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There was nothing radical going on with Renault's petite 9 saloon when it launched in the fall of 1981. They tried radical with the pear-shaped 14 of the mid-'70s, but that car's rust-prone nature led it to be known as "the rotten pear," so a complete stylistic break was needed. The company had 15 years of front-wheel drive under its belt, dating back to the 16, and the drivelines were carryovers. The 9 was, in its day, widely regarded: It was European Car of the Year for 1982. Quickly, it became Renault's best-selling model ever. A hatchback variant, called 11, followed in the spring of 1983.
Although 1.1-liter versions started at just 47 horsepower, the hottest 1.4 Turbo in Europe was rated at 113hp. The 9/11 gained some worldwide fame when Roger Moore's James Bond wrecked a blue 11 taxi on the streets of Paris during his swan song flick, A View to a Kill. Its appearance served only to underscore the new model's ubiquitous nature across Europe: By the end of 1988, when the 9/11 retired, roughly 6.3 million 9s and 11s were sold, with 9 production edging out the 11 by 100,000 units or so. The nation of Colombia loved it too: 9s were built under license there until 1999--more than a decade past the 9's sell-by date elsewhere in the world. More than 115,000 were built there, making it the best-selling car in Colombia to that point.
Meanwhile, back in the '80s, AMC was doing itself no favors, having had no all-new cars in its line since the Hornet and Gremlin at the dawn of the '70s, though Jeep remained strong. The Alliance could answer a problem for both parties: It would give Renault distribution, and it would give AMC a contemporary front-drive car to offer its buyers. So following Renault's late '70s purchase of AMC, the 9 was fast-tracked for America. They were labeled as Renaults, thanks to the company's marginally better reputation in the States with potential buyers than AMC's(!)--although they did receive an AMC sticker in the back window. It was slightly smaller outside than a contemporary U.S.-spec Escort, though the interior was larger.
With a wholly new Dick Teague-penned interior that was more to American tastes, stronger engine options, a couple of America-only body styles like the two-door sedan and later a convertible, and fully federalized features, the result of this Franco-Kenoshan intercontinental hookup was known as the Alliance, and was both Motor Trend's Car of the Year in '83 and one of Car and Driver's Ten Best that same year, thanks in part to a relatively inexpensive starting price (under $6,000) and a typically French comfort-oriented ride.
Over its life from 1983-'87, some 600,000 were built and sold in America--more than 200,000 in 1984 alone, thanks to the relative newness of the package, good press, good gas mileage and the launch of the hatchback Encore body style. The U.S.-only convertible came on line in 1985. America started out with the 60hp 1.4-liter, which was good for 0-60 times in the mid-14-second range. The quarter-mile took around 19.5 seconds, at under 70 MPH. (In a world of diesel Chevettes, this almost didn't get laughed at much in the press.) Later, a 1.7-liter version would pep things up considerably. It seemed a most un-Renault-like bit of business: It wasn't nearly as weird as everyone might have come to expect.
Yet Renault's reputation for poor build quality followed it to Kenosha, and 9/Alliances and 11/Encores of all stripes regularly had engine, transmission, electrical, build quality and other major issues. Sales of the Alliance/Encore faded fast: just 65,000 cars in 1986 and 35,000 in 1987. That last model year, however, contained a single enthusiast bright spot: the short-lived GTA. Meant to compete with the hot-hatch crowd, it included a fuel-injected, 95hp, 2.0-liter engine, larger than any Alliance ever had, plus Ronal wheels, fat tires, a body kit, and monochromatic paint, among other features. It burned brightly for a single season, but was snuffed with the rest of the Alliance line. Its largely positive reception points to at least some of Renault's poor sales stemming from not keeping with the times--with gas getting cheaper in the mid-'80s, competition from Japan getting hotter and America demanding more powerful cars, Renault refused to change the sluggish engine lineup in its aging pair.
Renault sought to get out of Dodge--or rather, sell out to Dodge. Once Chrysler took over AMC in late 1987, the Alliance and Encore were dismissed immediately. They died a year later in Europe of natural causes. Today, even the Renault home website, which has a section for basking in past glories, barely mentions the 9/11. Perhaps even the Regie had had e-Neuf?
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Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
Interested in a new or late model used car?
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