The Tragic Turn That Shaped AMC's Fate—and Kept Jeep Alive

AMC faced heavy losses in the mid-1970s and was rescued by Renault in 1980. The assassination of Renault chair Georges Besse in 1986 removed the company’s biggest supporter, leading Renault to sell AMC to Chrysler in 1987. Jeep’s enduring success under AMC helped preserve the brand and ultimately fed into Chrysler’s evolution, which through Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Stellantis continues today.