Alpine A110 Berlinette 1600S
The Alpine A110 is France's greatest sports car. Created by Jean Rédélé — a racing driver and Renault dealer from Dieppe — the A110 was a tiny, featherweight, rear-engined machine built for one purpose: to win rallies. And win it did, dominating European rally stages throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.
The A110's secret was its absurdly low weight. A fiberglass body over a steel backbone chassis, with a Renault-derived engine hanging behind the rear axle, created a car that weighed as little as 680 kg (1,499 lbs) in race trim. This gave it a power-to-weight ratio that made much more powerful cars look foolish on twisting mountain roads.
The engine was based on Renault's Gordini-tuned units, ranging from 1.0L to 1.8L through the A110's production life. The most iconic version — the 1600S — used a 1.6-liter unit with twin Weber carburetors producing 138 hp. In a car that light, this was enough for 130 mph and 0-60 in 6.3 seconds.
The A110's rear-engine layout gave it tremendous traction under acceleration (weight transfers rearward) but also made it a handful at the limit — like a Porsche 911, the rear could snap around with little warning. In the hands of rally heroes like Jean-Claude Andruet and Ove Andersson, this pendulum handling was an advantage, allowing the car to be thrown sideways into corners with breathtaking precision.
The A110's crowning achievement was the 1973 World Rally Championship, when Alpine-Renault won the inaugural WRC Manufacturers' Championship. It was France's finest motorsport hour.
Renault eventually absorbed Alpine and the A110 was succeeded by the A310. The Alpine factory in Dieppe continues to produce cars to this day — the modern A110 (2017-present) is a direct spiritual successor.
The A110 is a specialist car with a loyal following. The fiberglass body doesn't rust but can crack and is difficult to repair properly. The steel backbone chassis CAN rust — inspect carefully. Engine and drivetrain parts are Renault-based and available. The 1600S with twin Webers is the most collectible road version. Rally-prepared cars with documented competition history command huge premiums. Check for accident damage (lightweight construction means even minor impacts can be structural). Authentication through the Alpine Register is recommended.
Total A110 production: approximately 7,176 units (1961-1977). Engines ranged from 956cc to 1,800cc. The 1600S (1970-77) is the most desirable road version. Competition versions dominated European rallying. Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé and absorbed by Renault in 1973. The factory in Dieppe, Normandy, still operates.