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Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, a French garage owner and accomplished rally driver who believed that light weight and nimble handling mattered more than raw power. Rédélé based his first car, the A106, on Renault components and achieved immediate success in competition. The breakthrough came in 1963 with the Berlinette A110, a fibreglass-bodied coupe on a Renault 8 platform that weighed barely 600 kilograms and handled with extraordinary precision.
The A110 dominated international rallying in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973 with a 1-2-3 finish at the Monte Carlo Rally. Renault acquired Alpine in 1973 and the brand became Renault's in-house performance division, producing the A310 and later the GTA and A610. Production of Alpine-badged cars ceased in 1995, and the brand lay dormant for nearly two decades.
Alpine was revived in 2017 with a thoroughly modern A110 that paid homage to the original Berlinette in concept: mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, aluminium construction, and approximately 1,100 kilograms. The new A110 has been praised as one of the most engaging sports cars of its era. Alpine is now positioned as Renault Group's standalone performance brand, with an expanding lineup including the A110 R and plans for an all-electric future under the Alpine nameplate.
The original A110 Berlinette pioneered the use of a lightweight fibreglass body on a production-based platform, proving that modest power combined with low weight could defeat far more powerful competitors in competition. This philosophy , "allégement" (lightening) , became Alpine's engineering signature.
Alpine's 1973 World Rally Championship victory with the A110 stands as a landmark achievement for a small-volume manufacturer, demonstrating that a focused, lightweight design could topple factory teams from much larger automakers.
The revived 2017 A110 uses an aluminium monocoque structure , rare at its price point , to achieve a class-leading power-to-weight ratio without relying on massive horsepower. Its double-wishbone suspension at both ends, another rarity in this segment, delivers the precise, delicate handling that defined the original.
Rédélé established Alpine in Dieppe, France, basing his first car on Renault components and naming it after his rally victories in the Alps.
The fibreglass-bodied Berlinette was unveiled, weighing just 600 kg and setting the template for Alpine's lightweight philosophy.
The A110 dominated the inaugural WRC season, taking a 1-2-3 finish at the Monte Carlo Rally.
After a 22-year hiatus, Alpine returned with a thoroughly modern aluminium mid-engine sports car that won widespread acclaim.
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