The famous French firm can boast of a major achievement: To have beaten all its competitors with the most modest of engines. its flagship model, the berlinetta A 110 was world rally champion in its first edition in 1973 and won so many titles in this category that it naturally established itself in the legend of motorsport. We often forget to mention the ancestor of this one, the A 106, as well as its precursors A 108 then A 110 designed by Michelotti more "general public" based on the Renault Dauphine, including convertibles and coupes 2+ 2.

Its difficult succession will be ensured for a time by the A 310, then the A 610, but the latter, due to the takeover of Alpine by Renault, from which it had become a sporting offshoot, then marketed by the diamond brand, lost public attention to the point that production ceased in 1996. Renault's responsibility in this matter is entire. It should be remembered that during the 80s, the sporting policy of the diamond was resolutely turned towards the very media Formula 1, for which it developed the turbocharger with great success. the money and the in-house technicians had deserted the rally events. The A 110 thus continued to make the happiness of private stables, but with more modest means.

There is currently talk, in Boulogne as in Dieppe, of soon reviving the berlinetta in its most faithful form. Some have already done this. Thus, Helem, (after "Le Mans") tried to base himself on the spider produced by Renault Sport and to get a closed version with the much more efficient engine and the fire mechanics of the Alpine A.610. Hommell also, with Peugeot mechanics, follows in his footsteps. The adventure goes on...

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Models

• Alpine A 106 Mille Milles
• Alpine A 108
• Alpine A 110 Cabriolet Michelotti
• Alpine A 110 berlinette
• Alpine A 210 1600
• Alpine A 310 V6
• Alpine GTA
• Alpine A 610

ALPINE A.106 "A Thousand Miles" (1961)

The grille of the last special series was disfigured by the adoption of an efficient spoiler. Although less powerful, it was very comparable to the Porsche 956. Characteristics:
Type: 2-seater Berlinette
Propulsion: Rear engine - rear transmission
Dimensions: Length: 3600 mm
Width: 1600 mm
Height: 1460 mm
Wheelbase: 2100 mm
Weight: 600 Kgs.
Engine: 4 cylinders in V, 1.5 L, 43 hp DIN
Units produced: 250
Price: (at the time)

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Notes: It was she who launched Alpine, which allowed this passionate motor sport enthusiast Jean Rédélé to create a small inexpensive and very agile sports car, able to compete in the precursory races of rallies, very popular in mountain ranges, (which gave it its name) trend close to hill climbs. The Thousand Miles, undoubtedly, referred to the time. Young dealer in Dieppe, he participated in its 1953 edition, as well as in the Coupe des Alpes, winning its category three times in a row, with a Renault 4cv modified by him. It was of the latter that he naturally thought of developing a "real" sports car, in the manner of Carlo Abarth on small Fiat 600s.

The firm was therefore born in Dieppe in 1955. With its modified 4cv produced in small series under the name of A 106, and developing 21 hp, succeed the A 106 "Mille Miles", 38 hp, then the berlinetta with a compact polyester body, in 1961. The latter uses a beam chassis, inspired by Lotus experiences. in this area, an architecture that will continue for the following models. Produced in "large" series, they helped establish the brand. The magician of the firm was the engineer Marc Mignottet. It was he who managed to extract 59 hp from the Renault engine block and made the 106 a very powerful model. Subsequently, some infidelities took place with the adoption of engines from another watchmaker, René Gordini.

ALPINE A.110 BERLINETTE (1963)

Tiny and incredibly agile, the A 110 is a legend. Although very aerodynamic, it excelled in rallying, and its inimitable "muzzle" was covered in spotlights.

Characteristics:
Type: 2-seater Berlinette.
Propulsion: Rear engine - rear transmission.
Dimensions: Length: 3850 mm
Width: mm
Height: mm
Wheelbase: 2100 mm
Weight: between 560 and 790 Kgs. depending on the version.
Engine: 4 cylinders in line, 2 Liters, 2 ACT, turbochargers, 138 hp DIN @ 6000RPM.
Units produced: 8140
Price: (1973): 38,600 frs.
Performances: 0-100 Km/h: 6.3 sec.; 1000 D.A .:; Max speed: 210 km/h.

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Notes:

Undoubtedly a myth, a rebirth of French motorsport after the war had destroyed all the great references and the vicissitudes of the environment killed at a young age all the others, the most famous and most produced Alpine, is presented for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in 1962. It was a "closed" version of the A 108 convertible unveiled and produced since 1960 and designed by Michelotti. The Renault Dauphine engine gave way to that of the more promising R8, while it used a number of parts from the large series. Its body was in fiberglass (polyester) which allowed a featherweight and made any exterior modification easy and fast. Thus, his pace changed significantly until the last series. The adoption of larger tires and fender wideners, additional rally headlights, its essential vocation, from 1973 onwards, gave it a more aggressive personality. The power gradually passed from the first models with 55 hp. to the last 1600, rally animals, and their modest 138 hp. Without being tricky, the A 110s were piloted. Their behavior approached that of the Porsches, but their excellent distribution of masses worked in their favor. Its production was ensured in Dieppe for a small part, and at the foreign manufacturers of the Renault control, in Brazil, in Spain, in Mexico, and even under license in Bulgaria. The best versions of the A 110 were the prolific 1600S and SC. (1970-71) After the crisis, the last 1600SX, less powerful, will be produced in smaller series until 1978.

ALPINE A 210 1600 (1971)

More obscure than its glorious predecessor, the A 210 remained an excellent sports car, even in the 4-cylinder version.

Characteristics:
Type: Berlinette 2 + 2 places
Propulsion: Rear mid-engine - rear transmission
Dimensions: Length: 4180 mm
Width: 1620 mm
Height: 1150 mm
Wheelbase: 2270 mm
Weight: 840 Kgs.
Engine: 4 cylinders in line, 1.6 L, 125 HP DIN
Units produced: 2340.
Price: (at the time):
Notes: The succession of the A 110 was hardly carried out by the A 210. This one, in full oil crisis, had to use the modern mechanics resulting from the Régie Renault and keep intact the image of the A 110. However, at the same time, it is still produced in large numbers and is more endearing than ever. Larger, with two real rear seats, carpet and general comfort in increase, more suited to the tastes of the general public with its much sharper line, "Bertonienne", it sported an impressive row of lights sheltered behind a profiled transparent grille which was not appreciated by all.

Its steel frame-beam with the engine in rear overhang and its body in polyester for optimal performances hardly changed of its predecessor. Armed with the 4-cylinder of the R16 (67hp), it was transfigured by the in-depth transformations which made this block a marvel of goldsmithing capable of developing almost double the power, i.e. 125 hp, a figure to be compared to the Cx exceptional of these cars and their reduced weight that we can undoubtedly oppose to the more conventional Porsches. This basic power was obtained, as for the berlinetta A 110, by the adoption of two large double-barrel Weber carburettors.

In general, this power unit gave less convincing performance than the A110 1600, which is mechanically related, for the good and simple reason that the A 210 weighed around 200 Kgs. additional, and its revised and corrected undercarriages were much less subject to evasion from the rear, which made its illustrious elder a rally champion. Without being a "road," the 310 was more of a "GT" for the track, a character that got even worse with the V6 version.

The first version, tested intensively and unveiled a little quickly (which led to recalls) in 1971, will be produced until 1975. The previous year, an injection version was offered, giving 127hp. Finally, the 1976 series, broken by consumption standards, only had a single, less powerful Weber carburetor, and logically only developed 98 hp. It was the shame of the 4-cylinder series: While their sisters were content with 7 seconds to reach 100 per hour and between 210 and 215 km / h, this latest version did not exceed 190 per hour (with a good tail wind)...

ALPINE A.610 V6 TURBO (1987)

The last descendant of the line sported oddly oversized overhangs, contrary to the trends observed for a rear-engine car. A special series of 30 "Magny-cours" units appeared in 1992, with some aesthetic retouching.

Characteristics:
Type: Coupe 2 + 2 places.
Propulsion: Rear engine - rear transmission.
Dimensions: Length: 4415 mm
Width: 1762 mm
Height: 1180 mm
Wheelbase: 2340 mm
Weight: 1420 Kgs.
Engine: 6 cylinders in V, 3 Liters, 1 ACT, 1 turbochargers, 250 hp DIN @ 5750RPM. and 35.7 M/kg @ 2900 rpm.
Units produced: 816.
Price: (1995): 450,000 Frs.
Performance: 0-100 Km/h: 5.7 sec .; 1000 D.A.:28 sec. ; Max speed: 268 Km/h.

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Notes:
Last Alpine, died in 1995. Here is the epitaph that we could draw to this sportswoman. If it was limited to the eight hundred copies sold between 1991 and this sinister date, what to remember? -The A 610, and this was not the least of its paradoxes, was arguably the most efficient product of the line, and also the most unloved. Created within the energetic research collective specific to the Dieppe plant, at BEREX, the dashing A 610 arose in 1987 from the desire to outclass the best GTs of the time, a challenge when one thinks of the one that The bland GTA preceded it. But the figures were there to prove it: With a new deeply reworked V6 PRV, 2975 cm3 strong, equipped with a more efficient Garrett T3 turbo, the 610 claimed 250hp, which was enough to propel its 1400 Kgs to nearly 270 Km / h, with accelerations threatening the best Porsches, overtaking Jaguars, Aston-Martins and even some Ferraris.

It recovered the removable headlights of the American GTA, and hardly changed in terms of the line. This, along with other factors constituted the black spots which made it disappear while at the same time sinking the French sports flagship of the post-war period. The press, therefore, seemed dubious before the apparent intangibility of its appearance. Certainly, she kept her excellent Cx, but this too pronounced kinship earned her to be considered as a simple GTA brought up to date. The reality was quite different, the A 610 not sharing any room with its predecessor.

Another black point, a finish, which for a sale price of 450,000 Frs, well in relation to its services, was unworthy of a GT of this rank, because still in the poverty of materials, quality and assemblies of the diamond. Indeed the latter, integrated it into its range without making it the prerogative. Depriving it of its surname (from Alpine-Renault to Renault Alpine), the latter was no longer even relegated to a simple sporting foil, like Abarth for Fiat at the same time. Renault had invested heavily in Formula 1, and the only GT with the Venturi was found to be the poor relation of the mainstream manufacturer's series. In Boulogne-Billancourt, we ended up believing that everything had been done to make it forget. The moral of the story? little dream builders, if you can, stay independent.