For this installment of the TTS “Cheap Heap of the Week”, please welcome this sweet little 1987 Renault GTA for sale on FaceBook Marketplace for a paltry $2,900! From recent experience I can tell you that is less than half the cost to replace the hard brake lines on a Mercedes-Benz S212 E350 4Matic wagon. But I digress..

A little history: Once upon a time, there was a struggling American automobile manufacturer – American Motors Corporation, or simply “AMC”. Formed in 1954, AMC had evolved over the years from storied brands including Hudson, Nash, and later on Jeep, all of which (excepting Jeep) ultimately relented to the American Motors (used interchangeably with AMC) moniker starting in 1970. Although something of a distant fourth to the “Big Three” American automakers, AMC persisted and even released some pretty cool cars over the years, including the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, AMC AMX, and, well, even the arguably ahead-of-its time (at least in design) AMC Pacer of “Wayne’s World” fame. Interestingly and a little surprisingly, in the mid-1960s AMC was actually the best selling American car manufacturer in France and Germany.

Well, fast forward to the doldrums of the 1970s and the foundering AMC struggled to keep-up with the investment made by its competitors into model updates, new models, and technological development. The company that had been the first American manufacturer to offer air conditioning as standard on any single model – the 1968 Ambassador – well ahead of the likes even of Lincoln and Cadillac, was losing money hand over fist. Enter the French.

In 1979, French automaker Renault came to AMC’s rescue first with a joint production agreement in 1978, followed by a $150 million cash infusion in 1979 – along with the rights to manufacture the Renault 5 stateside beginning in 1982. Those of us of a certain age will fondly (or not?) recall the Le Car. Mr. Casanova, the French teacher at my Connecticut boys school (I kid you not) drove one, because of course he did.

Following an additional $90 million loan for Renault to help keep AMC afloat, the companies released their first joint product – the 1983 Renault Alliance – an Americanized version of the Renault 9 sold as both 2- and 4-door models. In stark contrast to AMC’s recent offerings, the Alliance initially received rave reviews from the motoring press, but before long quality problems, a limited distribution network, and a design brief that didn’t necessarily align with the wants and needs of the U.S. consumer started plaguing the Wisconsin-built Franco-American and the shine faded from the Alliance’s penny in fairly short order.

In addition to 2- and 4-door hatchback “Encore” models, AMC/Renault also added a convertible Alliance for the 1985 model year. At a time when the affordable U.S. 4-seat convertible market was limited essentially to the Volkswagen Cabriolet, Ford Mustang, and a few GM J-cars, the affordable Alliance was well-received. Sadly, the convertible received the same lethargic 1.4 liter inline-4 delivering a scant 64hp or the optional slightly less ponderous 1.7 liter, good for 77.5hp. One of the only examples I can think of where a half horsepower was actually promoted. The added weight of the ASC conversion from coupe to convertible meant that the droptop was the heaviest of all the Alliances, with related effects on performance. Fuel mileage was impressive, but that wasn’t enough to bolster sales to the levels that AMC and their French partners hoped for.

Following the assassination of Renault’s chairman in late 1986, the writing was on the wall. Renault – 41.6% owner of AMC – was under pressure to extricate itself from the American fiasco. In March, 1987, The Chrysler Corporation under the leadership of Lee Iacocca agreed to buy-out Renault’s interest in AMC. The same year, Renault also exited the U.S. market entirely as a brand. AMC would carry on as Jeep-Eagle under Chrysler, but ultimately it was the Jeep brand that would survive.

However, and back to our subject car, for it’s last hurrah AMC/Renault had one final trick up its sleeve: The GTA – a performance-oriented version of the Alliance. The name hearkened-back to the fabulous Renault Alpine GTA of years past, and was applied only to the two door coupe and convertible versions of the Alliance. In addition to a 96hp 2.0 liter engine which could scoot the car from 0 to 60 in a not unreasonable 10.2 seconds, the GTA also came in monochromatic color schemes with special Zender-designed bodywork, wheels, bolstered sport seats, improved suspension and handling, bigger brakes, and a 5-speed manual as the only transmission option.

Press feedback from the day compared the car favorably to the Mark 1 Volkswagen GTI, and used phrases like “highly responsive”, “dandy”, and “fun and nimble”, but that wasn’t enough to turn the tides even at a reasonable 1987 base MSRP of just under $13,000 (about $35,000 today). In comparison, VW’s Cabriolet started about $1,000 higher. When Alliance production ceased in Wisconsin in June, 1987, just 1,029 GTA convertibles had been produced, making this very presentable example quite the rarity. Add this car’s optional fog lights and air conditioning, and the original price would have gone up by $1,000 and the rarity increased.

We were impressed with the overall condition of this car when we found it – remarkably clean and rust-free, despite living in New England. While the seller reports the blower motor and window regulators are bad, a quick eBay search reveals parts cost for 2 window regulators and that blower at about $250 – and they are available. You may struggle to find some parts for a GTA, particularly trim parts, but this one doesn’t appear to have any urgent needs of that sort. We also have no idea how hard blower motor replacement is, but it’s a convertible. At least for the time being you could simply throw the top down and enjoy the fresh air. Although, that blower might come in handy if, like us here at TTS, you sometimes like to enjoy your convertibles top down in colder months – with the heater on.

The top also appears to be in good shape, so there’s another added benefit. Maligned in the 80’s, a GTA convertible – especially $600 below our CHOTW $3,500 maximum – could be quite the fun little conversation piece for the Rad crowd at your local Cars & Coffee. I wouldn’t do a Pebble Beach restoration on it, but enjoy it sparingly and you wouldn’t likely lose any money when you move on to the next toy. Heck, you might even make a little!