Alpine A110 Berlinette History
Alpine's legendary rally-winning coupé — first World Rally Champion in 1973 and the definitive Berlinette.
Photo: “Alpine A110 1965 (54125060957).jpg” by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
History
Unveiled as a prototype at the 1962 Paris Motor Show, the A110 entered production in June 1963 as Alpine's definitive sports car. Built on a backbone chassis with a fiberglass body and a rear-mounted, Renault-sourced four-cylinder engine, it was ferociously light — period competition cars weighed as little as 620 kg — and supremely effective on loose and tarmac rally stages.
The A110's competition record is among the finest in rally history. In the inaugural 1973 FIA World Rally Championship season, the works Alpine-Renault team won six of thirteen rounds including the Monte Carlo Rally, giving Alpine the first-ever WRC Manufacturers' title. Drivers Jean-Claude Andruet, Ove Andersson, and others drove the Berlinette to victories across Europe.
Road cars were powered by a succession of Renault engines ranging from 956 cc to 1,600 cc, with the 1300 and 1600 S variants the most sought-after by collectors. Production ran from 1963 through 1977, totalling approximately 7,176 Berlinettes — a figure the 2017 revival car surpassed by 2026.
Generations
Early cars (4-cylinder, various displacements) · 1108/1300
Photo: “Alpine A110 1965 (54125060957).jpg” by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Original backbone-chassis Berlinettes with Renault 8/10-derived four-cylinders from ~1108 to 1296 cc; early rally successes.
1965 Photo: “Alpine A110 1965 (54125060957).jpg” by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Peak competition era (1300/1600) · 1600 S
Photo: “1970 Alpine Renault A 110 in blue at 2017 Rockville Maryland show 1of6.jpg” by CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
The 1300 and 1600 S variants that dominated rallying, culminating in the 1973 WRC title; the most collectible road-going Berlinettes.
1970 Photo: “1970 Alpine Renault A 110 in blue at 2017 Rockville Maryland show 1of6.jpg” by CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
1974 Photo: “1974 Renault Alpine A110.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0
Body styles
- Coupé (Berlinette)
Notable special editions & performance variants
Rally / Group 4 works cars
Factory competition Berlinettes running in Group 4, prepared for the works team and privateers; the WRC title-winning specification.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Alpine A110 Berlinette
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.