06 Jul 01
With two Monte Carlo Rally victories and a world rally championship to its credit, the rear-engined, polyester-bodied Alpine A110 is France's most decorated sports car.
The father of the Alpine was Jean Redele, once the youngest Renault dealer in France. He built his first complete sports car - based on the humble Renault 4CV - in 1954. The definitive backbone-chassised A110 Berlinette appeared in 1962 and was to stay in production until 1977. Competition victories came quickly as drivers learned to make the best of its agility, despite primitive Volkswagen-style swing-axle suspension, and amazing speed: on just 1300 cc, the lightweight A110 could nudge 120 mph. Sales were slow until Redele finally managed to persuade Renault to market his cars in 1967. Soon A110s were emerging from the small Dieppe factory at twice the rate and were being built under licence in Renault satellite factories all over the world: Spain, Brazil, Mexico and even Bulgaria.
With Jean Redele now heading Renault's competition department, rallying of the A110 continued at full steam and it was a top-level winner until the mid '70s, causing much consternation among the big names such as Porsche and Ford. The A110's days should have been numbered when the upmarket, chiselled-edged A310 Coupe appeared in 1971, but enthusiasts preferred the old car.
