A Renault 2.0 litre engine arrived in time for Jean-Pierre Jabouille to win the European Formula 2 Championship in 1976. However, without a competitive Renault Formula Two engine available, the F2 cars could neither be known as Renaults nor Alpines while powered by Ford-Cosworth and BMW engines and were labelled Elf 2 and later Elf 2J. Initially in Formula Three within a year they were building Formula Two cars as well. This was fitted with a turbo-charged engine Alpine had been the first company to run in and win an international rally with a turbo car as far back as 1972 when Thérier took a specially modified A110 to victory on the Critérium des Cévennes.ġ971 also saw Alpine begin construction of open-wheel racing cars. A number of increasingly successful sports racing cars appeared, culminating in the 1978 Le Mans win with the Renault Alpine A442B. Renault had also taken over the Gordini tuning firm and merged the two to form Renault Sport. In fact, having achieved the rally championship, and with Renault money now fully behind them, Alpine had set their sights on a new target. In 1974 Alpine built a series of factory racing Renault 17 Gordinis (one driven by Jean-Luc Thérier) that won the Press on Regardless World Rally Championship round in Michigan, US. Alpine's own cars, still based on the 1962 design and using a surprising number of production parts, became increasingly uncompetitive. However, to compete with Alpine's success, other manufacturers developed increasingly special cars, notably the Lancia Stratos which was based closely on the A110's size and rear-engined concept, though incorporating a Ferrari engine. Through the 1970s, Alpine continued to campaign the A110, and later the Alpine A310 replacement car. Alpine's problems had been compounded by the need for them to develop a replacement for the A110 and launch the car just when European petrol prices leapt through the roof.Īlpine A110 Berlinette Group 4 (1971–1974).
From a total Alpine production of 1421 in 1972, the numbers of cars sold dropped to 957 in 1974 and the company was bailed out via a takeover by Renault. With 1973 came the international petrol crisis, which had profound effects on many specialist car manufacturers worldwide. During this time, production of the Alpine A110 increased and manufacturing deals were struck for A110s and A108s with factories in a number of other countries including Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Bulgaria. In 1973, the newer A110 1800 finished first, second, third, and fifth and went on to win the World Rally Championship outright, beating Porsche, Lancia and Ford. In 1971, Alpines finished first, second and fourth in the Monte Carlo rally, using cars with engines derived from the Renault 16. Competition successes became numerous, helped since Alpine was the first company fully to exploit the competition parts homologation rules. By this time the competition cars were fitted with 1440 cc engines derived from the Renault R8 Gordini. Real top level success started in 1968 with outright wins in the Coupe des Alpes and other international events. The close collaboration allowed Alpines to be sold and maintained in France by normal Renault dealerships. With a competition weight for the car of around 620 kg (1,367 lb), the performance was excellent.Īlpine achieved increasing success in rallying, and by 1968 had been allocated the whole Renault competition budget. Starting with a 956 cc engine of 51 bhp (38 kW), the same chassis and body developed with relatively minor changes over the years to the stage where, by 1974, the little cars were handling 1800 cc engines developing 180 bhp (134 kW)+. This new car was the A110 Berlinette Tour de France, named after a successful run with the Alpine A108 in the 1962 event. Alpine was already working closely with Renault and when the Renault R8 saloon was introduced in 1962, Alpine redeveloped their chassis and made a number of minor body changes to allow the use of R8 mechanicals.
It was the Willys Interlagos (berlineta, coupé and convertible).īy now the car's mechanicals were beginning to show their age in Europe. In 1962, the A108 began to be produced also in Brazil, by Willys-Overland. Willys Interlagos Berlineta, the Brazilian A108
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