Considered by many to rate among the greatest rally cars of all time, Renault’s classic Alpine A110 Berlinette Coupe was dominant on the world rally stage in the 1960s and 1970s.
The svelte little mid-engined Renault was not sold in Australia, but campaigned its way to a place in local history in the hands of local rally champion Bob Watson, who took out the inaugural 1974 Don Capasco Rally in Canberra driving an A110.
For those who might be hankering for a whiff of the rally scene in those heady days, this year’s Shannons Melbourne Winter Auction should be inked in because it will offer a rare chance to purchase a fully restored 1972 Alpine A110 that will go under the hammer on July 21.
The car, which is believed to be a lightweight competition cliente 1300S model, has been restored over a period of 14 years by marque specialist Colin Stark’s Alpine Affaire. The car, which is one of a pair imported from New Caledonia in 1991, was subsequently discovered to have a lightweight, tarmac-specification chassis and an also lightweight competition fibreglass shell.
Unfortunately by the time the car came to the attention of Alpine Affaire, the body had deteriorated to the point that it was un-restorable and Colin Stark ended up fabricating a new body from moulds off his own ex-works Group 4 A110. This was attached to the original, fully restored Alpine chassis.
In what is said to be a painstakingly detailed rebuild, the Alpine’s capabilities have been enhanced too. The mid-mounted 1296cc Renault engine was enlarged to 1550cc, receiving a special head with bigger valves and a rally camshaft which, along with twin 45DCOE Weber carburettors, lifted power to 155bhp (116kW) at 7000rpm.
The upgraded powerplant is mated to a close-ratio five-speed gearbox driving through a Hewland locking differential.
The car was also converted to right hand drive and given the full competition treatment with a half-cage, Cibie spotlights, an 80-litre competition bladder tank, Monte Carlo brakes and Perspex side and rear screens.
The original – and very rare – Gotti alloy wheels remain with the car and, naturellement, the Alpine is painted in the same French blue as the original works cars.
The Alpine is expected to bring between $90,000 and $120,000 at auction.
Further increasing the classic sports cars desirability is Renault's future plan for the Alpine brand. The Renault Alpine sports car is on the cards for a comeback under the auspices of Société des Automobiles Alpine, which is virtually a re-naming of a now disbanded joint venture set up between Renault’s Alpine division and the British sports car maker Caterham to develop a new range of light weight performance cars.
Renault says it is continuing development of the project initiated with Caterham, and will introduce a new light-weight "Berlinette" some time in 2016. Caterham is also reported to be planning introduction of its own sports car at an as-yet unspecified date.
Shannons will feature a number of other classic cars at the Melbourne Winter Classic Auction, including a left hand drive 1957 Ford Skyliner convertible with a fully retractable hardtop roof that rates among the most collectible 1950s American cars.
A 2007 Superformance Daytona Mk1 Coupe, No 79 of 100 built and believed to be the only one of its type in Australia is also up for grabs, and 10 ‘No Reserve’ lots, ranging from a 1982 Porsche 924 'Turbo Enhanced' Coupe to a 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury Coupe are on the list. Also included are a 1999 Rover Mini Cooper '40' 2-two-door saloon and a 1954 Vespa Ape 'Fender Light' three-wheeler.