1972 Renault A110 Alpine 1300 Coupe (LHD)

Description

A genuine rally legend, the sensational Alpine A110 proved a winner right out of the box and dominated the international rallying scene for the better part of a decade. From the forests of Europe to the dirt tracks of Africa, the A110 proved itself both tough and incredibly versatile, capable of winning on just about any surface, qualities that continue to serve the cars well in historic events today. Jean Rédélé, the driving force behind Alpine, began competing in the humble Renault 4CV in the 1950s before constructing a series of specials based on the little Regie. Rédélé's first serious attempt at a road-going sports car, christened the A108, proved a success and was sold in several guises, including the pretty berlinette of 1959. Its successor, the A110, arrived in 1962 sharing the same mid-engined layout, steel backbone chassis and was again clothed with a fibreglass body patterned after the berlinette's shapely lines. The A110 utilised the five-bearing 956cc engine from the new Renault R8, along with disc bakes all round and four-speed gearbox. Serious production commenced at Alpine's Dieppe workshop in early 1963 and the company continued to develop and race the A110 throughout the 1960s. The burgeoning popularity of rallying came at a critical time for Alpine and pilots like Jean-Claude Andruet, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Bernard Darniche began chalking up win after win (more than 200 in total), culminating in outright victory in the inaugural World Rally Championship held in 1973. Notable victories that season included the San Remo, Tour de Corse, Acropolis, Monte Carlo and Portuguese rallies. Along the way, the road-going A110 gradually evolved into a potent weapon, with bigger, more powerful engines and many privateers ordered Group 3 or 4 kits and went rallying around the world, including here in Australia with local drivers Bob Watson and Jeff Beaumont scoring a win in the 1974 Rally Don Capasco. Alpine also struck deals to have the A110 produced under licence in several countries, principally Spain, Mexico and Bulgaria and of course went on to enjoy huge success both in endurance racing, taking the 1978 Le Mans 24-Hours victory outright, and as the primary innovator behind the Turbo-Era in in Formula One. Now, some four decades on, the little A110 enjoys a cult following around the globe and is becoming increasingly valuable as the years tick by; works cars now regularly fetch six figure sums and prices of good road cars are rising fast.