1965 Alpine A110

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Few cars epitomise the mantra of ‘less is more’ quite so effectively as the Alpine A110, and this rare early survivor is being offered for sale in exceptional condition following an extensive restoration.

A 1990 letter from Société des Automobiles Alpine Renault confirms that chassis 3222 left the factory on 23 May 1965. Although A110s were also built in Spain, Bulgaria, Brazil and Mexico, this particular car was produced by Alpine in its hometown of Dieppe in northern France.

The A110 was bought into the UK in 1984 via the Lenham Motor Company by an enthusiast owner whose car-owning past also included a Formula Junior Cooper T52, an Ausper Formula 3 car and the unique Marina Rolls-Royce sports-racer. A few years later, some extensive recommissioning work was carried out that included an engine rebuild, and the owner would end up keeping the car for well over 20 years.

More recently, the decision was taken to treat the Alpine to a thorough body-off restoration. The important milestones are noted in the car’s history file, and include an engine rebuild in 2017, a retrim and carburettor rebuild in 2018, and rewiring and repainting in 2020 – the same year in which 34 pieces of brightwork were professionally rechromed. 

Further paintwork was carried out in early 2021 and, having spent time in Alpine Blue, the car is now once again beautifully presented in its original shade of Ivory. 

The painstaking restoration was finally completed in summer 2024, and the care and attention with which it was carried out is evident throughout the car. With its more-powerful, period-correct, 1108cc Gordini ‘VB’ engine, amazing handling, and an overall weight of only 650kg, it’s an invigorating little sports car that’s perfectly capable of humbling far more exotic machinery on a cross-country blast.

MODEL HISTORY  

French garage owner Jean Rédélé made a name for himself in the early 1950s, entering Renault 4CVs in great events such as the Tour de France, Mille Miglia and Le Mans 24 Hours. His experience of modifying the little Renault led to him building his own car, the Alpine A106, which used a Michelotti-designed glassfibre body and 4CV mechanical components. 

That was followed in 1957 by the A108 and then the A110, which was unveiled at the 1962 Paris Motor Show. This latest model employed a steel backbone chassis and a glassfibre body that was once again the work of Michelotti, while the engine was taken from the Renault 8. 

The four-cylinder unit came in various sizes and states of tune, from 956cc and 51bhp, through to the Gordini-engined variant that boasted a twin-carburettor 1108cc engine and 85bhp. A five-speed gearbox was also offered, while disc brakes were fitted all round. 

In subsequent years, the A110’s engine would continue to grow, and the 1300 model was added to the range in 1965 with a 1296cc, 115bhp Renault 8 Gordini engine. In 1966 came the 1500 model, and two years later Alpine introduced the 1600, which had the 1565cc ‘four’ from the Renault 16TS.  

The 1600 was a formidable rally weapon, and in 1970 Jean-Claude Andruet won the European Rally Championship. With the A110 now in 1800 form, it then went on to win the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973, and motorsport success was key to Alpine’s appeal. 

Much of its ethos in terms of producing lightweight, small-engined sports cars was shared with Lotus. When Autocar tested an A110 in 1966, it wrote: ‘In terms of tackling the twists, turns and climbs, it’s difficult to find comparisons for a car as individual as the A110. It brings back memories of the Porsche 356B Carrera 1600, but it’s not quite like that. In terms of handling, it feels most like the Lotus Elan.’

French production of the A110 ended in 1977 – the same year that Renault took full control of Alpine – but the name was revived in 2017 for a new model that successful captured the spirit of the revered original.