AMERICAN MOTORS' FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE 'EAGLE'.

This paper describes the development and design of American Motors' four-wheel-drive Eagle. The Eagle is the first American passenger-car model to employ four-wheel drive. The paper begins with a review of the history of four-wheel drive vehicles in the USA, including the development of the famous Jeep. It then describes the development of the model package, beginning with a study in 1972 based on a Jeep driveline incorporated into the body of a Hornet Sportabout. In 1976 the study was renewed, with the addition of a full-time transfer case with a viscous biasing differential. This formed the basis of the Eagle production proposal for the 1980 model year. The paper goes on to describe the Eagle vehicle configuration and systems. An outline is given of the testing and development of the prototypes of the new model.