Chrysler's 1990s Hit Sedan Was Built on a French Foundation

Chrysler's financial struggles have been a recurring theme since the 1970s, but the company found an unlikely lifeline in French engineering. After acquiring American Motors Corporation in 1987, Chrysler inherited the Eagle Premier, a sedan developed with Renault that borrowed heavily from the European Renault 25.

Though the Premier sold poorly, its platform became the basis for the LH platform that launched the Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde, and Eagle Vision in 1993.

The LH cars featured cab-forward styling, a design previewed by a Lamborghini concept, and used a longitudinally mounted V6 with independent suspension. In their first year, the three models sold 147,050 units, nearly matching the total sales of their boxy predecessors. The platform continued with the Chrysler LHS and 300M, and was phased out by 2004.

The LH's successor, the rear-drive LX platform used in the 2005 Chrysler 300, drew inspiration from Mercedes-Benz after the Daimler merger. While the later cars were objectively better in many ways, the LH platform remains nostalgic for its French-derived engineering and futuristic look.