RENAULT Alpine A310 1977-1985 Photos, engines & full specs

In 1976, Renault introduced the Alpine A310 at the Geneva Motor Show and aimed at the Porsche 911 customers.

The A310 story began at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show when the independent car manufacturer Alpine unveiled the successor for the A110. In October 1973, due to the first oil crisis, Alpine faced financial troubles. Its customers lost their interest in sports cars due to the gasoline price, leading the small carmaker to the brink of extinction. Renault stepped in and bought 55% of the Dieppe-based company. The new owner decided to upgrade the car. Thus, in 1976, it launched the Renault Alpine A310.

While the 1971 model sported a six-headlamps system, which resembled the Citroen SM Maserati, the 1977 version came with a more formal four-headlamps layout, grouped by two and covered with clear glass. Between them, the carmaker made a slanted panel that wore the Renault badge. On the lower side of the car, the design team placed a slatted grille with a pair of turn signals and parking lights on the outer side. From its profile, the carmaker added a triangular window pointing down. At the same time, the sloped rear windscreen covered the engine compartment.

Inside, Alpine used the vents from a Renault 12 and a flat dashboard. In front of the driver, the instrument panel featured three vital dials: the speedometer, the tachometer, and the oil pressure gauge. Renault pushed four other indicators towards the center stack. Its sport bucket seats with high bolstering prevented their occupants from sliding outside during high-speed cornering maneuvres.

Under the fiber-glass bodywork, the carmaker installed a 2.7-liter V-6 engine developed together with Ford. It was fueled either by two Weber carburetors or via an unusual combination of one single- and one twin-choke Solex carburetor. Power went to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission carried over from the Renault 30, which Renault also replaced in 1980 by a five-speed manual.