Renault Spent 30 Million Dollars In The Alpine GTA Turbo To Conquer America But Only Sold 12

In the mid-1980s, Renault had a bold vision to challenge Porsche on American soil. The French automaker was already deeply involved in the US market through its partnership with American Motors Corporation. Their weapon of choice for this new offensive was the Alpine GTA Turbo. It was a sleek and aerodynamic sports car that had already garnered praise in Europe. Renault executives believed this rear-engined machine could serve as a halo car for their brand in the United States.

The European version of the Alpine GTA was a masterpiece of lightweight engineering with a fiberglass body and a powerful V6 turbo engine. However, bringing it to America required extensive and expensive modifications to meet strict federal regulations. Engineers had to redesign the front end completely because the original glass-covered headlights were not legal in the US at the time. They replaced them with pop-up headlights and installed larger bumpers to comply with crash safety standards. These changes were necessary but costly and they altered the smooth lines of the original design.

Reports indicate that Renault invested approximately 30 million dollars into this federalization project. The company was fully committed and even produced a small batch of pre-series cars to prepare for the launch. The plan was to sell the car through select AMC dealerships across the country. Everything seemed to be on track for a 1987 debut that would finally give American drivers a taste of French performance. The anticipated price tag was high but the performance was expected to justify the cost.

History took a sharp turn just as the car was ready for showrooms. Renault faced its own financial struggles in Europe and decided to sell its stake in AMC to the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler was led by Lee Iacocca who was primarily interested in acquiring the profitable Jeep brand. The American executives had no interest in complicating their lineup with a niche French sports car that might compete with their own imports. The decision was made swiftly to kill the Alpine project before it officially began.

The 30 million dollar investment effectively vanished overnight. Most of the US-spec cars that had been built were never sold to the public through the intended dealer network. It is estimated that only 12 of these unique vehicles made it out into the world. Today they are incredibly rare collector items that represent a fascinating “what if” moment in automotive history.

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