Alpine A108

A little history

Many artisans sprung up in France during the Fifties, with a large part of them producing nimble sports cars. Such a trend was favoured by the availability in the country of two small production engines that were excellent bases for racing preparation, the flat-twin Panhard and the Renault 4CV’s inline four. None of these companies, some of them only enjoying a brief existence, was more successful than Alpine.

We have already seen how Jean Rédélé, Alpine’s founder, created the A106. By the late decade some more modern cars had been introduced, while the 4CV’s, from which the A106 drew most of its parts, had been joined in Renault’s range by the Dauphine. Rédélé’s logical step was to commission a new car based on Renault’s newest popular car, calling it the A108.

Alpine’s very limited production at the time allowed great flexibility, but is an automotive historian’s nightmare today. Hardly two cars were alike, and even the switch from the A106 to the A108 was gradual. Therefore, the very first A108s, introduced during the 1959 Paris motor show, were hardly different from the A106s they replaced. They enjoyed some technical refinements but overall looked similar. Still, the final A108’s design was already in embryo, in the form of specially-bodied A106 prototypes presented over the years. The first “true” A108 appeared in 1960, surprisingly not during a motor show, but on the starting grid of a racing event. For the Tour de France, Alpine had developed a special A108 coupe, the fastback “berlinette”, which proved a success and was immediately nicknamed “Tour de France”.

The 1960 A108 Tour de France now had all the characteristics of what is today perceived as a classic Alpine. A central tubular backbone supported a small Renault inline four, set at the extreme rear of the car, and a fiberglass body that was sealed into place. This arrangement made the A108 incredibly light: the car would only weigh in the vicinity of 580 kilos.

The A108 was good enough, but its concept was soon further refined into the mythical A110. For a time both models were produced, but the berlinette version of the older car retired in 1963. The A108 nonetheless survived in two forms. First was a 2+2 coupe, introduced in 1961, which enjoyed a lengthened platform and a different body. Designed by Chappe & Gessalin, a coachbuilder associated with Alpine since its very beginnings, but which would soon develop its own sports car, the Alpine-inspired but Simca-powered C.G., the A108 2+2 had odd proportions and seemed out of balance. Performances were comparatively disappointing, and the 2+2 was often seen as a lady’s car. It was produced in limited quantities until 1965, though a much more elegant GT4 had been added long before. The second A108 survivor was built in faraway Brazil as the Willys Interlagos, available in a full range of berlinette, coupe and convertible models. Though the American company had concentrated on Jeeps and trucks in its homeland, its local subsidiary was still building road cars, among them an updated version of the Aero sedan and, starting in 1960, a Renault Dauphine built under license. In 1961, Willys clinched another contract for the soon-to-be-discontinued A108, to be constructed in the Americas as the Interlagos after the famous local circuit. If I’m not mistaking – our Brazilian friends may correct me if I’m wrong – this license owed much to “Bino” Heins, a young local pilot who was killed a few years later at Le Mans while driving an Alpine, and his father, the brand’s local importer.

About the models

Three models today… but none of the most obvious A108 berlinette type!

Model: Alpine A108
Year: 1959
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.29 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2011, in Souillac, France

The model itself is nicely done and correctly assembled, but the paint job is a complete disgrace. For this reason I’ll limit my rating to 9/20, though with a nicer paint it could have been much higher. Interestingly, this doesn’t to be an isolated problem for Eligor, as I already complained about the poor quality of the A106 convertible.

Model: Alpine A108 Coupé 2+2
Year: 1961
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.52 of its Renault Collection press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in January 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Overall proportions and respect of scale are correct, but could have been better. Many separate parts have been fitted by Universal Hobbies. At any rate the model is more good-looking than the original, arguably the ugliest Alpine ever produced. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Willys Interlagos
Year: 1964
Event: 1964 Brasília 12 Hours, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi (finished 2nd overall)
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.8 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

Basically Eligor’s A108 fitted with a different paint; as Axel’R’s version of the very same car is noticeably dissimilar (see this limited edition – 50 pieces only – collectible on our friend Tohmé’s excellent blog), and though I never saw a picture of the original vehicle, I suspect that Eligor’s budget version doesn’t mind much for accuracy. I’ll give a 11/20 to this otherwise nicely made model.

Alpine A310

A little history

The Alpine A110 was built for racing, making it rather impractical for everyday use. Its maker decided that its successor, the A310, would be a more comfortable, more ambitious car. It would also be a 2+2 while the A110 had strictly been a two-seater.

Studies started during the late Sixties. From the start the new Alpine was to be a true GT, the use of the 3.0-litre V8 developed by Gordini for the A220 sportscar being considered for a while. Of these initial plans only the striking design remained, the A310 finally having to settle for a more plebeian Renault four as an engine.

The A310 prototype was finally introduced to the public during the Geneva motor show in March 1971. Alas, some heavy investments made by Alpine, which had just opened two new plants, combined with a disastrous strike that slowed production put the small company in dire straights. The management therefore decided to hasten the release of the new car, which hit the market before the end of the year, while still insufficiently tested. The flaws of the early cars gained the A310 a bad reputation that couldn’t be totally erased during its long career. Furthermore the first buyers deplored the tame character of their cars, when compared to the spirited A110. Though the wheelbases ofthe two cars were identical, the longer overhangs of the A310 made for a heavier car, which 1.6-litre four, though the most powerful block the A110 had to share, proved insufficient.

The chaotic launch of the car didn’t improve Alpine’s fortune and, in order to save the little company, Renault took it over from Jean Rédélé, a decision its founder would regret for the rest of his life. The A310’s premature introduction having proved disastrous, Renault opted for a thorough upgrading, which was ready by 1976. The car’s style was revised by Robert Opron, who removed the characteristic full-width headlights of the early A310s, while the 1.6-litre four gave way to the new PRV 2.7-litre V6, developed by Renault in cooperation with Peugeot and Volvo. The Swedish manufacturer had been the first to fit one of its road cars with this engine in 1974, and Renault had followed suit with its 1975 R30. The PRV greatly improved performance, but unfortunately also made the car even more tail-heavy, though its handling remained far from tricky. Worst yet, it pushed the car up into the same league as the Porsche 911. The A310 hadn’t been designed with this kind of competition in mind, and the German GT clearly proved one notch above its rival in all respects. The car’s production was therefore condemned to remain low, only 11,400 copies being built until replaced in November 1984 by the V6 GT, better yet even less successful.

About the models

Model: Alpine A310 V8 Gordini
Year: 1968
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.9 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

A rather unusual die-cast for me, as I don’t generally collect prototypes or show cars. This model isn’t even one of those, but a reproduction of an early clay model. Even the wheels are fixed disks rather than the real thing, while the passenger compartment is totally empty beneath the tinted canopy. Any comparison with an existing model being impossible, I won’t give a rating, and only mention that Eligor’s die-cast is certainly well made, but isn’t indispensable except to die-hard Alpine fans.

Model: Alpine A310
Year: 1972
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.54 of its Nos Chères Voitures d’Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Somehow I find Ixo’s model bulky, and devoid of the peculiar elegance of the early A310s. My rating is 9/20.

Model: Alpine A310
Year: 1972
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido, “Yesterday” series
Acquired: brand new, in January 2004, in Brive, France

Much older, Solido’s model lacks the details of a later die-cast, but its proportions are good. Furthermore it enjoys a rear hatch and underneath it an engine cover which can both be opened, revealing a small silver-painted engine. I give 11/20 to this ancient but still pleasant scale model.

Model: Alpine A310 V6
Year: 1981
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.12 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2011, in Souillac, France

Universal Hobbies offers this nice and accurate model of the V6 version of the A310. I’m not so fond of the caches in front of the headlights, but the wheels are splendid: 13/20.

Model: Renault Alpine A310 V6 Pack GT
Year: c.1983
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.18 of its Renault Collection press series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in July 2006, in Brive, France

A good model from Universal Hobbies. It may appear white on pictures but is actually painted in a magnificent pearl shade. My rating is 13/20.

Model: Alpine A310 V6 Pack GT
Year: 1983
Maker: see lower
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.2 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

I’ll check this one as soon as I find it, as I have doubts about its maker. If I remember well it is indisputably identical to the previous Universal Hobbies, which indeed collaborated to this Hachette series, but I think is curiously branded as a Norev. Nonetheless my rating is identical: 13/20.

Alpine A210

More than three weeks without posting anything new… Finally, here’s a little something.

A little history

Alpine took over in endurance racing where DB, which vanished after splitting into the CD and René Bonnet outfits, had left: building cars dominating the lower classes of the sport, thanks to perfect tuning and advanced aerodynamics. The Dieppe company could rely on Renault to provide the engines needed for its machines. As a French company, Alpine made Le Mans its main objective. Obviously its initial entries had no ambition in the overall rankings, but coveted classes victories, index of performance (a ranking comparing distance covered in twenty-four hours versus engine displacement) and the recently created index of thermal efficiency (which took distance covered, weight and fuel consumption into consideration).

First try was in 1963, and didn’t prove a happy one. Alpine had brought three M63 prototypes to Le Mans, all equipped with small 1.0-litre engines borrowed from the Renault 8 Gordini. Bino Heins, son of the Alpine importer in Brazil, crashed during the sixth hour and was killed. The two remaining Alpine later retired, the last survivor shortly before the end of the race, while it had run as high as tenth before being slowed down by engine problems.

In 1964 Alpine returned with four machines, two M63s and two M64s, the latter being only a slight evolution from the older model. Engines were bigger, and all four cars were now classified as 1150cc prototypes. Reliability proved much better that year, only one car retiring late in the race. The fastest of all three remaining finished 17th, while winning both its class and the index of thermal efficiency.

For the next edition of the race Alpine came with no less than six cars of types previously seen, a serious attempt that came to naught as all of them retired in succession – too bad as they were easily dominating their only rivals, the Austin-Healey Sprites.

A new design was needed; it appeared in 1966 as the M66, better known as the A210. Seven cars were prepared, and though only six actually raced, who could dream nowadays of such a works team? Success was back, triumph even as four cars saw the chequered on Sunday afternoon, finishing 9-11-12-13 overall, dominating their class (their closest rival, a Mini Marcos, finished 52 laps down while all Austin-Healeys and ASAs retired) and placing themselves 1-2 on top of the index of thermal efficiency’s rankings.

The Alpine A210s were successful again in 1967 – nothing was left to chance as there were eight of them on the grid, seven being works cars in name or in fact, while the eighth one was an ageing M64 entered by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team, much better known for racing Italian thoroughbreds than small French machines. The Alpines took 9-10-12-13 that year, winning both the 1300cc and 1600cc classes, the latter being challenged for the very first time by one of the blue cars, fitted with a Renault 16 engine. The index of thermal efficiency went to the Ford GT40s, which compensated their monstrous appetite for gasoline by astonishing performances.

Great changes took place in 1968. Prototypes of no more than three litres of displacement were to be the norm in endurance racing, though a last-minute correction of the rules finally allowed 5-litre sportscars for four seasons more. Despite the backing of Renault, Alpine probably overstretched its own capacities, launching its onslaught onto no less than four different classes at Le Mans with nine cars. For the time being, the effort seems to pay: Alpine finished 8-9-10-11-14 overall, winning three classes (1150, 1300 and 1600cc), plus the two indexes. If five of the cars were the well-known A210s, four were of the new A220 type: a heavier, faster Alpine which, fitted with a 3-litre engine, aimed now at no less than an overall victory. Unfortunately, while the Renault blocks powering the A210 were sturdy, the A220 engine, specially built by Gordini as the Régie had no road car with such a large displacement, proved fragile.

The last lines of the first chapter in Alpine’s sportscars history were written in 1969. Le Mans proved a serious disillusion. Out of eight cars entered, equally shared between the trusted A210s and the faster A220s, only one A210 reached the finishing line. Though it won both the 1150cc class and the index of performance, the result was meagre. More than ever the A220 had disappointed the hopes of both its creators and the French public. With most of the national support, notably from the major sponsor Elf, going to rival Matra, Alpine withdrew from endurance racing… for the time being, as with an ever-increasing support from Renault, it would return as soon as in 1973 and develop the A440 to A443 series that would finally bring the company a first place overall at Le Mans five years later – but I’m too voluble here, as it will be the topic of another post.

About the models

Model: Alpine A210 – Renault
Year: 1966
Event: 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jacques Cheinisse and Roger Delageneste (finished 11th overall, index of thermal efficiency winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.36 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

I definitely like this model, nice enough to be given 14/20. Not to put to the sole credit of Ixo, but rather to share with that of the engineers at Alpine, this die-cast is truly beautiful from any angle.

Alpine A106

A little history

A Renault agent from Dieppe, Jean Rédélé was also an amateur pilot. At that time, the company he represented had a wonderful base for cheap racing: the 4CV. And as Rédélé had a special gift for tuning his cars, he soon became successful, so much actually that he decided to create his own little company, Alpine, to manufacture a small sports car using 4CV mechanical parts. He wasn’t the only one, not even the first to devise such a plan, but once again, was the most successful in this endeavour.

Alpine’s first production car, the A106, appeared in 1955 as a small, rounded coupe. Though still far from what the famous A110 would look like, most of the elements of the future Alpines were already in place with the A106, most notably its fiberglass body, its tubular backbone chassis which gave perfect road holding, and its Renault engine and gearbox.

Helped by further wins in competition, the A106’s sales flourished. A good-looking convertible, penned by Italian designer Michelotti, was soon added to the line. Nevertheless the turtle-like look was rapidly ageing, so Michelotti was called in again to update the car, which became the A108 in 1958. Limited quantities of A106s were built for some time after the gradual introduction of the newer car, before it finally retired. Though possibly the least remembered of all Alpines, the A106 had done its job well and paved the way for the few brilliant decades that would follow.

About the models

Model: Alpine A106
Year: 1956
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.23 of its Nos Chères Voitures d’Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

A rather good model of the A106 was offered by Altaya a few years back, and should still be found easily. I’d give 14/20 to it.

Model: Alpine A106
Year: 1958
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.25 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

Eligor proposed this convertible A106 through a Hachette series, but it’s possibly slightly inferior to the Ixo-made version. Furthermore, on my copy of this model, the paint of the left front wing is totally botched and the left headlight is badly put in place (though hardly visible on the following pictures), and should have probably been rejected by quality control. Eligor found it good enough to be sold – I find myself good enough to give it 8/20 due to poor workmanship…

An update: similar problems with the paint job of the A108 coupe seem to indicate that Eligor has a serious issue here. It is just shameful that the French manufacturer dares selling models as those ones.