Photo: Alpine
Alpine made a name for itself by competing in some of the most famous racing events of the 20th century. The nameplate that did more for Alpine than any other car they made is the A110, a Giovanni Michelotti-designed berlinette that was produced between 1963 and 1977 in limited numbers.
Alpine’s wings were cut in 1976 by merging the motorsport department into Renault Sport. The Dieppe assembly plant in France stopped making Alpines in 1995, only for the Renault Group to revive this brand as a manufacturer two decades later. The second coming of the automaker’s best-known model spearheaded the revival, although there are quite a few critical voices out there, pointing the finger at Alpine’s low yearly output.
Care to guess how many examples of the A110 were sold in 2022? 3,546 is the number you’re looking for, which represents an increase of 33 percent over 2021. One has to wonder how Alpine can still operate with this kind of sales, but don’t forget that it’s financially backed by one of the largest automakers in the world. Groupe Renault has big expectations of its go-faster brand, which has absorbed the Renault Sport department. Its Formula 1 team has also switched from Renault to Alpine, so yeah, there’s no denying that the group will bankroll Alpine for as long as it needs to.
Renault has big plans in this regard, including hatchbacks and sport utility vehicles. The catch is that electric drivetrains will replace the 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine of the A110, with its long-expected successor confirmed to go battery electric. Expected to launch in 2026, the all-electric A110 has already been previewed by the A110 E-ternité concept.
In the meantime, chief executive officer Laurent Rossi made it clear that Alpine will maximize the combustion-engined A110’s life cycle. Speaking to Automotive News Europe, he said that production could potentially continue until the end of 2026. In other words, the second coming of the A110 will come to an end after nine long years of continuous production.
We’re three-and-a-bit years away from the terminal point, and bear in mind the mid-cycle refresh came in late 2021 for the 2022 model year. There might be a case to be made for another makeover, but from a financial standpoint, it makes little sense to update a slow-selling vehicle.
And what a vehicle, oh boy! Even Captain Slow has one, and the former Top Gear co-host loves it to bits for its nimble handling. Despite featuring a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder mill sourced from the Megane RS, the A110 is a rear-drive affair that weighs next to nothing. The A110 S weighs as little as 1,109 kilograms (2,445 pounds). The question is, can the A110 end its run without getting real fat due to new emission and safety regulations? 2026 is a long way off, but chances are that it will gain weight.
Care to guess how many examples of the A110 were sold in 2022? 3,546 is the number you’re looking for, which represents an increase of 33 percent over 2021. One has to wonder how Alpine can still operate with this kind of sales, but don’t forget that it’s financially backed by one of the largest automakers in the world. Groupe Renault has big expectations of its go-faster brand, which has absorbed the Renault Sport department. Its Formula 1 team has also switched from Renault to Alpine, so yeah, there’s no denying that the group will bankroll Alpine for as long as it needs to.
Renault has big plans in this regard, including hatchbacks and sport utility vehicles. The catch is that electric drivetrains will replace the 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine of the A110, with its long-expected successor confirmed to go battery electric. Expected to launch in 2026, the all-electric A110 has already been previewed by the A110 E-ternité concept.
In the meantime, chief executive officer Laurent Rossi made it clear that Alpine will maximize the combustion-engined A110’s life cycle. Speaking to Automotive News Europe, he said that production could potentially continue until the end of 2026. In other words, the second coming of the A110 will come to an end after nine long years of continuous production.
We’re three-and-a-bit years away from the terminal point, and bear in mind the mid-cycle refresh came in late 2021 for the 2022 model year. There might be a case to be made for another makeover, but from a financial standpoint, it makes little sense to update a slow-selling vehicle.
And what a vehicle, oh boy! Even Captain Slow has one, and the former Top Gear co-host loves it to bits for its nimble handling. Despite featuring a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder mill sourced from the Megane RS, the A110 is a rear-drive affair that weighs next to nothing. The A110 S weighs as little as 1,109 kilograms (2,445 pounds). The question is, can the A110 end its run without getting real fat due to new emission and safety regulations? 2026 is a long way off, but chances are that it will gain weight.
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