd row.
Yes the original Vista Cruiser and Sportwagon had forward facing 3rd seats.
Hard to tell if these ever sold here or not Ive never seen one, so maybe we were spared the experience.
We got ’em Bryce, sedans and wagons. Haven’t seen any for a while though.
It was all those French nuclear tests in the Pacific, Bryce. They were a real hot potato, and killed sales of French products just about stone dead in Australia, and French cars got egged and stoned in the streets, such was the hate. Probably the same in NZ I’d guess. Renault has never recovered here.
I’ve seen maybe one or two of these.
Hurts my wallet just thinking about doing this. Hopefully we’ll have a successful follow-up article soon.
I rode in one of these back when they were new. A friend of my parents had a dark gray Medallion with a gray interior. We went to the Indy 500 in about 1990 or ’91 and we rode in Connie’s Renault between Danville (where our hotel was) and Speedway. I was, ahem, a bit shorter then, but the back seat was comfortable and seemed very roomy; lots of glass area too.
Her parents had driven Studebakers when she was a kid, then moved to AMC after Stude went away, (her first car was a Levi’s Gremlin!) and this is how she got into Renaults. Before the Medallion, she had a metallic red Alliance convertible with red interior, white top and alloys. I got a ride in that one too and remember it as a very sharp looking car.
I am not sure what she traded the Medallion in on but she alternated between an ’87 short-bed Chevy Silverado and an early ’90s Lumina for most of the ’90s and bought a Highlander in about ’01. We’ve since lost touch and I have no idea what she has today.
Her Alliance was exactly like this one (pic from productioncars.com). These cars may not have been very good, but I really liked the way they looked!
That business with the wheelbases blew my mind.
And setting up a unitary bodyshell with stress loadings and attachment points to take both a transverse or a longitudinal powertrain. I know this isn’t the only car to offer both, but – headache, anyone?
John and Jacob, if you’re reading this…
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/cruiser54s-mostly-renix-tips-153657/
This link covers nearly all problems anyone ever had with a Renault EFI Jeep. Specifics and part locations will differ on the Medallion, but the system is fundamentally identical so it should help you out. I would definitely recommend cleaning up the grounds and connections as the articles suggest even if everything is working properly. There isn’t a real Check Engine light on these and they won’t store codes, so if there’s an electrical fault it needs to be traced with a multimeter – it’s totally worth getting a good one as well as a fuel pressure gauge. As David Skinner mentioned up above, a lone bad injector can cause a misfire on its cylinder, and that’s probably worth investigating before anything else. If there’s still 5+ year old gas in the tank, I would try to get it out… but if that’s too much work, fill ‘er up and change the filter.
RockAuto.com, AutoZone and NAPA all appear to have (some) parts, but you need to put it in as an ’88 or ’89 Eagle Medallion… they only have stuff listed for Renaults up through ’87. Alternately, on Car-Part.com – which is a junkyard database and excellent part source – it needs to be input as a Renault Medallion. Go figure… on Car-Part, sometimes smaller stuff won’t show up even though the yard clearly has an entire car. In those situations, I always search by some “common” part like transmission or ECU then call and ask if they have what I’m looking for. For instance, if you search for “Radiator Overflow Tank” only one shows up on the entire continent. However if you search “Radiator” or “Engine” you’ll get 30+ results. Surely one of those has what you’re looking for, and I’ve never come across a place that wouldn’t ship something… although if it’s rare, they usually jack the prices up. Still probably better than having to look overseas, though.
Good luck, guys… I really wanna see this car on the road!
edit: Here’s a RENIX specific Yahoo group, probably some valuable information on there as well (even though this is also Jeep-centric):
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/RENIXPower/
Also, if you search “renault eagle medallion service manual” on eBay, you’ll find a few copies of the factory service manual and electrical troubleshooting & automatic transmission supplements. Those things are invaluable, and all are very cheap (under $15 each) !!
Oh dear… what did you gringos do? The Renault 21 looked so good.
And wait until those kids have to fill and bleed that cooling system. Getting that part right is going to be lots of fun. I saw my friend doing it a couple of times (he loves Renaults), if you don’t know the kung fu required, it is a character building experience.
And since I rode in his 21 a couple of times, that thing was super comfy and stable. I am with Paul, the dash looks great. But that red interior is a no no.
Closed system/no radiator cap, I’m guessing? On the Jeeps with that setup, a lot of people do some trick that involves drilling holes in the thermostat, which is supposed to make it “self-bleeding”… not really sure how that works. The “proper” procedure is jacking up the rear end with the engine running and loosening a temp sensor to let the air out. Kindof a PITA, but once you figure out the proper amount of voodoo to apply, it only takes a few minutes
The procedure I saw involved removing the bottle from the bracket and holding it higher than the engine.
The dance has to be repeated 3-4 times, up and down until no more air is in the system.
You don’t jack up the back of your car in a crowded petrol station at 19:00
I ran my medallion wagon with no thermostat and she ran better. So hole drilling not sure, but I know this worked for me. good post
The Med’n was meant to be a step up for Alliance owners, of which there were quite a few in 1983-84. But, when the quality issues appeared, Renault was toast in the USA.
If they were not bought by Mopar, no way would AMC/Renault have lasted past 1992*. Premier was a huge flop, and would have brought them to tears. France Inc. would have unloaded Jeep to highest bidder, maybe GM or China? But, luckily, Lee I. wanted Jeep, and grabbed the whole thing to get the Premier plant, which led to LH/LX cars.
*Grand Cherokee was in development, but with Renault cars clogging lots, R&D would have been cut, and would have had quality issues/delays/etc.
Thank for the information i will put it to good use. The car runs and drives now. I just need to figure out the miss. Im going to clean the fuel injectors tomarrow. Hopefully that helps. Other than than i need a new roll pin for the cv axle on the driver side and there some nuts and bolt that were missing when i go the car that i need to get. when i have a little more money i want to pull the engine and completely rebuild it. But that wont be for a while.
Hello,
I read with interest your love for Renault medallion. I’m sorry you have trouble finding parts for this car because in France, his sister renault 21, is still very common on roads and wrecking yard are full of spare parts. If I can help, let me know …
Hi there John,
Do you still have the Medallion?
My dad had an ’87 Medallion wagon, he bought it in late’88 as a salvage rebuildable. I got the job of putting it back on the road. What fun… it really wasn’t all that bad to repair, but it was a major bitch to find parts. Wasn’t even all that badly crashed, hell the damn thing drove just fine even with its crunched front end. My dad actually got some good years out of that turd, tho it did have many mysterious electrical maladies that would magically clear up all on their own. I think it went to its great reward with somewhere north of 150k showing on its (by that time inoperative) odometer.
Renault had problems with the solder they used for circuit board/fuse panel. Fuego had similar problem. She’d drive start and run for miles shut her down and she’d want a ride home on the tow truck. Get her there and she’d fire right up and drive!!!! Possessed or just wanted a scenic ride home! It was frustrating but worth the hassle it was great car. Steering racks were weak and alternators.
Does anyone know about how much someone would pay for this car?
The car has a mass air flow sensor. Have you checked or replaced? I am not sure but is there an air box air tanks something like that. Check make sure it isn’t plugged or cracked. I am lady with some parts and 2 engines 1989 Medallion Eagle 2.2 L wagon, some new some used. Just a thought guys I am no mechanic, just mom of one! I also had 2 Fuego’s and my dad crushed my last baby, GRR so mad at him! Needed fuel lines and brake lines, it ran and drove. It was a 1985. White she a sweet drive and fast as can be, standard tranny. PS brains not interchangable with certain models tried to use brain from mine for brothers and it wouldn’t work.
Sorry should have told you mass air flow sensor is at Partstrain.com as far as I can tell from website and discountauto.com has info on problems caused if it is bad, one thing is a misfire.
Good luck
I live in pr. and I have one in my garage over 8yrs under a cover. 3rows, 20,000 around.
anyone interested email me king00660@hotmail.com for more pictures in and out.
Hi,Robert,I couldnt make out the place you live? I am in the US states..I am interested in this car! Let me know,Thanks! Pat;-)
@rocky401: Think he said Puerto Rico. I will be there in a few weeks and would be more than happy to check the car out for you.
There was a kid that lived down a block from my mom that had a running Medallion until about 2011. I had to laugh when I saw it, because he had an Audi 4 ring badge on it. I always thought my Premier could be mistaken for an Audi 5000 but I don’t think this could pass for an Audi at all.
I’m really late here, but I remember these being launched on the NZ market back in the day. Ours were ’21’ badged UK-spec sedans and wagons. Their styling didn’t really rock my world, especially compared with the great-looking 25 that we also got.
They still stick in my mind years later because I distinctly remember the bemusement/bewilderment caused in the motoring magazines/papers here by the assorted wheelbases on offer. I remember them saying we didn’t really need the 1.7 with its shorter wheelbase as well as the 1.9/2.2. Regardless, we ended up with the four non-4wd wheelbases, and for years as a teenager I’d check out the gap between the door and front wheels to work out which engine the car had. Good times!
@ 30,000 were imported to US. I got into them like one of thue above writers, Studebaker to AMC to Renault.First had a new Alliance, great car , then got a used 1988 Medallion, made my first mistake, let an AMC dealer “service” the automatic tranny , they damaged it. Still have it 130,000 miles.Over the years left notes on nice ones ” if you ever want to sell and my number. I now have 2 wagons and 5 sedans auto and stick, some real low mileage cars. One standout is a beautiful 1989 Eagle medallion, originally purchased as a company car.for an elite law firm, I’m sure it’s the highest priced Renault ever dealer sold in the U.S.,as it has every available option. Then the office sold it to an associate who latersold it to an engineer friend who happened to work for the U.S. branch of the French chemical company that makes the glass for Renaults. He used the Renault for a long daily commute.He started having auto tranny issues and took it to an AMC Renault dealer . I saw the service estimate an authoritative co.outer printout listing what was needed for the repair with bill coming to $4800.00! Owner had presense of mind,took it to a tranny specialist who fixed them up for $195.00! Then they advertised it in local paper for a real low price I rushed over, eyes popped at the loaded gem bought on the spot.Thru similar adventures I now have 2 wagons and 5 sedans. Lucky I have a lot of garage space. Total cost for all is a lot less then 1 of most cars plus a lot more fun. Some lessons I’ve learned. Keep cooling system in tip top shape. Factory hoses have bleeder ports (3) strategically located to get air out. Cooling fan ground corodes and you lose fan operation, lookout! Auto transmission needs fluid and filter changed at every 30,000 .miles , don’t neglect.!
I am attempting to drop the upper surround bezel assembly for the domelights on the Medallion LX model.
I am going to replace the headliner for my sunroof car. Not for the timid. Does anyone know how to sucessfully remove the surround without breaking the thing. The MR manual is useless. It shows an exploded view. But the assembly is over 25 years old and is most likely very fragile. The manual shows the 2 sxrews located under the bezel. How do you remove the bezel, without breaking it?
Hi,can you tell me where you are located? I am interested in a medallion sedan with some power options like windows and locks..Let me know..
Pat, my Medallion lives in Laguna Niguel, Ca. 92677. Nice car for me. It’s my second one. This is LX model, 5 spd. with sunroof and all power., including the original “PLIP”.Color is Blanc Panda #348. Very nice driving car. Brand new tires and alloy wheels just refurbished. A/C still blows cold w/ R12. Recent front end alignment. New Renault factory front pads installed yesterday, and new rotors. Engine bay very clean. All windows work. This is a great car for French Italian car show in Van Nuys for upcoming November. Handles freeway driving with ease. GREAT GAS MILEAGE. Car has 118K.
Hello Hawk,
I’m interested to know more about your medallions. I have a soft spot for these cars! We currently own 9 cars but we can always make room for a medallion (which I’ve looked for 2+ years) and have only seen a couple that were worthwhile and I let them slip through my hands. My e-mail is: brettcannon74@AOL.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks!
Hello everyone,
I read with interest your love for Renault medallion. I’m sorry you have trouble finding parts for this car because in France, his sister renault 21, is still very common on roads and wrecking yard are full of spare parts. If I can help, let me know …
Hi !,
Let me introduce you a car that has not been marketed in the USA but only in Europe: the Renault 19 convertible. It was built from 1991 to 1997 and was available in two engines: a 1.7 liter multipoint injection develops 92 hp (like the Renault 21) and a 16-valve engine that develops 143 hp. With automatic or 5-speed manual box.
It has not been exported to the USA, perhaps because of the rollbar (like Ford escort, VW Golf) that is missing but thins the line of the car. The French Touch, isn’t it beautiful?
Left side…
rear side of renault 19: admire the two bosses of the rigid cap that covers the top and integrates headrest. It has an air of sports car of the 30s
front
left side
The Renault 19 was the european sister of the US Alliance ( The Alliance is impossible to find in France because it was known as renault 9 (see photo) and was much less finished than his American “Alliance cousin renault 9 was the ancestor of the renault 19.)
front renault 9
inside of a french Renault 9 (1981- 1988), Interior bland and sad in opposit of the Alliance!
interior and dashboard renault 19 convertible ” renault 19 cabriolet” as french people said: more modern and cheerful (also available in leather interior);
Stephanie,
I love your Renault 19 Cabriolet. Is that a car that you own and drive?
When I lived in Canada, my landlady had an older Renault that looked like the Renault 9/19 or 18, but could have been a Renault 30 or 20, that had a blown engine. She said it blew black smoke. This was more than 30 years ago, maybe 1992.
Full range of Renault cars is here: http://www.autoevolution.com/renault/
I love the look of the Renault Sport Spider (1996-1998)
The RENAULT Sport Spider in blue
I live in Mexico land and I have two Renault Medallions, but dont work anything.
I have a catalogue or manuals for repair, but I have not time for do it.
I would like to know if something have a parts for replace. like sensors or electric parts.
I have been thinking to make only one car for these cars.
One on this cars are crash in part lateral.
what are you thinking?
My e-mail: juanguillermorod@hotmail.com
Thanks
When Renault owned AMC, they owned Winnebago and made two RVs (Shbarro ?)powered with the medallions 2.2 liter and 3 speed auto tranny. I find all my mechanical parts in winebago restoration shops across America….easy to find on the internet.
AMC didn’t own Winnebago. Winnebago just bought the Renault FWD Traffic van, and adapted it for their LeSharo RV. Full story here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1985-winnebago-lesharo-turbo-diesel-23-mpg-if-it-still-has-the-original-renault-engine/
Hey, I live in France. Here I can get a lot of parts for Medallion…
If interested, let me know, I have a 1972 Monte Carlo and I’m looking for parts.
I send you Renault parts and you send me Chevy’s 🙂
My dad had an ’88 Renault – badged Medallion…. ( Top of the picture) He loved that car. He bought it in ’90 and he drove it until he died in ’92. My brother took it over after that. It was comfortable, roomy, pretty quick, too, as I remember…..My brother sold it after the transmission went, and even back then it was “good luck, you’ll need it OR deeeeeep pockets”! It was a Burgundy color with a Burgundy interior, and was actually a pretty classy looking ride…. It had an issue with the hubcaps… for some reason, when you took them off, they wouldn’t stay on again! ( As the picture shows) ( The ‘vette was a car I won in a contest I had entered. My Dad was supposed to go to the drawing with me on the day that wound up being the day of his funeral. I wasn’t going to go, but my Mom told me he would have wanted me to …. He was with me, anyway!!!)
Sorry… forgot the pic!
If these guys still have their Medallion and are interested in some unusual parts, they should contact me at fuego007@mindspring.com. I don’t recall exactly what I have, but do know that there are one or two computers that are marked experimental.
I bought mine in san Francisco in 2000 and it is still my daily driver today as I write (jan 2015). It will be my son’s first car. It is an 88 Medallion DL, grey, maroon interior…and my most comfortable car ever. If is my ride of choice for long trips and kids sitting in believe that it is some kind of older luxury car. Cozy, roomy, comfortable, a huge trunk…I love it and it still looks good on a parking lot. Old lady aged pretty well! I found that pix on the internet today…my car @ the Van Nuys all French and Italians!
Here in Argentina the Renault 21 was a luxury car, even in the early 90s a brand new one was worth 27-30k USD. We had a 94 TXE 2.2 8v wich ran up to 113mph like nothing. Later we traded it for a 1993 Renault 18 TX 2.0 8v with 80k kilometers on the odometer, wich had full exhaust system and 15 inch star rims, it was a real quick car(I remember when we got beaten by a Rover 420 SLi wich HAULED ASS..)
Now since 2013 we have a Renault 21 TXi 2.2 8v (multi-point injection 120-130hp) wich has over 350k kilometers on the odometer, it was badly beaten by previous owners but we fixed most of it’s problems with limited budget.
Heres a couple of videos when we first got it back in 2013, it sounded like crap because it had broken exhaust:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JlZVCux-5k – Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AKYuVXDzMs – Exhaust
It’s old as fk but It’s a real fast car wich can easily tail any brand new Mk4 Volkswagen Bora/Jetta GLS 2.0.
Heres a pulling video of this 21 TXi filmed a couple of weeks ago, the car is now in good mechanical shape and we changed the exhaust but the car got really loud because we couldn’t find any silencers, also you can notice now it makes crackling backfires when lifting the throttle, it’s pretty cool. It doesn’t look fast because it has no speed-sense(all 21s are like this), but by that momment I was literally buried into the passenger’s seat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pXs8jjS1WU
*Plus a cool video of how a 21 2,2 sounds with race cams. though it’s the non-injected, carburetor-only version it hauls pretty nice(I have this guy on Facebook, you can find him under YERI YUZEFOFF by today he already turbo’ed this 2.2 8valve it’s a very known drag racer):
There are plenty of engine and transmission parts available as well as the sensors for these things available. The Lesharoland site does Chrysler 3.3 L V6 conversions for the Winnebagos, so has plenty of parts for them. Diagnostic info can be found on the http://www.lecharo.co.uk homepage… just scroll down and select the manual that does NOT say Bosch Fuel Injection and you have the correct one. ALTO transmission parts distributor in Alabama stocks the transmission parts for complete one can be built up from the casing, if need be. The Renault transmission manual is also available on the Lesharo uk home page… download the pdf file that states MJ1, MJ3, MB1, ML1. Good luck to you fellows. MobilityRV also has parts for the engine to include sensors, but they will cost more than places like RockAuto. Ensure you identify your engine as a 2.2L RENIX FI to obtain the correct parts. Oil pan gasket is the same as a Peugeot 505, 2.2L, 8V. Good luck to you.
Sasic .fr makes the hoses and you can order them through the UK and they will send them here via Royal Post for far less than our USPS charges to send things over from here to them! Prices advertised are not your prices, take off an additional 20% for exports outside the EU! The same holds true for sensor parts… most are OEM Facet .fr
Hi, good job Jacob and John, the Renault 21 Medallion is one of the most confortable car I ever drove, i imagine the reason that you want to keep running this car. Good luck in your restoration.
I have one functional (except the AC and cruise control) in my garage since 1993 (wagon version), but is in Romania, and unfortunately I have to sell it. (I no longer use it, and the taxes are very big). If someone is interested in this car, here is my e-mail: paul_turea@yahoo.com
Hey Paul I want your Medallion SW for my Sedan !
I had a 1989 that was stolen when it had 2700 miles on the odometer. It was recovered after it crashed. The engine block was broken and after it was fixed I traded it for a pickup. The dealer sold it to a Philipino woman who may still be driving it. It had a wonderful ride.
When Renault owned AMC, they owned Winnebago and made two RVs (Shbarro ?)powered with the medallions 2.2 liter and 3 speed auto tranny. I find all my mechanical parts in winnebago restoration shops across America….easy to find on the internet.
Here it is today
another view today
Three Little Words: “running when parked”:
https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/d/1988-renault-eagle-medallion/6541946515.html
This sure stirred up a hornets nest…all I can say is…Bless there heart
No idea the R21 was ever available with 1.4 engine. Export only apparently, using the old Cléon engine. Acceleration in my mum’s 1.7 R21 Nevada was already pretty glacial, being overtaken by trucks on uphill sections. I shudder to think how underpowered that 1.4 must have been.
“No idea the R21 was ever available with 1.4 engine. Export only apparently, using the old Cléon engine.”
That’s what it is. Wikipedia France teaches: ” …1,4 litre réservé à certains marchés d’exportation”.
Look at that snout, is that more overhang percentage-wise than the 1980-83 Lincoln Mark VI? Interior looks nice however. The last car I owned with a burgundy cloth interior was a 1982 AMC Concord 2-dr back in the early ’90s.
In the early ’90s I had a brief ride in a Renault Medallion wagon belonging to an acquaintance. He had just gotten it–inexpensively, because of its orphan status. He was handy at fixing his own cars, and he knew what he was getting into, so it may have worked out for him. It struck me as a nice car.
This one is currently on Seattle CL:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/1988-renault-medallion-wagon/6692090231.html
i may have the last one running and in good shape in NA!
i sill always need parts 😉
does somebody have parts?
Thanks
Tom
Hey, John and Jacob
i did not read all the posts here, but I am an antique clutch rebuilder, as well as performance clutch maker. For many years I sold stock kits, and although I still do, I keep very little on hand due to the internet offerings. I am going through some of my very old stock, and happen to have a NOS clutch kit for your car. I came across your story on my google search trying to gather value/availability information, to be able to post this kit for sale on E-bay. Before I do, I thought I would give you guys a yell. Would love it for you to let me know either way by e-mail. info@falconauto.com
Marc ~ Falcon Clutch
Wow I remember these but never saw them even in the 80s!
I wonder if there are any Renault 21s left on the road in Europe.
There are a few, yes…
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-1988-renault-21-nevada-turbod-the-other-side-of-the-medallion/
The herd is thinning, but still some survive. Far more than the R9/R11 (Renault Encore), in any case.
Thanks for the update!
The local Jeep/Renault dealership had a Medalion station wagon on display in their dealership shortly before they went belly up around 1988 or so. After my experience with a Renault Encore, I politely declined their offer and moved on. I think this was the first one I have ever seen.
Very fascinating article about the cars, it took a couple reads to get the wheelbase verities thing. Reading through all those posts I noticed the few families that did that Studebaker to AMC thing. Mine did too. My last time in an AM car was a Spirit with that castrated US version EA831. Paul got me straightened out about what I thought, was an EA827 in my Spirit. I wonder if I could’ve bought a crated EA831 shipped from Bremerhaven.
Anyway, 11 years later. If your article was asking if the 2 guys were giving TLC to perhaps one of the last Medallions. The answer was no. I seem to remember hoping for the best for these cars, being a former AMC fanboy at the time.
I recently admitted to my son that I was turned down for a loan to buy a Medallion. I had never been turned down before or since for a loan. He laughed and said the bank did me a huge favor. He was right.
I saw one ‘in the wild’ around five years ago at a local supermarket in Milwaukee. There was a guy sitting in it, waiting for his wife probably, looked disheveled & my recollection he was something like Anslow in Keeping Up Appearances. I asked him if he knew how rare that car was (or something, don’t recall what I said to him), his reply was along the lines of it was just a car to him & he didn’t know anything about it.
OK, I like odd cars, at least good ones. And French cars, I put well over 100K on a Simca 1204, Simca 1100 to the rest of the world. And thought it was a great little car.
But the Renault/AMC alliance (pardon the term) was so obviously destined for failure. Renault had a couple of interesting cars like the 17 Gordini and the little R5, both with virtually no sales, AMC had what, the Gremlin and the Hornet, both ancient and no fun at all to either drive or look at? So the two of them partner to come up with something more modern, but even more boring? And they wonder why they didn’t sell?
I look at this car and I wonder:” Why should I have chosen this over a Volkswagen, any old japanese ruster or even a Ford ?”
No idea, no idea.