The Amc Eagle Turbo-diesel Was The Performance Version, And One Still Exists

Of course, we're utilizing nan word "exists" beautiful loosely. The only known 1980 AMC Eagle Turbo-Diesel still remaining was past seen sinking into oblivion astatine nan Rambler Ranch — location to a ample postulation of Nash, Rambler, and AMC products — successful Elizabeth, Colo. It's a sad extremity for a car erstwhile billed, via Curbside Classic, arsenic "The roughest, toughest luxury car successful nan world!"

But arsenic you could show by its Turbo-Diesel tag, this instrumentality brought much than conscionable upscale accoutrements to AMC's innovative Eagle. Owners, each 7 of them successful total, were besides rewarded pinch a 3.6-liter I6 turbo-diesel motor that could present 150 horsepower and 219 pound-feet of torque — making this exemplary nan only Eagle to ever alert pinch diesel motivation. 

The thought process was that pinch nan U.S. facing different lipid situation successful 1979 and ratio regulations continuing to tighten, installing a diesel successful nan AMC Eagle would thief support it afloat. It was benignant of a Hail Mary play, arsenic AMC had already gamed nan strategy into designating nan Eagle arsenic a "non-passenger car" for fuel-economy purposes and arsenic a "light truck" for emissions. It group a precedent for AMC's belief successor, Chrysler, to travel erstwhile it claimed nan aforesaid light-truck nickname for PT Cruisers (including this pristine Turbo version pinch just 1,700 miles and a manual transmission).

The point is, immoderate class champion fits nan Eagle, nan value of nan Turbo-Diesel version didn't fresh customers' slope accounts very well. At a clip erstwhile you could get into nan range-topping state Eagle for $10,500 ($41,446 today ), customers had to cough up an further $9,000 (an other $35,525, for a full successful today's dollars of $76,971) for nan turbo treatment.

What did those fortunate 7 owners get for their $9,000? The bosom of nan matter was nan 3.6-liter I6 turbodiesel originated from VM Motori — an Italian patient founded successful 1947 to nutrient diesel engines for cultivation purposes. (The institution would spell connected to supply diesel motors for European versions of Dodge Caravans, Jeep Cherokees/Grand Cherokees, and moreover immoderate Alfa Romeos, and remains successful business today.)

As we hinted successful nan headline, nan Eagle Turbo-Diesel could outperform gas-powered models, which relied connected AMC's 4.2-liter I6 pinch astir 110 hp and 205 lb-ft. Reported 0-60 times varied, but nan Turbo-Diesel was advertised arsenic capable to complete nan sprint successful 13 seconds, while Car and Driver clocked a state type astatine 13.2 seconds. The VM Motori engines further showed their fuel-sipping ways by much than doubling nan fuel-economy results of nan modular Eagles. The Turbo-Diesels were tin of up to 35 mpg — again, per nan promo materials — while nan mixed fuel-efficiency ratings of nan state Eagles was an estimated 16 mpg.

For accrued customer confidence, a 50,000-mile motor warranty was besides included. And for what it's worth, American Turbo-Diesel touted this mill arsenic nan first "retrofit diesel" to meet some California and national emissions regulations without needing further emissions-control devices. Which wouldn't beryllium a interest today, now that California's emissions standards are a point of nan past and Trump ended greenhouse state regulations for cars.

American Turbo-Diesel made a large woody retired of performance, claiming its Eagle "out-corners Trans Am successful soft sand, retired accelerates Mustang Turbo successful loose dirt, outbrakes MGB connected barren pavement." Yet location was nary shortage of modern luxury cues. The compartment sported aerial conditioning, reclining leather seats, cruise control, powerfulness windows and doorway locks, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, a quartz clock, and an AM/FM/cassette sound strategy backed by a CB radio.

The exterior accrued functionality pinch a tile rack, supplementary driving lights, powerfulness mirrors, and a wiper/washer strategy for nan rear glass. A larger substance vessel was included arsenic well, giving nan Eagle Turbo-Diesel and astonishing scope of up to 1,500 miles. Meanwhile, nan cardinal upgrade underneath it each was AMC's heavy-duty suspension pinch beforehand and rear sway bars to complement nan Eagle's 7 inches of crushed clearance

An further twist came pinch really nan engines were installed. Although these were "factory authorized" vehicles, it wasn't an AMC mill that added nan motors. The cars and engines were shipped, separately, to nan San Fernando, California home of American Turbo-Diesel for nan work. The consequence was a spot for illustration nan process of building nan luxurious Cadillac Allanté, nan eventual Italian American car, successful reverse — since nan Cadillac bodies were made successful Italy, past sent to nan U.S. for their powerfulness trains. At slightest nan scheme worked retired somewhat amended for Cadillac, which managed to waste much than 21,000 Allantés, per Hagerty, during its 7 years successful production.