Alpine A110

The Alpine A110 is a sports car produced by French automobile manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The car was styled as a "Berlinette", which in the post-WWII era refers to a small enclosed two-door Berline, better-known as a coupé.[3] The Alpine A110 succeeded the earlier A108. The car was powered by a succession of Renault engines. A modern iteration of the A110 was introduced in 2017 developed under Renault-Nissan partnership.

This article is about the sports car produced in the 1960s and 1970s. For its 2017 successor, see Alpine A110 (2017).
Alpine A110
Overview
ManufacturerAlpine
Production1961–1977
DesignerGiovanni Michelotti[1][2]
Body and chassis
ClassSports car (S)
Body style2-door Berlinette
LayoutRear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine
  • 1.1–1.3 L R8 Major/Gordini I4
  • 1.5 L Lotus I4
  • 1.3 L and 1.6 L Renault I4
Transmission5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,099–2,180 mm (82.6–85.8 in)
Length3,850 mm (152 in)
Width1,471–1,550 mm (57.9–61.0 in)
Curb weight706 kg (1,556 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorAlpine A108
SuccessorAlpine A310

History

Launched in 1961 the A110, like previous road-going Alpines, used many Renault parts, including engines. While its predecessor the A108 was designed around Dauphine components, the A110 was updated to use R8 parts. Unlike the A108, which was available first as a cabriolet and only later as a coupé, the A110 was available first as a Berlinette and then as a cabriolet. The most obvious external difference with the A108 coupé was restyled rear bodywork. Done to accommodate the A110's larger engine, this change gave the car a more aggressive look. Like the A108, the A110 featured a steel backbone chassis and a fiberglass body. The A110 was originally offered with 1.1 L R8 Major or R8 Gordini engines. The Gordini engine has a power output of 95 hp (71 kW) SAE at 6,500 rpm.

A110 GT4

The A110 achieved most of its fame in the early 1970s as a successful rally car. After winning several rallies in France in the late 1960s with the cast-iron R8 Gordini Cléon-Fonte engines the car was fitted with the aluminium-block Cléon-Alu from the Renault 16 TS. With two twin-venturi Weber 45 carburetors, the TS engine has a power output of 125 hp (93 kW) DIN at 6,000 rpm. This allowed the production 1600S to attain a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). The long-wheelbase Alpine A108 2+2 Coupé was replaced with the new, restyled 2+2 Coupé based on the A110 mechanicals called the A110 GT4.

The car achieved international fame during the 1970–1972 seasons competing in the newly created International Championship for Manufacturers, winning several events around Europe, earning a reputation as one of the strongest rally cars of its time. Notable performances included a victory in the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally with Swedish driver Ove Andersson.

With the buy-out of Alpine by Renault complete, the International Championship was replaced by the World Rally Championship for 1973, at which time Renault elected to compete with the A110. With a team featuring Bernard Darniche, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Jean-Luc Thérier as permanent drivers and "guest stars" like Jean-Claude Andruet (who won the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally) the A110 won most of the races where the works team was entered, making Alpine the first World Rally Champion. Later competition-spec A110s received engines of up to 1.8 litres.

A110 1600SX

As well as being built at Alpine's own Dieppe factory, versions of the A110 were built under license by various other vehicle manufacturers around the world. From 1965 to 1974 the car was produced in Mexico under the name "Dinalpin" by Diesel Nacional (DINA), who also produced Renault vehicles. From 1967 to 1969, the A110 was also produced in Bulgaria under the name "Bulgaralpine" by a partnership formed between SPC Metalhim and ETO Bulet, whose collaboration also resulted in the production of the Bulgarrenault.

In Spain, Alpine A110 were produced by FASA in Valladolid between 1967 and 1978.[4] These were the only versions built outside France that were commercialised under the same names and to the same specifications as the French-built ones. FASA manufactured version A110 1100 (from 1967 to 1970) with 1108 cc engines, version A110 1300 (from 1971 to 1976) with 1289 cc engines, and version A110 1400 (from 1977 to 1978) with 1397 cc engines.

In 1974, the mid-engine Lancia Stratos which was the first car designed specifically for rally racing, was operational and homologated. At the same time it was obvious that the rear-engine A110 was nearing the limits of its development potential. The adoption of fuel injection brought no performance increase. On some cars, a DOHC 16-valve head was fitted to the engine, but it proved unreliable. Chassis modifications, such as the usage of the A310's double wishbone rear suspension, homologated with the A110 1600SC, also failed to increase performance. On the international stage the Stratos proved to be the "ultimate weapon", making the A110, as well as many other rally cars, soon obsolete. The A110 is still seen in events such as Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique.

In 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the A110, Renault produced a concept car called the A110-50. The modern version of the A110 was introduced by Renault in 2017.

Engines

The A110 was fitted with a variety of engines over its production life-span. Engines used on production cars included the following:

Name Year Model Engine description Type Displacement Power
A110 956 1963-1965 R8 Cléon-Fonte 689 956 cc 55 hp SAE
A110 1100 «70» 1964-1969 1100 VA R8 Major Cléon-Fonte 688[5] 1,108 cc 66 hp SAE
A110 1100 «100» 1965-1968 1100 VB R8 Gordini Cléon-Fonte 804[5] 1,108 cc 95 hp SAE
A110 1300 «Super»[6] / S 1966-1971 1300 VB Tuned R8 Gordini Cléon-Fonte 804[5] 1,296 cc 120 hp SAE
A110 1300 / 1300 G 1967-1971 1300 VA Stock R8 Gordini 1300 Cléon-Fonte 812[5] 1,255 cc 105 hp SAE
A110 1500 1967-1968 1500 VA R16 Cléon-Alu from Lotus Europa A1K 1,470 cc 82 hp SAE
A110 1600 1969-1970 1600 VA Stock R16 TS Cléon-Alu 807-24[5] 1,565 cc 102 hp SAE
A110 V85 / 1300 1970-1976 1300 VC R12 TS Cléon-Fonte 810-30[5] 1,289 cc 81 hp SAE (68 PS)
A110 1600S 1970-1973 1600 VB Tuned R16 TS Cléon-Alu 807-24[5] 1,565 cc 138 hp SAE (125 PS)
A110 1600S 1973-1975 1600 VC/SC R17 TS[7] Cléon-Alu 844–32[5] 1,605 cc 140 hp SAE (127 PS)
A110 1600S SI 1974-1975 1600 VD R17 TS Cléon-Alu with injection. 844-34 1,605 cc 140 hp SAE (127 PS)
A110 1600S SX 1976-1977 1600 VH Stock R16 TX Cléon-Alu 843[5] 1,647 cc 92 hp (93 PS)

Specifications A110 Berlinette (1966)

Engine
Engine: Renault 1.1 L (1,108 cc) Straight-4
Power output: 73 kW (99 PS; 98 hp) SAE (gross)
Compression ratio: 9.6

Chassis/Body
Overall length: 3,851 mm (151.6 in)
Overall width: 1,471 mm (57.9 in)
Height: 1,130 mm (44 in)
Turning circle: 9,246 mm (364.0 in)
Wheelbase: 2,099 mm (82.6 in)
Front track: 1,250 mm (49 in)
Rear track: 1,219 mm (48.0 in)
Dry weight: 544 kg (1,199 lb)

Performance:
Top speed: 219 km/h (136 mph)

Unique characteristics:
Due to the rear-mounted engine there was no air-intake grille on the front of the body. Air was scooped from below the chassis and exhausted through near-horizontal openings on the rear fenders above and aft of the rear wheels for cooling.[8]

Specifications A110 1600 Si (1973–75)

Engine
Type: Renault 1.6 L (1,605 cc) Electronic fuel injected Inline-four engine
Bore x stroke: 78 mm × 84 mm (3.07 in × 3.31 in)
Power output: 103 kW (140 PS; 138 hp) SAE (gross) 93 kW (126 PS; 125 hp) DIN (net) at 6,250 rpm
Torque: 159 N⋅m (117 lb⋅ft) (gross)
149 N⋅m (110 lb⋅ft) (net) at 5,450 rpm.

Gearbox
5-speed manual

Chassis/Body
Chassis: Steel backbone
Body Panels: Fiberglass
Curb weight (without a driver): 770 kg (1,700 lb)
Length: 3,850 mm (152 in)
Width: 1,550 mm (61 in)
Wheelbase: 2,100 mm (83 in)
Track (Front/Rear): 1,315 mm (51.8 in) / 1,345 mm (53.0 in)
Height: 1,130 mm (44 in)

Performance
Top speed: 210 km/h (130 mph)[9]

WRC Victories
No. Event Season Driver Co-driver
1 42ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1973 Jean-Claude Andruet Michèle 'Biche' Petit
2 7º TAP Rallye de Portugal 1973 Jean-Luc Thérier Jacques Jaubert
3 16ème Rallye du Maroc 1973 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé
4 21st Acropolis Rally 1973 Jean-Luc Thérier Christian Delferrier
5 15º Rallye Sanremo 1973 Jean-Luc Thérier Jacques Jaubert
6 17ème Tour de Corse 1973 Jean-Pierre Nicolas Michel Vial

References
  1. "Designer". ajovalo.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  2. Cumberford, Robert (August 2016). "The Cumberford Perspective". Sports Car Market. 28 (8): 68.
  3. Haajanen, Lennart (October 1, 2007). Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles. Mcfarland & Co Inc. p. 20. ISBN 978-0786437375.
  4. /index_archivos/Page648.htm Alpine A110. 'Classic and sports casts magazine
  5. Christian Descombes, Alpine, Label bleu, série et compétition, édition E.P.A.
  6. Auto-Rétro n°32, avril 1983.
  7. "1961-1973 Renault Alpine A110". www.topspeed.com. TopSpeed. 2007-08-16.
  8. A. L. Manwaring, The Observer's Book of Automobiles (12th ed., 1966), Library of Congress catalog card #62-9807, p. 35
  9. "1973 Alpine Renault A-110 1600 Si". automobile-catalog. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
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