THE ALPINE TECHNIQUE

Réédition partielle de la collection Alpine Renault - Construisez l’Alpine A110 1600S Berlinette

SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE

Often imitated, never equalled! The formidable efficiency of the Alpine A110, and those that followed it, is undoubtedly due to a perfect blend of power, lightness and boldness.

Jean Rédélé, the owner and creator of Alpine, understood this obvious fact: the key to the efficiency of a sports car is lightness. So the brand's first models, although based on the Renault 4 CV chassis, were given a synthetic body to make the Alpine lighter. The result was not entirely satisfactory, and in the mid-1950s Rédélé and his team were still considering ways of making the car even lighter...

In 1953, Jean Rédélé was still in the driver's seat; here he is driving one of the first Alpines, based on a Renault 4 CV, in the Dieppe Rally, on his home turf in Normandy, between straw bales and palisades. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R.

One solution commonly used at the time was tubular trellis covered with a thin skin of aluminium, or even polyester; this was the case for Formula 1 single-seaters, or very top-of-the-range sports cars such as the Mercedes 300 SL. The problem was that such a technique was unaffordable, which was not a problem for monsters where the cost price was of little importance, but it was quite a different matter for the little Alpines, whose value had to remain contained if they were to have a commercial potential. Nonetheless, the Renault chassis was very heavy, which was where weight could be saved.

Rédélé imagined a large diameter central beam to which a perpendicular tube of slightly smaller diameter was welded at each end, tubes onto which all the main accessories were attached: braking, suspension and steering systems, not forgetting of course the engine at the rear. In fact, the overall dimensions of this chassis were more or less the same as those of the 4CV, but the result spoke for itself: a rigidity that was never in doubt and a good hundred kilos saved! It was only after numerous tests and modifications that the final version was developed, but once the right weight balance had been found, the system became Alpine's trademark, to the extent that it was fitted to all models sold until the final A610s went on sale in the 1990s.

The Alpine A110 body in 1968: taken from the mould, it consists of a single polyester block to which the doors and front and rear bonnets are attached. The body itself would be attached to the chassis-beam which was embedded in polyester. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R.

Polyester bodywork

The A110's 'skeleton' was thus born, but it still had to be dressed. To 'close' the car and provide even greater rigidity, the central beam was embedded in polyester, and the whole assembly served as the car's floor. The body was also made from polyester. Made from a single block from one mould, the two parts were then assembled. Watertightness, between the floor and the body on the one hand, and between the doors, bonnets and passenger compartment on the other, was one of the Berlinette's recurring problems.

A small trick - but as they say, there's no such thing as a small profit - was that the central beam, made from a hollow tube, was opportunely used to allow the gearbox linkage to pass through, protecting it from damage. On the early generations of the A110, the engine cooling radiator was located at the rear, but from 1970 it moved to the front; once again, the central beam was used to run the water pipes. You would think that the wiring harness would also use this channel, but this was not the case, and in fact, poorly protected, it aged prematurely. A problem familiar to anyone who has ever restored an Alpine.

View inside the Alpine factory at Dieppe, 1970. Alpine Berlinettes coming off the assembly line. Foreground, a blue A110 followed by a yellow, another blue, then a red, and then a white one appears on the right. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R.

Contributions from the R8

The A110 Berlinetta was born when Renault introduced the R8, whereas until then, Alpine cars had used parts from the 4CV or the Dauphine. The majority of the new Renault's parts and accessories were also used in the Alpine, which undeniably enabled it to take a leap into the modern era. The four-cylinder engine, although still 'tumbled' (and not with an overhead camshaft), was now a 'five-bearing' engine: the crankshaft, an essential part of the engine, rested in the crankcase on five bearings - one between each cylinder - rather than three, which made it more rigid and allowed higher rotation speeds, favourable to power.

As for the chassis, it featured disc brakes on all four wheels, the first time this had been fitted to a mass-produced car at the time, and this gave the lightweight Alpine a braking system of which it is still proud today. These two essential features of the R8 enabled the Alpine to progress, but the arrangement of the components between the two cars remained unchanged: the engine was mounted in a rear overhang, the gearbox and rear suspension were positioned in the same way, as was the four-wheel independent suspension, with traditional wishbones and springs at the front and a swing axle at the rear, while an Allinquant telescopic shock absorber was fitted to each wheel.

More than its roadholding, it was the Alpine's liveliness that made it the queen of rallies; it was its ability to 'go sideways' that enabled balancing virtuosos such as Jean-Claude Andruet, Bernard Darniche, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Jean-Luc Thérier, the four official drivers chosen by Renault after the company took over Alpine in 1973, to win so many competitions. In his day, Jean Rédélé explained that, contrary to what people generally think, it was not the quality of the rear axle but that of the front axle that was the key to the Alpine's consistency. For the 'factory' models, Rédélé had therefore developed a complex system of tie rods at the front linking the perpendicular crossmember to the central chassis beam, in particular to stabilise the car during very heavy braking. These modifications were also made, on request, for certain 'customer' cars.

Nous sommes en 1973, avec une vue spectaculaire de l’A110 de Jean-Pierre Nicolas dans ses œuvres sur la neige du Rallye Monte-Carlo. Les meilleurs pilotes étaient capables de contrôler les longues glissades de l’Alpine. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault / D.R.

Evolution

The A110 was launched for the 1963 model year powered by the R8's small 1,000cc engine, and would grow in line with the Renault production models: it had 55bhp with this engine, then 66bhp with the 1,100cc engine of the 'Major' in 1964, 85bhp the following year thanks to a reworked cylinder head and the adoption of twin carburettors, and even 95bhp with the Gordini-revised Competition version, also in the catalogue. It is worth mentioning that this tuned version was genuinely equipped for competition, with special suspension, an extra radiator and a five-speed gearbox. Between 1966 and 1976, the various 1,300 cm3 versions had power outputs ranging from 81 to 120 bhp, depending on whether the engine came from the R8 Gordini or the R12, and above all on the additional tuning carried out specifically for Alpine.

The same applied to the 1600s (apart from the rare 1500), which, depending on their origin (R16 TS or TX, or R17 TS), developed between 92 and 140 bhp between 1969 and 1977. All in all, the Alpine A110 was characterised by an economy of technical means that in no way detracted from its effectiveness. Its mass-produced components kept costs down; without sophisticated technology, tubular chassis or single or double overhead camshaft engines, the little Alpine dominated its rally rivals and attracted a sizeable customer base: almost 75,000 units of the Berlinette were produced at the small Dieppe factory, a modest output when you consider the figures for large-scale industry, but a figure that is particularly meaningful when you take into account the artisanal nature of the Alpine firm.

For more information...

Patrick Depailler at Alpine

We all remember Patrick Depailler in Formula 1 with the Tyrrell, Ligier and Alfa Romeo teams. What is less well known is that the first team he was involved with... was Alpine! In the mid-60s, Jean Rédélé realised that he needed a driver who was talented, but young enough so that his financial ambitions would not be out of proportion. It was not until a little later that Patrick Depailler came into the picture... First noticed on a motorbike in 1963, like his friend Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Patrick Depailler turned to Opération Ford Jeunesse in 1964 with a Lotus Seven, without however giving up motorbikes. In 1966, he entered the Volant Shell and came second in the final, behind Cevert, on the rainy Magny-Cours circuit; Jean Rédélé was present, and Shell provided him with a substantial advertising budget. After watching the two men, the boss of Dieppe later integrated them into his F3 team (see box). Depailler was a mechanic and driver and competed in rallies with an A110 1300, in prototypes with the A210 and in F3 with the A270 and A280. From 1968, the single-seater F3s became the A330s, used by Depailler.

From Auvergne

Born in Clermont-Ferrand on 9 August 1944, Patrick Depailler grew up in an affluent family. As a child, his idol was Jean Behra, whom he watched racing at the Charade circuit near his home. To follow in Behra's footsteps, he modified a Solex and used it to explore the circuit's winding roads, believing himself to be a champion. Like Behra and his friend Jean-Pierre Beltoise, he started competing on a motorbike: first a 50 cm 3 Benelli that a shop lent him in 1963, then a 500 Norton, also on loan. He attracted attention for his efficient riding, which enabled him to overcome the shortcomings of these less sharp bikes. In 1964, he decided to take part in Operation Ford Youth, although he was only able to start during the season because of his military service. He won the Chamrousse race and above all the Montlhéry race, ahead of soon-to-be famous drivers such as Dayan, Mieusset, Pescarolo and Servoz-Gavin. He was about to retire from motorcycling, but a benefactor was offering him the chance to drive a 350 and a 500 Norton Manx, real competition machines. Jean-Pierre Beltoise added another surprise by lending him a well-prepared Bultaco 175 and 250. Success came his way, but one thing was clear: motorcycling wasn't making enough money. He could barely make ends meet, despite financial help from his parents.

He also shared the steering wheel of this A210 with Gérard Larrousse in the Sarthe region in 1967 ( withdrawal). © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R. / Archives et Collections

Depailler and endurance racing

Depailler's first race for Alpine was the Grand-Prix de Pau in 1967. A mechanical defect occurred on the first lap. At Charade, however, he caught the eye, leading ahead of all the big names before a spool wire prevented him from finishing. In fact, his entire single-seater season was a succession of such disappointments caused by a lack of reliability. But Patrick didn't stop there: after learning the mechanical trade, he discovered the rally circuit and the specificities of endurance racing. In rallying, he drove A110s, R12 Gordinis and various R5s: he won the Tour de France Auto in 1970 (in a Matra 650), but only contested the first two stages before being replaced by Beltoise! His endurance career was more extensive: 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Reims, 500 km of the Nürburgring, 1,000 km of Paris, 1,000 km of Monza, 9 Hours of Kyalami... At Le Mans, misfortune pursued him, with a withdrawal on each occasion: in 1967 with Larrousse (A210), in 1968 with Mauro Bianchi (A220 V8), in 1969 with Jabouille (A220/69 V8), and even, after Renault had taken over the reins of Alpine, with Laffite in 1977 (A442) or even 1978, the year the Alpine-Renault won!

During the technical checks at Le Mans in 1977, Depailler was all smiles, aware that he had a car capable of winning.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R. / Archives et Collections

Depailler and single-seaters

Patrick Depailler was at the peak of his career in single-seaters. During his first season, in 1968, he asked for the chassis of his F3 to be made to his measurements to make up for the handicap of the engine's power. The car was shortened, with reinforcement tubes that passed over the driver's shoulders; bigger or taller, he wouldn't have been able to get in! The 1968 season was disappointing. In 1969, Jabouille was hired. The two made a good team. 1970 was a year of transition (preparation of the new F3 1,600 cm3); he then turned to Matra or Pygmée. Finally, 1971 was the year he won the French F3 Championship in an Alpine. He even won the Rallye du Forez with a Berlinette, and became the official Tecno driver for F2. With his F3 title in his pocket and a victory at the Monaco GP, he was able to move up to Formula 1 in 1972 as third driver in Ken Tyrrell's team. In 1974, he was European F2 Champion. He moved to Ligier but broke both his legs in 1979 in a hang-gliding accident. Alfa Romeo contacted him in 1980, and it was during private testing at the Hockenheim circuit that he crashed violently on August 1, 1980. He was killed instantly. He competed in 95 F1 GPs and won twice: in 1978 at Monaco (Tyrrell 008) and in 1979 at Jarama (Ligier JS11).

With Jabouille, who had won the previous year at Le Mans, he had to withdraw in 1978 from the race in the new A443. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés. Crédits photo © Renault D.R. / Archives et Collections

THE FINAL A110 IS SPANISH

Renault's Spanish subsidiary, Fasa-Renault, produced a range of Berlinettes from 1967: first with the 1,108cc engine from the R8 Major, then with the 1,289cc engine from the R12 from 1971, and finally with the 1,397cc engine from the R5 Alpine from 1977 until mid-1978, a full year later than in France. This last Spanish A110 was also the only one sold using the R5 Alpine engine. Otherwise, the differences between the French and Spanish Berlinettes are subtle, and only concern details such as the bumpers.