1973 Alpine Renault 1600 S

Description

For your consideration, an extremely rare and fanatically sought after 1973 Alpine Renault 1600 S. The fact is there have only been 7,500 A110's produced and you are feasting your eyes on one of them. With a VIN number of 00000000490 you know this car is in high demand with very minimal supply, so don't delay in placing your bid for a car that will surely maintain its reputation for being a French Rally Legend or perhaps the most amazing car you've never heard of!

Due to the rarity of the Alpine I wanted to give some historical background to portray the absolute mechanical and modular masterpiece that is the Renault. For decades, Alpine built a series of rally-fighters that dominated European racing.Alpine began as an independentcompany, but eventually became absorbed by its larger partner, Renault. Alpines havealways been quintessentially French cars, but acomplicatedhistory has taken itonsome interestingdetoursthroughplaces likeBrazil, Bulgaria, Mexico, and Spain along the way.

In 1950,Jean Rédélé was 24, and the youngest official Renault dealer in France. From his dealership in thenorthern French townof Dieppe,Rédélé worked on and fielded rear-engined Renault 4CVsaround Europe.After success racing modified carsin the Alps,Rédélé decided to buildultra light weight competitor cars. His first being the fiberglass-bodied sports cars called the A106. A car that earned Rédélé the support of the Renault company which in turn led to the production of the ultra successful A110 that is presented to you today.The A110 ultimately put Alpine Renault on the map, competing and winning in multiple Rally competitions. In fact, the majority of competition successes were achieved with the 1600 S model. Long, wide, and fast, the car has incredible handling, and unlike the tail-happy rear-engined cars of that time, the Renault A110 could stickto roads in any condition.

In 1967, Renault asked Alpine to take over itsmotorsportdivision, and gave it access to its international contacts.From 1968 to 1974, the car was licensed and built in Mexico as the Diesel NacionalDinalpin, and in Bulgaria from 1967 to 1969 as the Bulgaralpine, and by FASA in Spain from 1965 to 1977, raising the A110’s international racing status. This particular Renault was manufactured under license in Mexico, and of the 508 total Alpine's that were produced under license in Vellejo City, Mexico this car is number 490 as indicated on its VIN plate. This family owned car was purchased from a prominent collector and enthusiast in Mexico City in the late 90's. Currently registered in California on a clear title, this car has been a California registered vehicle since 2001. Used sparingly and garaged ever since its arrival.

The A110 featured a steel backbone chassis with fiberglass body. Equipped with two racing style black leather bucket seats, 4 point harness seatbelts, and even a roll cage this Renault is not only a speed demon, but a cozy one at that. The exterior yellow fiberglass body is exceptional without any major dents or damage. There are some small scratches and chips along with minor cracking of the fiberglass as you would expect, but overall the body of the car is in excellent shape. It's easy to tell that this car has been well cared for.

The interior is in excellent condition and very original. The carpet is nice and tidy along with the headliner. The dash is in great shape with speedometer, amp, tachometer, oil pressure, and water temperature gauge (not original) in working order. The doors close easily with good fit and gap. All glass is very clear and the rear quarter light windows open and latch closed as expected. The interior electrical is very functional, the interior lights, radio, windshield wipers, and indicators all work well, however the fuel gauge and horn are currently non operational. This A110 sits upon 4 Alpine crested alloy wheels with a set of older Michelin MXV tires that could do with replacement.

Fitted with an aluminum block Renault 16 TS engine with twin Weber 40 carburetors, a good A110 is able to deliver a top speed of 210km/h, making it one of the strongest rally cars of its time. As you'll see pictured this car was prepared by John "The Greek", a reputable 5 time Nascar Mini Stock car racing Champion and the engine has been race prepped and shows very high compression. Although this car was imported from Mexico, the engine compartment has been completely re-done and fitted with a 1600S engine. The way to differentiate between the 1300 and the 1600, I've been told, is the placement of the radiator. A 1600S will have the radiator in the front under the spare, whereas the 1300 would have the radiator in the rear. According to the seller this Renault has been completely modified to be as close to the French built Alpine Renault as possible. The only part of this car that remains original from Mexico is the fiberglass body, everything else has been changed out to make it much more closely in line with a French A110. In addition, this Renault has the very desirable swing axle as opposed to the double wishbone setup that most A110's were made with in the 70's. A lot of time and money have been spent on this Alpine to make it the very special rally car that you see presented to you today.

This Renault starts up from cold with the pump of the gas pedal, as there is no choke. The engine has a ferocious growl to it as it starts up and you can feel the ground rumble beneath your feet. The gearbox is in good condition and shifting is a breeze with the 5 speed synchromesh gearbox. The brakes are a bit heavy because the power booster has been bypassed, so this is something that will need to be addressed. The steering is tight and the suspension is firm with no unwanted knocks and bonks to be heard while driving. Though this Renault is very complete and roadworthy, it could use the expertise of a Renault specialist to make it perfect.

The 1973 A110 Alpine Renault 1600 S is something rally car drivers dream of. Bid on this and you could own a car that is truly a beautiful piece of automotive history. Get nostalgic sitting behind the wheel of a World Rally Champion that was raced by the likes of Bernard Darniche,Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Jean-Luc Thérierand Jean-Claude Andruet(who won the1973 Monte Carlo Rally). Trust me, this one will not disappoint. A dominating, powerful, highly regarded, and stunningly unique force to be reckoned with and it could be all yours..

As always I would advise inspecting the car in person if at all possible. Please call for an appointment or with any questions you may have, (310)833-1525. Please note that we are advertising offline in addition to this listing and we reserve the right to end the auction early. Thank you for your interest and good luck!