Eagle

Eagle was a unique and somewhat brief chapter in the history of American automobile manufacturing. The brand was created by the Chrysler Corporation in 1988 after the acquisition of American Motors Corporation (AMC). Eagle was a contemporary, somewhat adventurous line of vehicles, differentiated by its forward thinking design.

The inception of Eagle was marked by the introduction of models like the Premier and the Talon. The Premier, a large sedan, was one of the last remnants of AMC’s partnership with Renault.  The Talon, a sporty compact coupe, was developed through Chrysler’s partnership with Mitsubishi Motors.  The Talon was mechanically and stylistically similar to the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Plymouth Laser.  The Eagle Talon TSi AWD model produced 195hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, which was very impressive for the engine size.

Throughout its existence in the 1990s, Eagle’s lineup was a mix of rebadged Chrysler vehicles and those inherited from AMC.  There were also models born out of the Chrysler-Mitsubishi partnership. They produced cars like the Vision, a full-size sedan, and the Summit, a compact car.

Eagle struggled to establish an identity within the Chrysler Corporation’s portfolio, which also included the Dodge and Plymouth brands. The overlap in offerings led to competition within the company, making it difficult to carve out its own market.

The end of Eagle

By the late 1990s, Chrysler decided to discontinue the brand. The last cars were sold in 1998, marking the end of the brand. The dissolution of Eagle was part of a broader corporate direction as Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler.

Eagle is now history as an example of a brand that, despite its potential and unique offerings, couldn’t sustain itself. The Talon in particular gained a cult following for its engine and power.

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