Alpine A210
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Jean Rédélé |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Sports cars, racing cars |
| Parent | Renault |
The Alpine A210 was a sports car prototype developed by Alpine that competed between 1966 and 1969. It originated from the earlier M series prototypes (M63, M64, and M65) created during the early 1960s, which were powered by small-capacity Renault engines tuned by Gordini. In 1967, Alpine launched a variant equipped with a V8 engine, known as the A211, followed by the redesigned A220 model introduced in 1968. Due to moderate achievements with these vehicles, Alpine suspended its sports car racing activities from 1970 until 1973, before returning with the Alpine A441 in the European 2 Liter Sports Car Championship and eventually achieving overall triumph at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Renault Alpine A442.
M63, M64, and M65
In 1962, Jean Rédélé, founder of Alpine, gained support from Shell and requested Renault Gordini to provide tuned engines for a sports car project aimed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Initially considering a Lotus-based design with Colin Chapman—who declined participation—Alpine commissioned British engineer Len Terry to create a similar concept. The chassis was completed by Richard Bouleau while Bernard Boyer designed the bodywork, culminating in the M63 prototype. Despite experiencing structural challenges, the M63 secured a class victory at the Nürburgring 1000 km during its debut season but failed to finish at the 1963 Le Mans race, which was marred by a fatal accident involving one of its drivers.
Subsequently, Alpine developed three upgraded M64 units. At the 1964 Le Mans event, an M64 powered by a 1.1-litre engine captured both its class win and the index of performance title. That same year, it also achieved a class victory at the 12 Hours of Reims. The M65 replaced the M64 in 1965; although it did not complete Le Mans that year, it won its category at both Reims and Nürburgring races during the season.
A210
Building on its Le Mans experience, Alpine undertook a full redesign of its prototype resulting in the Alpine A210, though some modified M65 chassis were still raced under this designation. At the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Alpine dominated the energy efficiency index with a clean sweep of first through third places, reaching speeds up to 270 km/h using a 1.3-litre engine. An A210 piloted by Mauro Bianchi claimed overall victory at the 1966 Macau Grand Prix for touring cars. Capitalizing on these successes, Jean Rédélé persuaded Renault to back a vehicle aimed at winning Le Mans outright. Gordini was assigned to develop a new 3-litre V8 engine for installation in the A210 chassis; however, it was not completed in time for the 1967 race. Prior to that year's competition, Alpine tested Michelin’s inaugural radial treadless racing tire (A1) on the A210. During the 1967 Le Mans race, seven A210s with various engine configurations (1.3-litre, 1.5-litre, and 1-litre) competed alongside an M64 fitted with a 1-litre unit. The A210s powered by 1.3 and 1.5-litre engines secured their respective class victories but did not achieve an overall index win.
A211
The V8-powered derivative of the A210, named A211, was unveiled at the 1967 Paris Motor Show and subsequently presented to Charles de Gaulle by Jean Rédélé and Renault president Pierre Dreyfus. The compact Gordini V8 engine suffered from reliability issues and presented integration challenges within the chassis framework. To accommodate this powerplant, Alpine engineers redesigned the rear section of the A210 chassis, incorporating new wheels, a five-speed ZF transmission, and enlarged rear brake cooling ducts. The A211 made its racing debut at the Paris 1000 km held at Montlhéry but quickly revealed mechanical shortcomings during competition.
A220
The introduction of regulations in 1968 that prohibited four- to seven-litre engines, previously utilized by rivals such as Chaparral, Ferrari, and Ford, improved Alpine’s chances in competition. The Alpine A220 was redesigned to be larger and wider, equipped with bigger wheels, and featured right-hand drive—a deliberate decision considering that most race circuits have predominantly right-hand turns. During the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, only one out of four entered A220s completed the race, finishing just ahead of three A210s, which once again achieved a 1-2-3 finish in the performance index. However, Alpine encountered continued setbacks at the 1969 Le Mans event.
Aftermath and legacy
Following a series of disappointing performances, Alpine exited sports car racing in 1970 to focus its efforts on rally competitions. In partnership with its parent company Renault, Alpine made a comeback in the 1974 European 2 Liter Sports Car Championship with the Alpine A441 and later claimed overall victory at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Renault Alpine A442.