Gerald C. Meyers, C.E.O. Who Paved Way for the S.U.V., Dies at 94

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Gerald C. Meyers, a former chief executive of the American Motors Corporation who helped spark the nation’s obsession with sport utility vehicles and oversaw the development of some of the quirkiest cars of the 1970s, died on June 19 at his home in West Bloomfield, Mich. He was 94. His death was announced by his daughter Susan Meyers. Mr. Meyers joined American Motors in 1962, after stints with Ford and Chrysler, and rose through the ranks as AMC fought to survive in a market dominated by his former employers and General Motors, the so-called Big Three; at the time, they collectively produced nine out of every 10 cars sold in the United States. In 1970, as a senior manufacturing executive, Mr. Meyers was given the task of evaluating a possible acquisition of Kaiser Jeep. He advised AMC’s board against it, noting the brand’s serious production inefficiencies. But the board proceeded anyway — and put Mr. Meyers in charge. To appeal to more consumers, he upgraded existing Jeeps with better engines, suspensions and interiors, and directed the development of a new wagon, the Jeep Cherokee, which came out in the spring of 1974. Sales soon surged, steadying AMC’s shaky finances and driving consumer interest in roomy off-road vehicles.