ORIGINS OF THE BRAND
JEAN RÉDÉLÉ, THE FOUNDER
Jean Rédélé was born on 17 May 1922 into a family deeply in love with motorsport, his father Emile having worked in Grand Prix racing. After triumphing in his studies, Jean was put in charge of a Renault dealership in his native Dieppe aged just 24. He honed his engineering and driving skills in the world of racing, an acute appreciation for how motorsport demonstrated the ability of his vehicles laying the path for some very special sports cars.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The Renault 4CV epitomised the popular cars which mobilised the public after wartime, but Rédélé saw more potential, transforming the performance of its trusted powertrain with his forward-thinking five-speed gearbox. He raced in the Alps and on the testing terrain of the Mille Miglia accruing numerous wins. The specialist cars which followed would bear the name of the location where he’d had most fun honing his craft: the twisting Alpine hills.
The Alpine philosophy
“It was this enthralling sense of control that I wanted customers to find at the wheel of the car I wanted to build,” said Rédélé. He commissioned his own sports car, clothing 4CV mechanicals with a lightweight aluminium body: -60kg are saved over standard. This search for lightness is still a focus of Alpine cars today.
Alpine. The brand was officially formed in June 1955 in Jean Rédélé’s birthplace of Dieppe, where they are still built today.
A STAR IS BORN
Several cars followed that special day in 1955, but none quite as iconic as our A110. Born in 1962, it represented an evolution of the A106 and A108 before it with a style that’s still instantly recognisable today. A remarkable life saw its power output treble and its performance soar as its remarkable success on the rally stages was democratised for drivers on the road.
SPORTING PROWESS
Alpine cars are based around our three principles of lightness, agility and competitive spirit. This core DNA inspired victories in numerous motorsport disciplines. The 1960s saw Alpine succeed in the efficiency classes of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an outright victory following in 1978. Renault investment also helped the A110 claim the inaugural World Rally Championship trophy in 1973.
THE RETURN
The Alpine A110 made a glorious comeback in 2017, the pioneering mindset of Jean Rédélé reincarnated in a car that allies an expertly tuned powertrain with slender, lightweight bodywork to shake up the sports car hierarchy. It’s a multiple award-winner loved by automotive critics as well as Alpine fans new and old. Even more addictive to drive than its namesakes, the A110 beautifully bridges Alpine’s past, present and future.
