Retrospective: Alpine - France’s Porsche.
Lost somewhere in the annuls of automotive history are some truly storied brands. Some are still around and largely ignored, whereas others have died out and faded away and out of the collective memory of drivers everywhere. This series aims to take a look at a few of these such brands and talk about how they started, how they ran, and why they failed.
First up on the block is the largely forgotten Alpine marque, hailing from France. Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, a garage owner in Dieppe, France. He got his start post-WWII campaigning modified Renault 4CV’s in various racing events, including the Mille Miglia as well as various other circuit races and rallies. Rédélé’s 4CV’s offered significant improvements over the factory versions: more powerful engines, 5-speed close-ratio gearboxes instead of 3-speeds, and reduced weight from custom-made aluminum body panels. His continued experience with the 4CV lead to class wins at the Mille Miglia as well as the Coupe des Alpes, which is where the brand’s name is derived from.