Photo: RM Auctions
Between 1955 and 1995, the Alpine marque manufactured a lot of quirky sports cars using rear-mounted Renault engines, but enthusiasts regard the A110 as being the Magnum Opus of the brand. Built in very limited numbers from '61 to '77, this is one rare breed that's highly sought after by car collectors passionate about vintage European exotica.
So when a great condition Alpine Renault A110 from 1973 shows up for grabs, this event cannot go unnoticed by car collectors or the automotive media. To be auctioned on September 8th at a RM Auctions sale in London, this yellow A110 has been restored to rally specifications a few years ago and it's looking for a new owner…
…an owner that can afford to bid an estimated £50,000 on it, but as it goes under the hammer without reserve, there's a high probability for that estimate to soar all the way to £70,000. So what do you get for that amount of pounds sterling? A super light, super rare and super fun to drive French machine, that is. Combined with the 81 ponies churned out by its 1.3-liter four-pot mill fed by a single Weber carb, this car has more to do with go-karts than rally-spec racers.
But nevertheless, the Renault 12-sourced mill is pretty much bulletproof and can take perverse amounts of abuse and trust us: 81 horsepower are enough for a car that weighs 700 kilos and doesn't have anti-lock brakes. Mated to a five-speed manual and boasting wishbones and coil springs at the front, a rear swing axle at the rear, disc brakes all around and a petite 2,099 mm wheelbase, this is the type of car that urges you to chuck it into corners at full opposite lock.
Last but not least, this V85-spec Alpine Renault A110 comes with a fire extinguisher fitted to the passenger footwell, a battery cut-off switch, a thick-rimmed competition steering wheel and seats wrapped in leather and Alcantara. Mind you, we wouldn't recommend trying to hit the 180 km/h top speed. It's sort of terrifying in a vintage vehicle such as this one, don't you agree?
…an owner that can afford to bid an estimated £50,000 on it, but as it goes under the hammer without reserve, there's a high probability for that estimate to soar all the way to £70,000. So what do you get for that amount of pounds sterling? A super light, super rare and super fun to drive French machine, that is. Combined with the 81 ponies churned out by its 1.3-liter four-pot mill fed by a single Weber carb, this car has more to do with go-karts than rally-spec racers.
But nevertheless, the Renault 12-sourced mill is pretty much bulletproof and can take perverse amounts of abuse and trust us: 81 horsepower are enough for a car that weighs 700 kilos and doesn't have anti-lock brakes. Mated to a five-speed manual and boasting wishbones and coil springs at the front, a rear swing axle at the rear, disc brakes all around and a petite 2,099 mm wheelbase, this is the type of car that urges you to chuck it into corners at full opposite lock.
Last but not least, this V85-spec Alpine Renault A110 comes with a fire extinguisher fitted to the passenger footwell, a battery cut-off switch, a thick-rimmed competition steering wheel and seats wrapped in leather and Alcantara. Mind you, we wouldn't recommend trying to hit the 180 km/h top speed. It's sort of terrifying in a vintage vehicle such as this one, don't you agree?
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