1970 Alpine A110
1800 GROUPE 4-
Year of manufacture1970
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Mileage9 999 999 km / 6 213 712 mi
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Car typeCoupé
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Chassis number16714
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Lot number65
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DriveLHD
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ConditionUsed
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Interior colourBlack
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Location
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Exterior colourPurple
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GearboxManual
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Drivetrain2wd
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Fuel typePetrol
Description
Genuine factory Gr.4
Raced for Alpine
Raced with private drivers
The history of the Alpine A110 begins with Jean Rédélé, a racing driver and then a manufacturer. A great winner of the Mille Miles with his Renault 4cv, he undertook, in 1955, to improve the performance of his vehicle. To do this, he began by removing the steel bodywork and replacing it with polyester. As aluminium was expensive at the time, this new material seemed to meet his expectations. This car then became the Alpine A106. With the passing of the modifications, in particular after the adoption of a central beam as a chassis and a mechanics belonging to the Renault 8, the A106 becomes A108 then A110. This car was then modified over time, with engine modifications from a 956cc to a
1,796cc. The car will then impose itself against major competitors such as Fiat, Porsche or BMW and will become the queen of rally competitions. Its growing success will then extend the production to production vehicles. Moreover, these same production vehicles took on many of the codes of the competition models. But modifications were necessary! The Alpine A110 of competition will receive a second fuel tank to fill the meager capacity of the first one. Wing extensions were also fitted from 1966.
If some think that the small berlinette will not hold on the Moroccan or Portuguese tracks and that it is rather made for the roads of Monte Carlo, it is not! Renault will carry out what the Americans now call "torture tests". The car was sent to Great Britain, to the tank testing grounds of the time. The aim was to drive the car until a part broke. When it did, that part was strengthened, improved. In this way, the car would gain even more strength and performance. For the year 1970, 45 Alpine A110 Group 4 cars were produced for racing, for use as a mule or for official representations.
This berlinette was assembled by the factory's competition department in 1970, bearing the bodywork number 2606. The Alpine production archives indicate that this bodywork was assigned to
serial number (chassis) 16610 and assigned to the factory's racing department on 25 November 1969. The Alpine sales department archives indicate that the car was delivered only 6 months later, in June 1970. The body was delivered painted, with windows and headlights, but without the front axle and mechanical parts. These elements would be fitted by the competition mechanics. Chassis no. 16610 was therefore completed in October and registered on the 15th of that month, along with three other berlinettes intended for competition.
It was then registered as 7850 GS 76. It has the classic attributes of a 1970 factory car: Lightweight body
Reinforced chassis with quick-lift supports and a remote oil filter support
Central aviation fuel tank with a capacity of 90 litres Filling of fuel via side hatch with Lebozec cap Central windscreen washer nozzle "factory" type
Heated windscreen
4-point roll bar, small model, 30mm diameter
Factory" bucket seats
CIBIE 3-point belts
SMITHS mechanical rev counter Round rear right-hand spoiler 364 gearbox Rallye engine Mignotet
Big brakes
Marchal reversing light
Quick lift support at the front
Polyester front armour and metal rear ski
Gotti 5 1⁄2 and 6-inch bimetal wheels
Direct steering, reinforced front spindles
Special springs and shock absorbers
70 amp alternator
Its chassis is still a small model, the big chassis having appeared in the same period, but on models intended for land events. Indeed, this A110 is an "asphalt" car and will have its first entry in the 1970 Tour de Corse. Jean Rédélé wanted his cars to run only a few competitions before being sold to private drivers, so chassis 16610 was returned to the Used Cars Department. This used car department was then juggling with the registration cards of its A110s and was also removing the diamond-shaped chassis plates to attach them to the registration cards. This operation led to the change of the chassis number of our car from 16610 to 16714. This new number corresponds to the registration 3741 GQ 76. These changes of registration are frequent for official competition cars of all brands, even the most prestigious.
The berlinette was then passed from hand to hand until 1981, when it was stored in a garage until 2021. This lethargy kept it from many modifications, except for a 6-point harness and the roof which was replaced. The engine is now a Mignonet MS79 coupled to a large gearbox.
Carrying the registration number 9075 VD 38, this berlinette is a real piece of French motoring history and is now waiting for a happy owner to take care of it.
We would like to thank specialist Gilles Vallerian for his help in the history of this car. Mr Vallerian's report will be given to the buyer.