The Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS, commonly known as Alpine (), is a French manufacturer of
racing
In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...
and
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
s established in 1955. The Alpine car marque was created in 1954.
Jean Rédélé
Jean Rédélé (17 May 1922, Dieppe, Seine-Maritime – 10 August 2007 Paris), was an automotive pioneer, pilot and founder of the French automotive brand Alpine.
With a HEC diploma, he was the youngest Renault dealer in France, with a dealershi ...
, the founder of Alpine, was originally a
Dieppe
Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...
garage proprietor who began to achieve success in motorsport with one of the few French cars that were produced just after the Second World War, the
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV (french: quatre chevaux, as if spelled ''quat'chevaux'') is a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive, 4-door economy supermini manufactured and marketed by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947 through July 1961. It was the fi ...
. The company has been closely related to
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
through its history, and was bought by it in 1973.
The Alpine competition department merged into
Renault Sport
Renault Sport () or Renaultsport, was the motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars. Renault Sport was officially established in 1976 as a merger between the Alpine (automobile), Alpine and Gordini competition ...
in 1976 and the production of Alpine-badged models ceased in 1995.
The Alpine brand was relaunched with the 2017 introduction of the new
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 is a sports car produced by French automobile manufacturer Alpine from 1963 to 1977. The car was styled as a " berlinette", which in the post-WWII era refers to a small enclosed two-door berline, better-known as a coupé. The ...
. In January 2021, as part of a company revamp, Renault announced that Renault Sport was again merged into Alpine to form an Alpine business unit.
History
Early days
![Alpine A106](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Alpine_A106.jpeg)
Using
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
4CVs, Rédélé gained class wins in a number of major events, including the
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
and
Coupe des Alpes
The Alpine Rally, also known by its official name Coupe des Alpes, was a rally competition based in Marseille and held from 1932 to 1971. In the 1950s and the 1960s, it was among the most prestigious rallies in the world and featured an internat ...
. As his experience with the little 4CV built up, he incorporated many modifications, including for example, special five-speed gearboxes replacing the original three-speed unit. To provide a lighter car he built a number of special versions with lightweight aluminium bodies: he drove in these at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
and
Sebring with some success in the early 1950s.
Encouraged by the development of these cars and consequent customer demand, he created the Alpine brand in 1954. It was named "Alpine" after his ''Coupe des Alpes'' successes.
He did not realise that in England the previous year,
Sunbeam had introduced a sports coupe derived from the Sunbeam Talbot and called the "
Sunbeam Alpine
The Sunbeam Alpine is a two-seater sports roadster/drophead coupé that was produced by the Rootes Group from 1953 to 1955, and then 1959 to 1968. The name was then used on a two-door fastback coupé from 1969 to 1975. The original Alpine was ...
". This naming issue was to cause problems for Alpine throughout its history.
![Renault Alpine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Renault_Alpine.jpg)
In 1955, he worked with the
carrosserie Chappe et Gessalin
Chappe et Gessalin is the short-form of the name of French coachbuilder "Carrosserie Chappe Frères et Gessalin". The company built automobile bodies and did contract assembly for other automobile manufacturers. It was also the parent of Automobile ...
to be amongst the pioneers of auto
glassfibre
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
construction and produced a small coupe, based on 4CV mechanicals, called the
Alpine A106
The Alpine A106 was the first of a line of light-weight glass-fibre bodied, rear-engined two-door coupés produced for a young competition-oriented Dieppe based Renault dealer called Jean Rédélé. The car was based on mechanical components f ...
. It used the platform chassis of the original
Renault 4CV
The Renault 4CV (french: quatre chevaux, as if spelled ''quat'chevaux'') is a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive, 4-door economy supermini manufactured and marketed by the French manufacturer Renault from August 1947 through July 1961. It was the fi ...
. The A106 achieved a number of successes through the 1950s and was joined by a low and stylish cabriolet. Styling for this car was contracted to the Italian designer
Giovanni Michelotti
Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with ...
. Under the glassfibre body was a very stiff chassis based on a central tubular backbone which was to be the hallmark of all Alpines.
Alpine then took the Michelotti cabriolet design and developed a 2+2 closed coupe (or '
berlinette') body for it: this became the Alpine A108, now featuring the
Dauphine Gordini 845 cc engine, which on later models was bored out to give a capacity of 904 cc or (subsequently) 998 cc.
The A108 was built between 1958 and 1963.
1960s
![Willys Interlagos (1964), Paris Motor Show 2018, IMG 0471](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Willys_Interlagos_%281964%29%2C_Paris_Motor_Show_2018%2C_IMG_0471.jpg)
In 1962, the A108 began to be produced also in Brazil, by Willys-Overland. It was the
Willys
Willys (pronounced , "Willis" )
was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs ...
Interlagos (berlineta, coupé and convertible).
By now the car's mechanicals were beginning to show their age in Europe. Alpine was already working closely with Renault and when the
Renault R8
The Renault 8 (Renault R8 until 1964) and Renault 10 are two rear-engined, rear-wheel drive small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault in the 1960s and early 1970s.
The 8 was launched in 1962, and the 10, a more upmarket ve ...
saloon was introduced in 1962, Alpine redeveloped their chassis and made a number of minor body changes to allow the use of R8 mechanicals.
This new car was the
A110 Berlinette Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
, named after a successful run with the
Alpine A108 in the 1962 event. Starting with a 956 cc engine of , the same chassis and body developed with relatively minor changes over the years to the stage where, by 1974, the little cars were handling 1800 cc engines developing +. With a competition weight for the car of around , the performance was excellent.
Alpine achieved increasing success in rallying, and by 1968 had been allocated the whole Renault competition budget. The close collaboration allowed Alpines to be sold and maintained in France by normal Renault dealerships. Real top level success started in 1968 with outright wins in the ''Coupe des Alpes'' and other international events. By this time the competition cars were fitted with 1440 cc engines derived from the Renault R8
Gordini
Gordini () is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport). In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer). Gordini be ...
. Competition successes became numerous, helped since Alpine was the first company fully to exploit the competition parts homologation rules.
1970s
In 1971, Alpines finished first, second and fourth in the
Monte Carlo rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially ''Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo'') is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The rally now takes place along the French Riviera in Monaco and southeast ...
, using cars with engines derived from the
Renault 16
The Renault 16 (R16) is a D-segment family hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The Renault 16 was the first French winner of the European Car of the Year award.
Market placement
In the early 1 ...
. In
1973, the newer A110 1800 finished first, second, third, and fifth and went on to
win the
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
outright, beating
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
,
Lancia
Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...
and
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
. During this time, production of the Alpine A110 increased and manufacturing deals were struck for A110s and A108s with factories in a number of other countries including Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Bulgaria.
With 1973 came the international petrol crisis, which had profound effects on many specialist car manufacturers worldwide. From a total Alpine production of 1421 in 1972, the numbers of cars sold dropped to 957 in 1974 and the company was bailed out via a takeover by Renault. Alpine's problems had been compounded by the need for them to develop a replacement for the A110 and launch the car just when European petrol prices leapt through the roof.
![Alpine-renault-a110-berlinette](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Alpine-renault-a110-berlinette.jpg)
Through the 1970s, Alpine continued to campaign the A110, and later the
Alpine A310
The Alpine A310 is a sports car built by French manufacturer Alpine, from 1971 to 1984.
__TOC__
History
Dieppe-based Alpine, once an independent company specialising in faster Renaults, later a Renault subsidiary, established a fine competition ...
replacement car. However, to compete with Alpine's success, other manufacturers developed increasingly special cars, notably the
Lancia Stratos
The Lancia Stratos HF (''Tipo 829''), widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rally racing, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for ''High Fidelity''. It was a very successf ...
which was based closely on the A110's size and rear-engined concept, though incorporating a Ferrari engine. Alpine's own cars, still based on the 1962 design and using a surprising number of production parts, became increasingly uncompetitive. In
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
Alpine built a series of factory racing
Renault 17
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
Gordinis (one driven by
Jean-Luc Thérier
Jean-Luc Thérier (7 October 1945, Hodeng-au-Bosc – 31 July 2019, Neufchâtel-en-Bray) was a French rally driver. He was the highest scoring driver in the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973 and the only one to win three events. However, ...
) that won the
Press on Regardless World Rally Championship round in Michigan, US.
In fact, having achieved the rally championship, and with Renault money now fully behind them, Alpine had set their sights on a new target. The next aim was to win at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
. Renault had also taken over the Gordini tuning firm and merged the two to form
Renault Sport
Renault Sport () or Renaultsport, was the motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars. Renault Sport was officially established in 1976 as a merger between the Alpine (automobile), Alpine and Gordini competition ...
. A number of increasingly successful sports racing cars appeared, culminating in the 1978 Le Mans win with the
Renault Alpine A442
The Renault Alpine A442 (also known as the Alpine Renault A442 ) is a sports prototype racing car, designed and built by Alpine, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Variants wer ...
B. This was fitted with a turbo-charged engine; Alpine had been the first company to run in and win an international rally with a turbo car as far back as 1972 when Thérier took a specially modified A110 to victory on the ''Critérium des Cévennes''.
1971 also saw Alpine begin construction of open-wheel racing cars. Initially in
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One driv ...
within a year they were building
Formula Two
Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name retur ...
cars as well. However, without a competitive Renault Formula Two engine available, the F2 cars could neither be known as Renaults nor Alpines while powered by Ford-Cosworth and BMW engines and were labelled Elf 2 and later Elf 2J. A Renault 2.0 litre engine arrived in time for
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Alain Jabouille (born 1 October 1942) is a French former racing driver. He raced in 55 Formula One Grands Prix, collecting two wins during the first years of Renault's turbocharged programme in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Jabou ...
to win the
European Formula 2 Championship
The European Formula Two Championship was a Formula Two motor racing series that was held between 1967–84. The races were held across Europe, and were contested both by drivers aiming to compete in Formula One in the future as well as curren ...
in 1976. By this time Alpine with Jabouille driving had built a
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
car as a testing mule which lead directly to their entry into the Formula One World Championship in 1977. A second European Formula 2 championship followed with
René Arnoux
René Alexandre Arnoux (; born 4 July 1948) is a French former racing driver who competed in 12 Formula One seasons (1978 to 1989). He participated in 165 World Championship Grands Prix (149 starts) winning seven of them, achieving 22 podium fi ...
in 1977 with the customer Martini team, before Alpine sold the F2 operation to
Willi Kauhsen
Willibert "Willi" Kauhsen (born 19 May 1939) is a German former racing driver and racing team owner from Eschweiler in Aachen, Germany.
Driving career
Willi Kauhsen was a freight forwarder who went into racing in the 1960s. He regularly partic ...
to concentrate on the Le Mans and Formula One programs.
1980s
Alpine Renault continued to develop their range of models all through the 1980s. The A310 was the next modern interpretation of the A110. The Alpine A310 was a sports car with a rear-mounted engine and was initially powered by a four-cylinder 1.6 L sourced Renault 17 TS/Gordini engine. In 1976 the A310 was restyled by
Robert Opron
Robert Opron (22 February 1932 – 29 March 2021) was a French automotive designer. He created or collaborated on numerous projects that became production cars for brands that included Simca, Renault, and Fiat. He is best known for his work at ...
and fitted with the more powerful and newly developed V6 PRV engine. The 2.6 L motor was modified by Alpine with a four-speed manual gearbox. Later they would use a Five-speed manual gearbox and with the group 4 model get a higher tune with more cubic capacity and 3 twin barrel
Weber carburetors
Weber Carburetors is an automotive manufacturing company founded in 1923, known for their carburetors.
History
Eduardo Weber began his automotive career working for Fiat, first at their Turin plant (in 1914) and later at a dealership in Bologna ...
.
![Renault Alpine V6 GT Gen3 D500 1984-1991 frontright 2011-04-10 A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Renault_Alpine_V6_GT_Gen3_D500_1984-1991_frontright_2011-04-10_A.jpg)
After the A310 Alpine transformed into the new
Renault Alpine GTA range produced from plastic and polyester components, commencing with normally aspirated
PRV V6 engines. In 1985 the V6 turbo was introduced to complete the range. This car was faster and more powerful than the normally aspirated version. In 1986 polyester parts were cut for the first time by robot using a high pressure (3500 bar) water jet, in diameter at three times the speed of sound. In the same year the American specification V6 turbo was developed.
In 1987 the installation of anti-pollution systems allowed the V6 turbo to be distributed to Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. 1989 saw the launch of the limited edition GTA ''Mille Miles'' to celebrate Alpine's 35th anniversary. Production was limited to 100 cars, all fitted with ABS braking, polished wheels, special leather interior and paintwork. This version was not available in RHD.
1990s
![Alpine A610](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Alpine_A610..0.jpg)
1990 saw the launch of the special edition wide-bodied GTA ''Le Mans''. Otherwise identical mechanically to the V6 Turbo, the engine was fitted with a catalytic converter and power was reduced to . This model was available in the UK and RHD versions carried a numbered plaque on the dashboard. The Le Mans is the most collectable and valuable GTA derivative, since only 325 were made (299 LHD and 26 RHD). These were available from Renault dealers in the UK and the country's motoring press are belatedly recognising the GTA series as the 'great unsung supercar of the 1980s'.
The
Alpine A610 was launched in 1991. It was re-styled inside and out but was still recognisable as a GTA derivative. The chassis structure was extensively reworked but the central box principal remained the same. The front was completely re-designed the interior was also greatly improved. Air-conditioning and power steering were fitted as standard. The total production run for A610s derivatives was 818 vehicles 67 RHD and 751 LHD. After production of the A610 ended, the Alpine factory in Dieppe produced the
Renault Sport Spider
The Renault Sport Spider is a roadster produced by the French automaker Renault Sport (a subsidiary of Renault) between 1996 and 1999.
Project
The idea for the Renault Spider was formulated in the early 1990s: in the midst of a revival after a d ...
and a new era was to begin.
The last Alpine, an A610, rolled off the Dieppe line on 7 April 1995, Renault abandoning the Alpine name. This was always a problem in the UK market. Alpines could not be sold in the UK under their own name because Sunbeam owned the trade mark (because of the mid-50s Sunbeam Alpine Mk I). In the 1970s, for example Dieppe were building modified Renault 5s for the worldwide market. The rest of the world knew them as
R5 Alpines but in the UK they had to be renamed to
R5 Gordini. After numerous company takeovers the multinational
Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
own the British ''Alpine'' trademark as of January 2021.
The Alpine factory in Dieppe continued to expand; in the 1980s they built the special
R5 Turbo cars, following the rear engined formula they have always used. They built all
Clio Williams and RenaultSport Spiders. The factory put its Alpine badges on the early batches of the mid-engined Clio series one Clio V6. The Clio Series 2 was also assembled there with more recent RenaultSport Clio 172 and RenaultSport Clio 182s.
Between 1989 and 1995, a new Alpine named the A710 "Berlinette 2", was designed and two prototypes were built. Due to the cost of the project (600 million francs), and as adding modern equipment and interior would compromise the price and performances, the project was canceled.
21st century: relaunch of the Alpine marque
![Renault Alpine A110-50 (01)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Renault_Alpine_A110-50_%2801%29.JPG)
In October 2007, it was reported that Renault's marketing boss Patrick Blain had revealed that there were plans for several sports cars in Renault's future lineup, but stressed that the first model would not arrive until after 2010. Blain confirmed that Renault was unlikely to pick a new name for its future sports car and would probably go with Alpine to brand it. Blain described it as being a “radical sports car” and not just a sports version of a regular model.
The new Alpine sports car was to have a version of the
Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R (Japanese: 日産・GT-R, ''Nissan GT-R''), is a high-performance sports car and grand tourer produced by Nissan, unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Skyline GT-R, a high performance variant of the Nissan Skyline. Alth ...
's
Premium Midship platform.
In France, there is a large network of Alpine enthusiasts clubs. Clubs exist in many countries including the UK, USA, Australia, and Japan.
In February 2009, Renault confirmed that plans to revive the Alpine brand had been frozen as a direct result of the 2008–2009 global financial crisis and recession.
![Alpine Vision Geneva Motor Show 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Alpine_Vision_Geneva_Motor_Show_2016.jpg)
In May 2012, images of a new Renault Alpine concept titled as
Renault Alpine A110-50 were leaked prior to its debut in Monaco. Its styling was based on the
Renault DeZir presented in 2010.
![Alpine A110 Pure Genf 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Alpine_A110_Pure_Genf_2018.jpg)
In November 2012, Renault and
Caterham Cars
Caterham Cars is a British manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars established in Caterham, England, with their headquarters in Dartford, England. Their current model, the Caterham 7 (or Seven), originally launched in 1973, is a dir ...
announced the purchasing by the latter of a 50% stake in the Renault's wholly owned subsidiary Société des Automobiles Alpine to create a joint venture (
Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham or SAAC) owned equally by both parts, with the aim of developing affordable sport cars under the Alpine (for Renault) and Caterham (for Caterham Cars) brands, which would be available in 2016.
In this partnership, Caterham acquired 50% ownership of the Renault's Dieppe assembly plant assets.
On 10 June 2014, Renault announced it would be repurchasing the stake from Caterham Cars in SAAC, renaming it Société des Automobiles Alpine. During 2015, two new Alpine concepts were introduced: the Alpine Celebration, unveiled at the Le Mans race weekend, and the
CGI-created Alpine
Vision Gran Turismo The Vision Gran Turismo program (commonly abbreviated Vision GT or VGT) is a series of concept cars for the Gran Turismo video game series, developed by a cross-section of the world's top automobile manufacturers. These cars appeared originally in ...
. In February 2016, at an event held in
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
, Groupe Renault's chief
Carlos Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn (; ; ar, كارلوس غصن; , born 9 March 1954) is a businessman who holds Brazilian and French nationality. Ghosn was the CEO of Michelin North America, chairman and CEO of Renault, chairman of AvtoVAZ, chairman and CEO of Ni ...
unveiled the Alpine Vision
showcar
A show car, sometimes called a dream car, is a custom-made automobile created specifically for public display, rather than sale. They are shown at auto shows and other exhibitions. Show cars can either come from car companies or from private indi ...
(a model close to the planned production Alpine) and announced a 2017 relaunch for the Alpine brand.
The Vision was later presented at the
86th Geneva Motor Show by Alpine.
The production version reused the A110 name and the first official pictures were revealed on 28 February 2017 prior to the unveiling at the 87th Geneva Motor show.
![Geneva Auto Salon 2017 (33350620001)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Geneva_Auto_Salon_2017_%2833350620001%29.jpg)
On 10 December 2020, Alpine and
MV Agusta
MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is a motorcycle manufacturer founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the Agusta aircraft company near Milan in ...
announced that they would make a special edition of the
MV Agusta Superveloce influenced by the
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 is a sports car produced by French automobile manufacturer Alpine from 1963 to 1977. The car was styled as a " berlinette", which in the post-WWII era refers to a small enclosed two-door berline, better-known as a coupé. The ...
called the Superveloce 800 Alpine, there would be approximately 110 models made.
In January 2021, Alpine said it would absorb the Renault Sport entities (Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing), merging them with the existing Alpine operations to form a new Alpine business unit. The company also said it had signed a
memorandum of understanding with
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars Limited is a British automotive company headquartered in Norfolk, England which manufactures sports cars and racing cars noted for their light weight and fine handling characteristics.
Lotus was previously involved in Formula One r ...
to co-develop an
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
successor for the A110.
[ In May 2021, ]Les Ulis
Les Ulis () is a commune in the Essonne department located in the southwestern suburbs (banlieue) of Paris, France. It is from the centre of Paris.
Location
Les Ulis is a new town located in the Île-de-France, in the south-west of the P ...
-based Renault Sport Cars was officially renamed as Alpine Cars and turned into the main development hub for Alpine as well as the whole Renault group sports cars.
Operations
Dieppe plant
The first assembly plant for Alpine was at a small workshop owned by Rédélé on the Pasteur avenue in Dieppe.[ In 1969, to cope with increasing demand, the assembly was moved to a larger facility on de Bréauté avenue, its present location.]
The Dieppe plant has 3.8 hectares of covered buildings. , it had 386 employees.
The plant is semi-automatised, with high worker input (before the launch of the 2017 A110, vehicles were almost completely hand-built) and focused on low-volume, high quality assembly. It can produce an average of 15 A110s per day. The plant press neither steel nor aluminium (the A110s are mostly built on prefabricated alloy panels). The plant has not a welding section, as the A110 chassis and bodywork are riveted and glued on a special assembly line and moved to a low-temperature coating plant (able to paint both the alloy and plastic elements) and then to a sanding robot (to remove imperfections) and wiping robot (to clean the vehicle). Final assembly is made on a single line, with logistics teams preparing beforehand the vehicle's components to travel along the line with it. Cockpits are assembled and put on by the side and pre-assembled powertrains are put on the rear. Apart from low-volume cars, the Dieppe plant also assembles racing cars[ (as the Clio Rally4, a rallying car based on the fifth-generation ]Renault Clio
The Renault Clio () is a supermini car (B-segment), produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consis ...
), co-develops racing cars, produces and sells parts for racing cars, and tunes engines.[
From the late 1970s, Alpine's Dieppe plant produced Renault Sport models and, after the discontinuation of the Alpine brand in 1995, it became its main focus.][ Renault Sport models produced over time by Alpine include: Renault 5 Turbo, ]Renault Sport Spider
The Renault Sport Spider is a roadster produced by the French automaker Renault Sport (a subsidiary of Renault) between 1996 and 1999.
Project
The idea for the Renault Spider was formulated in the early 1990s: in the midst of a revival after a d ...
, Clio Renault Sport
The Clio Renault Sport (or Clio RS for short) is a hot hatch produced since 1998 by Renault Sport, the high-performance division of French automaker Renault. It is based on the Clio supermini.
The engine remained the same since the first Clio ...
, Mégane Renault Sport.[ The last Renault Sport model produced by Dieppe aimed at the mainstream market was the fourth-generation Clio Renault Sport, which was put out of production at the site in 2018. Between 2015 and 2016, the plant also assembled the ]Bolloré Bluecar
The Bolloré Bluecar is a small four-seat, three-door electric car supplied by Bolloré, designed by Pininfarina and manufactured by Cecomp in Bairo, Italy, under a joint venture owned by Bolloré and Pininfarina called Véhicule Électriques Pini ...
.[
]
Alpine Racing
Alpine Racing is the Alpine's motorsport division. It is made up of the Alpine subsidiaries Alpine Racing Limited (an Enstone
Enstone is a village and civil parish in England, about east of Chipping Norton and north-west of Oxford city. The civil parish, one of Oxfordshire's largest, consists of the villages of Church Enstone and Neat Enstone, with the hamlets of Cha ...
-based operation) and Alpine Racing SAS (Viry-Châtillon
Viry-Châtillon () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants of Viry-Châtillon are known as ''Castelvirois'' in French.
Sports
The town is home to the women's f ...
) mainly for running the company Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
programme and a partnership with Signatech
Signatech, formerly known as Signature, is a French auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since th ...
for other programmes.
The Alpine competition department had various racing programmes from the early 1960s onwards. At the end of 1976, the department was merged with Gordini to form Renault Sport. Some Alpine racing activities continued after that, including a 1978 Le Mans 24 overall victory with the Renault Alpine A442, partnering its parent Renault.
In 2013, as part of the promotional activities for the launching of Alpine roadcars, Alpine partnered with Signatech to enter a Nissan-powered, Oreca
ORECA (Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French racing team and race car constructor, founded in 1973 and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport. ...
-built prototype into the European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
championship's LMP2 class, re-establishing Alpine-badged racing activities. Signatech-Alpine won the team championship. They returned for the 2014 season. In 2015, the Signatech-Alpine combination entered into the World Endurance Championship World Endurance Championship may refer to:
* FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series held since 2012
* World Sportscar Championship, an auto racing series which used the title World Endurance Championship from 1981 to 1985
* Endura ...
(WEC)'s LMP2 class, achieving the 2016 and 2019-2020 championships[ and winning three Le Mans 24 races.] Through its partnership with Signatech, Alpine also launched GT4's touring car and rallying programmes for its A110.[
In September 2020, Groupe Renault announced it would rename its existing Formula One team as ]Alpine F1 Team
Alpine F1 Team, competing as BWT Alpine F1 Team, is a Formula One constructor which made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renault ...
. In January 2021, the Alpine company said it would absorb all existing Renault Sport Racing activities besides Formula One.
In March 2021, Alpine presented the Alpine Endurance Team, a WEC's top class team managed by Signatech and using a "grandfathered" Rebellion R13
The Rebellion R13 is a sports prototype racing car built by French constructor Oreca on behalf of Swiss-based team Rebellion Racing. It is a variation of the Oreca 07, created to compete in the LMP1 class. It would later be renamed by Alpine to A ...
.[ In October 2021, Alpine said it would enter two WEC prototypes built on the LMDh rules from 2024 onwards, with the running side managed again by Signatech. Oreca was announced as the chassis main developer and builder (assisted by Alpine Racing's Enstone operation) and the engine development side would be carried out by Alpine Racing's Viry-Châtillon base.
]
Alpine models
Street models
* A106
* A108
* A110
* A310
* GTA/A610
* A110 (2017)
* Mini Alpine
Racing models
* Alpine M63
* Alpine M64
* Alpine M65
*Alpine A210
The Alpine A210 was a sports car prototype manufactured by Alpine (automobile), Alpine that competed in sports car racing from 1966 to 1969. The car derived from the M series prototypes (M63, M64, and M65) introduced by the company in the early 1 ...
, Group 6
*![Fernando Alonso, F1 British Grand Prix 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Fernando_Alonso%2C_F1_British_Grand_Prix_2021.jpg)
Alpine A220
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
*Alpine A360
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
, Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One driv ...
*Alpine A364
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
*Alpine A367
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
, Formula Two
Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name retur ...
, also known as Elf 2
*Alpine A440
*Alpine A441
The Alpine A441 is a 2-liter ( Sports 2000) Group 5 sports prototype racing car built by French company Alpine and co-developed by Renault to compete in the 1974 European 2 Liter Sports Car Championship. It was designed by French engineer and r ...
, Group 5
*Alpine A442
The Renault Alpine A442 (also known as the Alpine Renault A442 ) is a sports prototype racing car, designed and built by Alpine, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Variants wer ...
, Group 6
* Alpine A443
*Alpine A450
The Oreca 03 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Oreca in 2011. It is built within the revised 2011 ACO regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car made its début at the 12 Hours of Sebring run by Signatech Nissan and set to race at the 2011 24 ...
(revised Oreca 03)
*Alpine A460
The Oreca 05 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Oreca in 2015.
The car was designed to compete in the LMP2 class. The car's first win came at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 83e 24 Heures du Mans ...
(revised Oreca 05)
* Alpine A470 (revised Oreca 07)
*Alpine A480
The Rebellion R13 is a sports prototype racing car built by French constructor Oreca on behalf of Swiss-based team Rebellion Racing. It is a variation of the Oreca 07, created to compete in the LMP1 class. It would later be renamed by Alpine to A ...
(revised Rebellion R13)[
*]Alpine A521
The Alpine A521, is a Formula One car designed by the Alpine F1 Team which competed in the 2021 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Fernando Alonso, marking his return to the sport, and Esteban Ocon. It was the first to be fielded ...
* Alpine A522
Alpines outside France
Brazil
The Alpine 108 was produced in Brazil from 1962 to 1966, under license by Willys-Overland do Brasil, branded "Willys Interlagos". It was the first Brazilian sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria produced its own version of an Alpine, known as ''Bulgaralpine
Bulgaralpine was a sports automobile produced in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and the result of a collaboration between Alpine (a French automobile firm) and ETO ''Bulet'' (a Bulgarian export trade organisation). Production lasted for three years (1967– ...
'' from 1967 to 1969. About 150 vehicles were produced.
Canada
A few examples of the Alpine GTA were imported into the Canadian province of Quebec, with the expectation that AMC/Renault would be adding the model to their Canadian lineup. The GTA was designed by Renault to meet North American standards, however plans to import the GTA to North America were cancelled by Chrysler shortly after their takeover of AMC.
Mexico
Mexico produced its own version of the Renault Alpine, known as ''Dinalpin'', from 1965 to 1974, assembled by DINA S.A.
DINA (''Diesel Nacional, S.A. de C.V'', in English: ''National Diesel'') is a Mexican bus and truck manufacturer based in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo, Mexico. It was created by the federal government of Mexico in 1951 as Diesel Nacional, S.A., and ...
, which also manufactured other Renault models under license. About 600 vehicles were produced.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpine
Automobiles Alpine
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France
Renault
Sports car manufacturers
Rear-engined vehicles
Cars introduced in 1955
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1955
Re-established companies
French racecar constructors
French brands
24 Hours of Le Mans teams
French Formula 3 teams
Car brands
Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers
French companies established in 1955