Too bad about the Alfa Romeo eating dirt with no four leaf-clover in sight.
Sixty-one years after its creation, Alpine will take part in one of auto sports most nostalgic events, the 8th running of the automotive gathering that is the Le Mans Classic. This year, current owner Renault Classic is entering three factory Alpines. The drivers are experienced. They have previously competed for the marque in the real vingt-quatre heures du Mans, or at least are well known and tested within motor sports.
Alpine ran Le Mans 24 11 times between 1963 and 1978, entering 55 works cars during that time. Apart from its victories in the Index of Thermal Efficiency in 1964, 1966 and 1968, and those in the Index of Performance in 1968 and 1969, Alpine scored seven class wins and – notably – an outright victory in 1978 with the Renault Alpine A442B driven by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi. Renault money was key.
The first Le Mans 24 Hours appearance by one of Jean Rédélé’s creations dates back to 1963. That year, three Alpine M63s took the start – the beginning of a great racing tradition. From 1963 to 1969, the then diminutive Alpines chased class victories in the Indices of Performance, Thermal Efficiency, and even an overall finish for the A220 – the marque’s so called Blue Period, named after the French racing blue paint of the cars.
From 1973, when the brand was taken over by French auto giant Renault, outright victories were always, unquestionably the goals. In 1976, the first Renault-Alpine of the so-called Yellow Period – after, alas, the new colors – qualified on pole position and set the fastest race lap. Two years later, there was a win in the 1978 Le Mans 24 Hours. The car should have been painted racing blue, in AutoInformed’s opinion.
Thirty-five years on, in 2013, Alpine returned to Le Mans with the A450. As in the early years, the cars once again raced with blue bodywork and what was stated, falsely, with modest ambitions in the LMP2 category, the second fastest and second toughest Le Mans class. After a “learning year,” the team finished seventh overall and took a class podium in 2014. In 2015, the Alpine A450b retired after an off-track “excursion” during the night while running third at the time.
On June 19, 2016, Alpine scored one of its finest, arguably the best, victories in its history by finishing first in a field of 22 in the LMP2 class at Le Mans. Nicolas Lapierre, Stéphane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes stood on top of the podium after sharing Signatech-Alpine’s #36 A460.
Alpine at the Classic
Grid 4 (cars built from 1962 to 1965): Alpine M65
For the fourth consecutive Le Mans Classic, this Renault Classic-owned Alpine M65 will be present on the grid. This is one of two Alpine M65s that took part in the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours. Driven back then by Mauro Bianchi and Henri Grandsire, it retired after a mere 32 laps.
Converted into an A210, this same chassis also took part in 1966. Shared by Pauli Toivonen and Bengt Jansson, it managed a somewhat better 217 laps before dropping out.
At the 2016 Le Mans Classic, this historic Alpine will be driven by two of the Signatech-Alpine team’s current drivers: Stéphane Richelmi, recent Le Mans 24 Hours winner in LMP2, and David Cheng, who raced the #35 A460.
Two privately run Alpine M63s will also be taking part in this section of the event.
Grid 5 (cars built from 1966 to 1971): Alpine-Renault A110 1300S
While Alpine regularly entered its sports-prototypes in the Le Mans 24 Hours, many privateers also contested the event at the wheel of some of the Dieppe firm’s signature models. The Alpine A110 Berlinette was one of the sport’s star cars during the second half of the 1960s.
The 115bhp A110 1300S Berlinette contesting the Le Mans Classic belongs to Jean-Pierre Prévost, a specialist collector of Alpines and sporting Renaults who has previously represented the marque in the event. He will share the car with Christian Chambord, another car enthusiast who owns a number of A110s.
Several A110 models were entered for Le Mans in 1965 (a GT4 1100) and 1968 (two 1300s). An Alpine A210 and two A220s will also be participating in the same sector.
Grid 6 (cars built from 1972 to 1981): Renault-Alpine A443
The most successful Renault-Alpine is coming back to the Circuit de la Sarthe. An evolution of the A422 and A442B, it was the ultimate creation of the marque’s Yellow Period. After qualifying on the front row in 1978, Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Patrick Depailler took the lead during the seventh hour after overcoming vibration problems. In front of 180,000 spectators, the most powerful Renault-Alpine (with a 2.2-litre V6 turbo developing 530bhp) steadily increased its lead until the 18th hour.
At two-thirds distance, the Renault-Alpine A443 led from the Renault-Alpine A442B and the Porsches were several laps in arrears. At the heart of the team, a decision was taken to lower the boost pressure on the leading car. At 9.21am, the Renault-Alpine A443 left the pits once again.
At the wheel, Patrick Depailler had been advised to conserve his position… but 32 minutes later he brought the car to a halt on the Mulsanne Straight with a seized engine. The Renault-Alpine A443 ceded first position, and victory, to the Renault-Alpine A442B of Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud.
For the 8th edition of the Le Mans Classic, this Renault-Alpine A443 will be driven by Jean Ragnotti and Alain Serpaggi, both of whom previously drove for Alpine in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In addition to the Alpines entered in the different sections of the race, several Alpines and one Renault will be exhibited in the Alpine Paddock, n an area known as Le Raccordement.
Renault type AK
Renault won motor racing’s very first grand prix which took place at Le Mans on June 26-27 1906. The circuit measured 103.18 kilometers (64.11 miles) and essentially comprised asphalt roads on which competitors had to complete six laps per day – a total race distance of 1,238.16km (769.32 miles). The 32 cars started this pioneering race at 90-second intervals and Renault entered a team of three. Number 3A was driven by Ferenc Szisz, numbers 3B and 3C by Edmond and Richez respectively. Szisz emerged in the lead at the end of the opening day, during which Edmond was forced to retire. Only 17 cars were able to take the start on day two, when Szisz led all the way without major incident. He was totally dominant and finished the race in 12h 14m, 32 minutes clear of his closest rival.
See AutoInformed on:
- Renault Alpine Vision Concept to Appear at Goodwood
- Le Mans Footnote – Renault AK Grand Prix Car
- Renault Group to buy Lotus F1 Team
- 2014 Red Bull Renault Formula One Car Unveiled
