The history of the Alpine brand is intrinsically linked with racing and rallying. Clever weight-saving techniques and extracting maximum power from small capacity production engines were key to the racing ethos of Jean Rédelé. The Dieppe-based French rally enthusiast and Renault concessionaire established Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS—or Alpine, named for the driver’s fondness of the Coupe des Alpes—in 1955. An intimate relationship with Renault and its products meant Rédelé’s first cars were derived from the workaday 4CV, yet sustained momentum behind the Alpine brand led to the two companies combining to achieve greatness with exciting road cars and world-beating rally machines.

The Alpine A110 typified the dynamic approach employed by the marque’s earliest cars. Like its two predecessors, the A106 and A108, the A110 was underpinned by Renault components and clothed in a glass-fibre body to keep weight to a minimum. The two-door coupé also maintained Alpine’s preference for a rear-engined layout, affording the cars unique handling characteristics that gave drivers a notable advantage on the loose.

Thanks to its range of punchy engines and featherweight construction, the A110 became a leading contender for rally success. The coupé found fame for Alpine in the International Championship for Manufacturers—the forerunner to the World Rally Championship—between 1970 and 1972, but it was at the first-ever WRC stage in Monaco in 1973 that the A110 cemented its name in rally folklore. Jean-Claude Andruet led an incredible 1-2-3 finish for the Renault-backed factory team as the A110 overpowered rivals from Fiat, Ford, and Lancia. Alpine-Renault proceeded almost unchallenged to claim that year’s manufacturer’s championship.

The A110 1600 S presented here, chassis 18358, offers a road-going take on the excitement that Alpine brought to rally stages around the world. Delivered new to Italy, the A110 was first registered in June 1973. While little is documented of the car’s earliest history, it presents today in restored condition, wearing the timeless shade of blue so often associated with Alpine’s cars. Upon being acquired by its consigning owner in 2001, the A110 was subject to bodywork restoration (restoration photos are available to view on file, further to workshop receipts exceeding €40,000) and has since undergone further restorative work, including an engine rebuild in 2015. It is fitted with a roll bar, though its consigning owner adds that it has not been driven competitively since the restoration work was completed. The Alpine wears a set of Michelin XAS FF radial tyres on its four wheels and fifth spare, located in the front boot.

A characterful remnant of Alpine-Renault’s modern motorsport history, the A110 offers a fun and engaging driving experience that typifies Jean Rédelé’s passion for racing.