Chassis n° 16610
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 180.000 - 200.000
Sold for € 178.250
Zoute Grand Prix 2022
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2022
One of the great names in post-war French motor sport, Alpine was the brainchild of Dieppe garagiste's son, Jean Redele, who began in the early 1950s by developing a competition version of the popular little Renault 4CV, which won its class in the Mille Miglia three years running
From this he developed the first Alpine - the A106 with Renault 4CV running gear and streamlined glassfibre coupé bodywork - which was presented to Régie Renault in July 1955. This 747cc Renault 4CV-based machine set the trend for a range of sports cars culminating in the A610 of the mid-1990s. Glassfibre bodies and rear-mounted production engines remained a common theme for 40 years. Up-rated in 1956 with the new Dauphine engine, the A106 also established the company's competition heritage with a class-winning performance in the 1956 Mille Miglia.
By 1958 Redele was using a sophisticated tubular steel chassis, and in 1961 he introduced the A108 Berlinette Tour de France which featured a tubular backbone frame, double wishbone front suspension and a Renault Dauphine swing-axle set-up at the rear. It was developed into a potent - and often unbeatable - rally car, using a variety of Renault power units.
For 1963 Alpine launched the A110 Berlinette, which became the mainspring of production. Produced from 1962 through to 1977, this charismatic sports two-seater rivalled the Porsche 911 for performance while being even more exclusive: the hand-built Alpines left the factory at the rate of only 10 per week in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Alpines were also assembled by Renault's subsidiaries in Brazil, Bulgaria, Mexico and Spain.
The works cars featured even lighter bodywork, and standard trim items such as the faux bumpers, front and rear were replaced with plastic components. Additional improvements for the works cars included a reinforced front chassis together with under-body protection. Even the air intake was moved to avoid accumulations of snow or mud. A centrally mounted aviation-grade fuel tank, larger brakes and wheels, front-mounted oil cooler, and larger oil filter completed the factory upgrades.
Its rearward weight bias gave the A110 outstanding cornering characteristics for rallying. In 1969 A110s finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd in the Coupe des Alpes and came 3rd in the Monte Carlo Rally. The following year, Alpines again came 3rd in the Monte and won the Acropolis and Tour de Corse rallies. Alpine driver Jean-Claude Andruet became European Rally Champion. By 1971 the marque's competition record had endeared Alpine to Renault to such an extent that they were appointed as its official competition wing. More successes followed in 1971, '72 and '73, including two Monte Carlo Rally victories and the first World Rally Championship for Makes.
This Berlinette was assembled by the factory's competition department in 1970. Production records (on file) indicate that serial number '16610' was assigned by the competition department on 25th November 1969. Its original body number was '2606'. The sales department's archives indicate that the car was delivered six months later, in June 1970.
It should be noted that the body was supplied to the racing department already painted but without the front axle or the engine/transmission, which were installed later by the competition department's mechanics. '16610' was completed in October 1970 and registered on the 15th of the same month as '7850 GS 76'. Equipped with a 'small chassis' (the 'large chassis' having appeared in the same period, but on competition cars intended for dirt roads), '16610' was an 'asphalt' car and made its debut on the 1970 Tour de Corse. Chassis '16610' with body '2606' would participate in three events of the World Rally Championship:
7/8 November 1971 - Tour de Corse - No.8 - Vinatier/Murac – 5th
28/29 November 1971 - Criterium des Cévennes - No.76 - De Cortanze/Roure – 12th
December 1970 - Essais Monte Carlo - Andersson
After this last event at Monte-Carlo with Ove Andersson, '16610' was returned to Alpine's Used Vehicles department on 21st December 1970 for reconditioning in anticipation of its sale to private clients (as evidenced in the dossier). Jean Rédélé limited his competition cars to running only two or three events before offering them for sale to privateers. This would allow him to regularly supply his official factory drivers with new cars, while at the same time claiming that privateers could have exactly the same cars as factory drivers. Thus, a regular supply chain was established between the factory and the private teams.
For some unknown reason, the Used Vehicles department removed the (diamond-shaped) chassis plates from used competition cars and attached them to their respective registration documents. Only the oval plates (bearing the body number) remained on the car. Whenever a customer went to the Rédélé dealership or the sales department to buy a reconditioned competition car, he was offered those that were refurbished and ready for sale. At that time a registration document would be assigned to the car and the diamond plate installed. This resulted in a mix of registration documents, chassis plates and cars.
Thus, the registration document and the (diamond-shaped) chassis plate of '16610' was parted from body number '2606' and transferred to body number '2610'. According to the production archives (evidenced in the history file), body number '2610' corresponds to the Alpine chassis '16665', which was assigned to the competition department. (This car did not run competitively, so in all likelihood it was a mule.) Probably because it was in very good condition, this mule was preferred to the factory body ('2606') which had competed in the Tour de Corse and the Rally des Cévennes. As a matter of fact, the customer who took delivery of '16610' was none other than Jacques Henry, already the best Alpine privateer, who expected to fight for the 1971 French championship. He most likely needed a fresh car! The diamond chassis plate '16610' finally ended up with body '2610', as we see it today. '16610' with its current body '2610' entered the following races during the 1971 season:
20/21 February 1971 – Neige et Glace – No.19 – Henry/Grobot – 6th
4-7 March 1971 – Rallye Lyon Charbonnières – No.19 – Henry/Grobot – 5th
4 April 1971 – Critérium de Touraine – Henry – 4th
25 April 1971 – Tour de l'Aisne – No.6 – Henry/Grobot – 3rd
1/2 May 1971 – C/C des Monts du Jura – Henry – 4th
8/9 May 1971 – Critérium Alpin – No.7 – Henry/Grobot – 1st
16 May 1971 – Ronde du Vercors Vivarais – No.9 – Henry – 2nd
29/30 May 1971 – C/C du Mont Revard – Henry – 4th
13 June 1971 – Hill climb de Cruseille de Salève – Henry – 22nd
20 June 1971 – Rallye de Genève – No.20 – Henry/Grobot – 2nd
18/19 September 1971 – Hill Climb de la Faucille – No.23 – Dolibeau – 19th
9 /10 October 1971 – Rallye de Franche Comté – No.21 – Dolibeau – 23rd
1972 – Hill climb de Bourbach – Dolibeau
Jacques Henry parted with '16610' in the middle of the 1971 season and it was Roland Dolibeau from Besançon who acquired the car to finish the season. The car was then sold to Switzerland at an unknown date. It formed part of an important collection before being bought by another great Swiss collector, Peter Müller, who kept for many years until just recently.
'16610' has been the subject of a thorough mechanical restoration and preparation in recent years and is mechanically ready to go. Offered with a Monte Carlo gearbox, a set of wheels and additional miscellaneous parts, '16610' is an ideal candidate for prestigious events such as the Tour Auto.
