Renault Alpine A442

Alpine (Renault)

Industry	Automotive, Motorsport
Founded	1955
Parent	Renault

The Renault Alpine A442—also referred to as the Alpine Renault A442—is a sports prototype race car engineered by Alpine with financial backing from its parent company, Renault, specifically targeting competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Different versions participated in the race between 1976 and 1978, culminating in the A442B’s victory in 1978, piloted by Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud. That same year saw the introduction of the upgraded A443 model, equipped with a larger 2138 cc engine. Following this all-French success at Le Mans, Renault redirected its motorsport efforts away from sports car racing to concentrate on Formula One.

Design

By 1975, when development began on the A442, Alpine had become closely integrated with Renault, which fully acquired Alpine in early 1976 and took over its sports prototype racing activities. The A442 was derived from the earlier Alpine A440 and the championship-winning A441 models but was distinguished by a turbocharged 2.0L Renault-Gordini V6 engine generating roughly . Over a three-year span, power output was progressively increased beyond , with the A443’s enlarged 2.2L engine producing approximately .

The vehicle featured a compact steel spaceframe chassis reinforced with aluminium panels, enveloped by an elongated fibreglass body crafted to optimize aerodynamic performance and maximize speed along Le Mans’ Mulsanne Straight. While it maintained a traditional open two-seat cockpit layout, the A443 extended its wheelbase to better compete against Porsche’s dominance. After wind tunnel assessments in late 1977, both the A442B and A443 were fitted with an acrylic bubble canopy that enhanced top speed by about , though this design compromised driver visibility and cockpit comfort. Due to complaints of heat buildup and claustrophobia during practice sessions, only the A442B raced with this bubble roof.

In 1978, Gérard Larrousse transitioned from driver to team manager at Renault Sport and prioritized securing a Le Mans victory before turning focus toward Formula One ambitions. Renault heavily invested in refining the A442 platform, performing rigorous testing—including lengthy runway runs—to replicate stresses encountered on high-speed sections of the Circuit de la Sarthe. The engine displacement was increased to just below the turbocharged class limit at 2138 cc for improved output within the new A443 chassis.

Equipped with the bubble canopy in qualifying configuration, the A443 achieved a top speed of , marking it as the fastest car ever produced by Renault—a record that remains unbroken across all Renault motorsport endeavors, including Formula One.

Race history

The A442 made its debut in March 1975 at the Mugello 1000 km event with drivers Jabouille and Larrousse; some accounts suggest an A441 fitted with a turbocharged engine was used instead. Despite being in an early stage of turbo development, the car surprisingly won its inaugural race. At the 1976 Nürburgring 300 km race, two Renault cars qualified on the front row but both retired early due to accidents. Persistent mechanical issues continued throughout the season, and during the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans, Renault’s sole entry withdrew before halfway because of engine failure.

Renault emphasized achieving success at Le Mans to enhance brand prestige. For the 1977 race, Renault Sport entered three vehicles, enlisted endurance specialist Derek Bell, and supported a privateer running an additional A442. Between Le Mans events, Renault Alpines earned second and third places at the 500 km ACF race held at Dijon-Prenois, as well as second place during Monza’s four-hour round. Despite elevated expectations, none of their four cars completed the race at Le Mans that year. The yellow-and-black Renault team fell behind reliable white Martini Racing Porsche 936 and Porsche 935 competitors who dominated both series of the 1976 World Championship.

At the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, Renault’s substantial development efforts bore fruit. The factory squad entered three cars: an updated version of the A442 renamed A442A; the bubble-roofed A442B; and a newly designed A443. Ecurie Calberson contributed a second A442A entry. Renault matched Porsche 936 turbo cars in qualifying speed, occupying positions across the first four rows on the grid. The Porsche 935/78 Moby Dick, renowned for its aerodynamic shape and producing around 800 hp capable of exceeding , qualified third behind Porsche’s new 936 and Renault’s A443.

During early stages of the race, the A443 led impressively with lap times under three minutes and forty seconds, while Porsches targeted laps between three minutes forty seconds and three minutes fifty seconds. Jabouille recorded fastest lap at three minutes thirty-four seconds before engine failure ended the A443’s participation in hour eighteen. This came after transmission failure sidelined Bell/Jarier’s A442A around halfway through. Nevertheless, Pironi and Jaussaud driving the A442B took command as two Porsche 936s encountered technical difficulties and another crashed out. They maintained their lead to finish four laps ahead of second-place Porsche, with a privateer A442A finishing fourth behind two remaining Porsches. Exhausted from his effort, Pironi missed climbing onto the podium, leaving Jaussaud to accept victory alone.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Entries highlighted in bold denote pole position, while those in italics represent the fastest lap.

Year	Team	Model	Category	Drivers	Car Number	Completed Laps	Final Position	Class Position
1976	Renault Sport	Renault Alpine A442	Group 6 3.0L	Didier Pironi	19	135	Retired	Retired
				Guy Fréquelin
				René Arnoux
1977	Équipe Renault Elf		Group 6 S 3.0L	Patrick Tambay	7	158	Retired	Retired
				Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
				Patrick Depailler	8	289	Retired	Retired
				Jacques Laffite
				Jean-Pierre Jabouille	9	257	Retired	Retired
				Derek Bell
	J. Haran / H. de Chaunac (private entry)			Didier Pironi	16	0	Retired	Retired
				René Arnoux
				Guy Fréquelin
1978	Renault Sport	Renault Alpine A442B	S +2.0L	Didier Pironi	2	369	1st Overall	1st in Class
				Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
		Renault Alpine A442A		Derek Bell	3	162	Retired	Retired