Alpine (automobile) - Timeline

Timeline

• 1922 - Jean Rédélé was born on May 17, 1922 in Dieppe in French Normandy. His father Émile works for Renault as testing engineer thus Rédélé is raised within an environment which fascinates him from the beginning of his life.
• 1946 - Jean Rédélé finishes a trading school (HEC, one of the best at this time) and founded in Dieppe a company that he called "Société des Grands garages de Normandie" on December, 17th in premises that he hired to his father, in order to sell Renault cars. In parallel he prepares his Renault 4CV for local racing events (his first rallye was Dieppe Rallye in 1950) and later on he is successful at Rallye Monte Carlo.
• 1953 - Renault asks him to start preparation of five racing cars for the Mille Miglia. The cooperation is very successful: the cars achieve the first places in their category. Even the 1952 Alemano bodied Renault 4CV wins diverse rallies.
• 1954 - Jean Rédélé and his friend Louis Pons achieve a victory at the Coupe des Alpes with a tuned 4CV. As a dedication to this event he chooses the name "Société des Automobiles Alpine" for the new founded company to develop cars on his own. He starts with the Alpine A106 Mille Milles, which was the sensational new car at the Paris Salon in 1954. The designation A106 is derived from Renault's internal designation system.
• 1960 - The model A108 is presented under the name of Berlinette Tour de France at the Paris Auto salon. The A110 will be derived from this model.
• 1962 - Again in Paris the public sees for the first time the new model A110. In the same year Renault presented the R8. The most essential parts like suspension and brakes are to be found in the Alpine, too.
• 1965 - The A110 is equipped with the 1300 cc engine which is based on the Gordini engine.
• 1966 - The A108 production is stopped.
• 1969 - Alpine uses the engine of the Renault R16 to introduce a 1600 cc version of the A110.
• 1970 - Renault gets the majority of the Alpine company.
• 1971 - Alpine wins the International Rally Championship with A110. The A310 model is introduced at the Geneva car show.
• 1973 - Alpine and its A110 are World Rally Champion.
• 1974 - For the new models 1600 SX, SI and SC Alpine develops a new suspension concept which is introduced with the A310 model, the successor of the A110. Alpine built factory racing Renault 17 Gordinis, they win the Press on Regardless Rally - World Rally Championship Round in Michigan USA. The fact that the French government forbids all motorsport events has severe impact on Alpine's economical situation.
• 1975 - For the last time a works A110 rally car enters a competition event.
• 1977 - In July Alpine stops fabricating the A110. The last Berlinette is a green 1600 SX. Even the Spanish production site has to deliver parts to complete this car. All in all 7176 Berlinettes left the site at Dieppe. But there have been licence agreements with Bulgarian, Spanish and Mexican companies. The following years saw several successors of the Berlinette. But none of them reached neither its popularity nor its image. Guy Fréquelin in the Alpine A310-V6 "Calberson" wins the 1977 French rally championship.
• 1996 - Today - Renault decides the model A610 to be last Alpine ever built. The company's management is not convinced of being able to develop a model for such a small market segment in an economical way. The Alpine factory in Dieppe is used for assembling Renault Sport cars which keep the sporting heritage alive.
• 2007 - August 10 - Jean Rédélé dies at age 85.
• 2007 - October - Renault revives the classic Alpine brand, new models due after 2010 (since cancelled).
• 2012 - Caterham Cars purchases 50% of company in deal with Renault to produce new Alpine cars.
• 2012 - New Alpine models announced to be developed.