Alpine A110 (Berlinette)
Born: 1961 Died: 1973
Because the Alpine brand had been established by a Renault dealer, Jean Redele of Dieppe, the use of Renault parts was a major element in its products, and the A110 was no exception. In style it was a mild evolution of the original Michelotti-designed fibreglass body.
The car followed its predecessor A108's technicals, using a steel backbone chassis a la Lotus Elan. The engine was located in the rear of the car, and the overall look was a classic coupé in style and destined to be a favourite with rally enthusiasts for more than a decade.
The A110 switched drivetrains from its predecessor, though, from the Renault Dauphine's powerplant to the 59hp 1-litre used in the basic R8.
Though introduced three years before, the actual road car didn't roll off the production lines until 1964. It was popular as a niche car, but when the more powerful 86hp 1.1-litre engine from the R8 Gordini was placed over the rear wheels in 1965 the reputation of the A110 began to build quickly.
Even more power was available from the 1.3-litre 'S' with 108hp, introduced in the same year, and two years later there was a further option, the 'G', with a medium-power 95hp 1.3-litre. In 1967, the stock engine from the R16 was also an option, though no worldbeater with just 74hp available. The R16 TS 1.6-litre that took over in 1969 added another 9hp.
Using the more powerful of these engines, a number of individual rally drivers won local events in France. The turning point from local to international competitiveness really began with the A110 1600S in 1970, when the 125hp 1.6-litre aluminium power unit from the R16 came available.
With that power in a total car weight of just 680kg, the A110 could achieve a top speed of 210 km/h, but with a very fast acceleration. And this was just the road car, before any tweaking by enthusiasts.
The availability of the car coincided with the institution of a maker's element in international rallying, and the A110 quickly became one of the leaders on the circuit, with a lot of wins over the 1970-1973 period.
The most prestigious of these was the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally, where Ove Anderson from Sweden took the top position.
In 1973, Renault had bought out Alpine and added the brand to its own portfolio. A new World Rally Championship for car-makers was established to replace the original 'international' one, and Renault put in a works team with full-time and 'guest' drivers, all of them high-flying professionals including 1973 Monte Carlo winner Jean-Claude Andruet.
That first year of the new championship saw the A110 win virtually every event it was entered in, and thus Renault became the first car-maker to win the new manufacturer's championship. The six events won by the car were Monte-Carlo, Portugal, Morocco, Acropolis, Austria, San Rémo. The only one it failed to win was the Swedish Rally.
It was a bright, but brief, flaring of the car's winning flame, though, as the new Lancia Stratos came along in 1974 and soon eclipsed the A110 on the circuits.
Upgraded and new engines over the next few years produced the 'SI' version in 1974, with a fuel-injected 1.6-litre outputting 127hp, and, for more leisurely use, the 93hp 'SX' that saw the model out from 1976-1978.
A special one-off Berlinette was built by Renault in 1975 to compete in the Automobile Tour de France rally of that year. It featured a 1.8-litre engine with 200hp on tap. It didn't figure in the results.
Renault ceased production of the Alpine brand in 1995, but it is widely believed that the company is considering reviving the name soon to add some flair to its range.