ALPINE

A310

The ALPINE A310 is the sharp-suited, wedge-shaped grand tourer that carried the Alpine name into the 1970s and 1980s, succeeding the immortal A110 Berlinette. Built in Dieppe by Jean Rédélé's Alpine concern, the ALPINE A310 was first shown in 1971 and represented a deliberate move upmarket: larger, more comfortable and more sophisticated than the tiny A110, while keeping the same fundamental rear-engined, fibreglass-bodied recipe. The earliest ALPINE A310 used a four-cylinder engine, the 1,605 cc unit derived from the Renault 16 TS, producing around 125 hp, clothed in a dramatic angular body with a distinctive six-headlamp nose. It was fast and beautifully balanced, but enthusiasts wanted more power, and Alpine answered emphatically in 1976. The defining moment for the ALPINE A310 came with the 1976 introduction of the V6 version. Fitted with the new 2,664 cc "PRV" (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) V6 producing around 150 hp, the A310 V6 transformed the car into a genuine Porsche 911 rival, with strong performance, a glorious soundtrack and the traction advantages of its rear-engined layout. A five-speed gearbox, revised suspension and subtle styling updates followed, and the A310 became a familiar sight in French motorsport and on the road. Produced from 1971 until 1984 with 11,616 examples built, the ALPINE A310 was eventually replaced by the Alpine GTA / A610. Today the ALPINE A310 — and especially the desirable V6 Pack GT versions — is an increasingly appreciated French classic, valued for its striking 1970s wedge styling, its rare rear-engined GT character, and its direct bloodline to the rally-winning Alpine A110.