marquis

Driving and motorsport have always been popular in France. This has been the case from the car's infancy until today. It is practiced both on closed tracks and partly among keen French motorists on normal roads.

A number of French car manufacturers have developed and produced cars that satisfy all needs from racing cars to fast passenger cars. Before 1940, there were several car brands that even today give enthusiasts wet looks. Car brands such as Bugatti, Hotchkiss, Delahaye and Delage evoke fond memories of speed and luxury. But the war that started in 1939 put an end to the good old days. When the world was to start anew in 1945, the poor economy and rebuilding after the destruction of the war had the first priority. Driving and other luxuries were given lower priority and small Spartan cars were on most people's wish lists.

Jean Redele

While motorsport was waiting for better times, the most impatient French began to compete with their small and underpowered cars. One car model that did particularly well was the small Renault 4CV. It was discovered by several drivers and in particular by a driver named Jean Rédélé. He was born and raised in the car industry since his father was a large car dealer who sold Renault. Young Jean combined work and leisure in his father's company while planning his own future. He enthusiastically participated in car races with his Renault and understood the requirements that had to be placed on a good sports car. The first attempt with its own car brand was a small sports car called the Marquis, which was based on the Renault 4cv and was to be sold in the USA. It never went into production but provided useful experience. Jean Rédélé now had experience both as a motor sports athlete and as a constructor.

A new car brand was created

Rédélé started a new company to produce a small sports car partly based on his first design. The name was Alpine and a future star was born. With a new car model and a small engine of 747 ccm with quite a few horsepower, the start for the new car brand was quite a puzzle. But it helped that the innovation really looked like a proper sports car. With a very light fiberglass body, the new car was a winner in many competitions. Eventually, the factory managed to extract more horsepower from the small machine so that it increased from 21 to 43 horses on the fastest model. Although this model was further developed, the management of the factory realized that a new model was needed to secure the future.

Alpine A110

The collaboration with Renault meant that Alpine had access to the new Renault 8 which was introduced in 1962. The technology from the new Renault 8 fitted perfectly with a further developed Alpine. Thus the new Alpine A110 was created. The new model was produced in many variants and could be delivered with several engine options, where the most powerful standard engine really accelerated the beautiful sports car.

Competitor to Porsche

In motorsport, this model was also a winner with victories in a number of important races such as the Rallye Acropolis in 1973. Another important race was the Rally Monte-Carlo where there were 3 double victories in 1973. This happened in the same year that Renault took over the factory. Alpine had already started development work on the successor to the A110 in 1968. The new model was to be moved up the market and in 1971 the Alpine 310 was presented. It later got a V6 engine which gave the car a top speed of 230 km/h. Now Alpine became a competitor to Porsche. Alpine remained until the end a small car manufacturer where annual production did not exceed 1000 cars per year. year. In 1994, the last Alpine rolled off the assembly line.