1973 Alpine A110 Berlinette
The now iconic Giovanni Michelotti-styled Berlinette coupe body – the design of which is cleverly reflected in the new A110 – initially appeared on the Alpine A108 in 1960, before being subtly modified to create the legendary A110 ‘Tour de France’ Berlinette. The A110 was unveiled at the 1962 Paris Salon with a restyled rear end, reworked from the A108 by Michelotti to integrate the new, larger Renault R8 1,100 cc engine. These modifications gave the new Alpine more finesse and sobriety, the A108’s side vents and rear wheel arches being simplified, the rear engine cover flattened.
Initially the A110’s front end retained the A108’s small diameter headlamps, which were complemented by additional driving lights in 1967, and replaced by larger lamp units in 1969. As the original A110’s body evolved, so did it’s Renault mechanical bases and power outputs, with 1300cc R12 and 1600 R16 engines replacing the original Renault 8 motor.
The Alpine legend was built on the rallying successes of the Berlinette, with the Dieppe Works rally team being allocated Renault’s entire competition budget for 1968. Alpine’s rallying prowess, including outright wins in the Coupe des Alpes and other international events during 1968, brought a closer collaboration with Renault, which allowed A110s to be sold and maintained by regular Renault dealers for the first time.
In 1971, Alpine A110s finished first, second and third in the Monte Carlo rally, using Renault 16 engines, and in 1973, Dieppe repeated the Monte Carlo result, and also went on to win the World Rally Championship outright, thus securing Alpine’s reputation. A110 production continued in Dieppe until 1977, with the model, also built under-licence around the world, including Spain, Bulgaria, Brazil and Mexico.