First in the Renault sports posting series - enjoy.....

Vital statistics

The legendary 1963 Berlinette sportscar was masterminded by motoring enthusiast extraordinaire Jean Rédélé, car dealer and driver with the Renault Motor Sport Department. Rédélé took his engineering enthusiasm as far as it could go by founding the Alpine company in the mid-1950s. With its partner Renault, Alpine entered motoring history in 1956 when the Berlinette A106 brought home the Mille Miglia Rally.

Thereafter, the famous A110 silhouette would become a much appreciated feature of the motoring landscape, as the Alpine Renault Berlinette clocked up victory after victory to win the hearts of racing buffs and the public at large. Powered first with a Renault 8 engine and later with a Renault 16 unit, the A110 won the 1971 International Rally Championship, then followed through with a truly stupendous feat in the 1973 World Rally Championship, taking the first three places in the opening and closing races (Monte-Carlo and Tour de Corse), ahead of rivals from Fiat, Ford, Lancia and Datsun, much to the pride and credit of drivers, mechanics and sports director Jacques Cheinisse.

Data sheet

Name: Alpine A110
Model year: 1973
Engine: Renault four-cylinder - 1796cc - Bore 82.5mm - Stroke 84mm
Nominal power: 165bhp at 7,000rpm - Torque 19.50mkg at 5,000rpm
Gearbox: Five forward speed and reverse
Brakes: Disks on all four wheels
Coachwork: Two-seater coupé in fibreglass and polyester
Dimensions and weight: Length 3.84m - Width 1.52m - Height 1.14m - Weight 700kg
Top speed: 225kph, depending on gear ratios

From http://www.renault.com/gb/passion/co...973_alpinea110