It is a general phenomenon that collectors take care of the top models rather than the more modest ones. And when there is a convertible, as is the case with the Renault Alliance, it is easy to predict that more cars of this version will eventually remain despite smaller production numbers. That's what makes the American version of the Renault 11 so special.

In June 1982 the Renault 9, renamed Alliance, began its American career. The old Nash plant in Kenosha in the state of Wisconsin was completely modernised for this purpose. The car was fully adapted to American taste and deviated from its French counterpart on many details. The first vehicles were the four-door sedan, which was almost immediately joined by the two-door, a variant that was not available in Europe.

The same applies to the convertible, which was added to the program for model year 1985 and was therefore only produced for a short time. The moment the Alliance appeared in America, there was a lot of demand for economical, compact cars, and that explains the good start of this French/American collaboration: 142,000 units of the 1983 model year. In 1984 sales peaked at 208,000 cars, mainly thanks to the arrival of two new bodywork variants: the three- and five-door hatchbacks.

Renault and American Motors came up with names for the new products that meant something in both French and American English. The American Renault 11 derivatives were thus given the name 'Encore.' Just like the Alliance sedan, the Renault 11 was fully Americanized. Few exterior parts are directly interchangeable with the French Renault 11. The car has the same larger bumpers as the Alliance, large exterior mirrors, specific hubcaps in different variants, chrome door handles, rear lights in red and white and a small decor strip from front to rear.

The Encore dashboard is similar to the Alliance and differs again on many details compared to the Renault 11. The radiator grille is different, especially the chrome lines and the logo which is placed on the right side. In the beginning, the Encore only came with the well-known 1.4 litre Cléon engine which could be combined with a four or five speed gearbox or the three speed automatic. Because of the strict emission requirements in California, the engine had fuel injection and thus achieved an output of 64 hp. The performance is modest, such as a top speed of 143 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 96 km/h (60 miles) in 14.3 seconds.

There were four different trim levels, the basic version, the Encore S, LS and sporty GS. The customer could choose from five uni-colors as well as five metallic finishes, all of which were tailored to American flavor. The range was expanded a little later with the 1.7-litre F-series engine, which came with a five-speed gearbox as standard or as an option, the mentioned automatic gearbox. The range of equipment remained unchanged, and apart from some changes in materials and colors, the Encore didn't change much. The GS always had the 1.7L power unit, while the basic version only had the 1.4. The S and LS could be delivered with both engines.

Every new model year there were some optical changes such as a revised grille, resized headlights, new details in the interior and different body colours. The Renault Encore Electronic is similar to the French Renault 11 Electronic with a fully digital dashboard (without the speaking on-board computer) which was announced as an option on the LS and GS. This option was only on the list for a short time and was launched together with an update of both the interior and exterior. The dashboard received a complete makeover which looked much wider and was more in line with the Renault 21 offered in America as Medallion. The the exterior the grille, among other things, was modified. It was completely in black and had double, more flattened headlights. For the sales numbers it didn't really matter any more. After the peak year of 1984 (208,000 units), the numbers dropped to 165,000 units in 1985. Fuel prices had fallen and American consumers were once again willing to buy larger and less fuel-efficient cars. From model year 1986 only 65,000 units of the Alliance and Encore were sold, in 1987 only 35,000!

The 1987 model year was the last, and Renault and AMC decided to name the complete model series Alliance. This meant that the name Encore disappeared. The vehicle shown here was taken to Europe by an American many years ago and never returned.

This is the basic version only with center hubcaps instead of full hubcaps. The car does have the 1.7 litre engine coupled to the automatic gearbox, a combination that only became possible at the end of the life cycle. Clearly visible here is the wide dashboard which is remarkably simple due to its decoration.

There is only a speedometer and two smaller instruments. The blue interior color is typically American and that goes for many more details, such as the third brake light, the layout of the rear lights, the sidemarkers in the bumpers and the chrome Renault nameplate on the back but also on the radiator grille.

Under the bonnet many familiar parts can be seen, such as the recognizable valve cover of the 1.7 litre engine. Everywhere and nowhere stickers are placed with bilingual warnings about the strict product liability in the United States. It is a pity that production was stopped during the 1987 model year and that Renault was forced to sell its American activities to Chrysler because of the huge losses.

With thanks to Gerard Gutmann from Paris, the owner of this three-door Renault Alliance.