Photo: The GTA is the final version of the Renault Alliance with a sporty body kit, fancy 16-inch wheels and to top it off, a 2-litre engine with injection.

On 22 September 1982, sales of the Alliance based on the Renault 9 started through the Renault and American Motors dealer network. This car was adapted to the tastes of North American motorists in every way. Production had started some time earlier at American Motors' Lakefront factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The model was offered straight away with two bodywork variations and as well as the familiar four-door saloon, a two-door version also appeared . Renault lauded the newcomer above all for its economical engines, richer equipment compared to its competitors and, for that time, completely new computerised control functions.

Photo: An electro/hydraulic hood, but the catches above the windscreen have to be manually released and the rear window unzipped so Pierrick has to get out.

In terms of engines, at the outset only the 1.4 litre Cléon engine was available coupled to a four-speed manual transmission, while a five-speed or three-speed automatic were optional on the price list, as was power steering. The four-door, available from $6,270 in the United States, appeared in the brochure as L, DL and Limited. The two-door on the other hand (from $5,595) started at a lower level as the "bare" Alliance and was also available as an L and DL. This gave the customer a total of six different variants.

But it was only the beginning. After the 1982 European Car of the Year title, the Renault Alliance was crowned by Motor Trend as the Car of the Year in America in 1983.

For the 1984 model year, Renault added the Encore, the R11 adapted to American tastes as a three and five-door. In terms of price, the Encore remained slightly below the Alliance. Success was not unavoidable. In a large country like the United States where the emphasis is on large cars and pick-ups, sales of almost 125,000 units in model year 1983 were extremely respectable. The 1984 model may have done less with over 105,000 units, but to that could be added just over 72,000 units of the Encore.

The 1985 model year brought further expansion. In addition to the 1.4 litre engine, the 1,721 cc four-cylinder became available as standard with a five-speed manual or still a three-speed automatic. Moreover, a third body style was introduced: the airy two-door convertible. A version that, just like the two-door, was never available in Europe, based on the Renault 9.

The 1.7 litre engine was supplied as standard in the convertible, with the aforementioned gearbox and power steering as standard. The buyer of a convertible could choose between the L and DL equipment variants. In both cases, the convertible top had an electro-hydraulic operation. The front door window was fixed, while the other windows could be opened one by one. Although the convertible top could be lowered at the push of a button, it was important to manually loosen the locking mechanism at the front and to unzip and flatten the rear window before lowering it.

The interior came in several colours, both fabric and vinyl, to which the door panels, dashboard and carpet were matched. Even the hood cover was available in two colours, while for the DL, red, blue, honey and almond were listed for fabric upholstery.

The Renault Alliance Convertible L was the most affordable convertible on the North American market and was therefore very popular as a second or third car for a family and for students.

During the course of 1986, at the beginning of the 1987 model year, the sportiest version, the GTA, which no longer bore the Alliance name, appeared. This version was only available based on the two-door and convertible.

This is the car we are dealing with here. This GTA is fitted with a 2 litre engine from Renault's F series, which, according to American specifications, produces 95 hp at 5,250 rpm. The engine is exclusively coupled to a five-speed manual transmission and standard power steering.

This beautiful example, owned by Renault dealer Pierrick Schillinger in Surbourg, Alsace, features the specific features that came with the GTA. The car has a body package consisting of special clour coded bumpers without indicators.These are now on the inside next to the headlight units. The painted grille is also special. The Renault and 2.0L badges are in red. In most body colours, this is also the case for the GTA script on the front wings, but for red cars the script is silver-grey. The body kit also includes plastic edging on the underside of the doors and skirts on the sills. Also unique to the GTA are the 16-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels. The exterior mirrors are body-coloured and the boot lid features a third brake light in the same colour housing.

The suspension has also been modified to elevate this model to a sportier level. And that is not the whole story. The interior was subject to various changes for the 1987 model year. The most striking was the considerably wider dashboard cover. Underneath is a European instrument cluster. The steering wheel was borrowed from the Renault 5 GT Turbo. Apart from a modest number of buttons, the dashboard also offers space for a digital clock. The central console controls the climate (including air conditioning, which was an option at the time, along with cruise control), has a cigarette lighter, a small ashtray and space for the radio. Pierrick found the original AMC radio new in the box.

Pierrick: "I bought my GTA in 2014 in Paris from a retired Renault employee who had worked on the development of the injection system at the time. My father previously bought an Alliance Convertible in 1993, a 1986 DL version. So I was familiar with it from my early childhood, even though he hardly drove it."

He bought the car with some 82,000 miles on the odometer. "I had to clean it mostly. The car had been used in and around Paris and had not been washed much. Then came a number of technical issues such as new radiator, brakes, shock absorbers and many small things. Then you really find out that many parts are specific and do not fit a Renault 9.

Photo: With the hood closed, it is noticeable how high the roof is. Viewed like this, the Alliance Convertible looks a bit unbalanced. Besides red, the GTA was also available in white, black and silver-grey.

He also removed the entire body kit to be able to clean it properly and preserve it for the future. On the left corner of the front bumper there was minor damage. Other than that, there was nothing wrong with it. "But the material behind it was completely dented. With that, the Alliance met the American safety requirements. The bumpers are remarkably soft and, especially at the top, difficult to hold tight."

Pierrick sees the GTA Convertible as his preferred modern classic.