Alpinecars

In 1955, a young and passionate garage proprietor from Dieppe, France, named Jean Rédélé, founded a company named Alpine. Rédélé was an accomplished rally driver who saw the racing potential in the humble Renault 4CV. He began modifying these cars, focusing on making them lighter to improve performance, a philosophy that remains central to the brand today. The company's name was inspired by his victories in the Coupe des Alpes rally. The business found its stride with the launch of the A110 in 1962, a lightweight sports car that would become a legend. The close relationship with Renault grew, with Alpine essentially becoming its official competition department. This partnership culminated in a major victory in 1973, when Alpine won the inaugural World Rally Championship. That same year, the inevitable happened: the car giant Renault fully acquired Alpine. Under Renault's ownership, the brand continued its motorsport success, including a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978. However, road car production ceased in 1995. The story didn't end there. After a long hiatus, Renault relaunched the Alpine brand in 2017, introducing a new, modern A110 that paid homage to its iconic predecessor. Today, Alpine is being reinvented as Renault's performance-focused, innovative brand, spearheading a move into electric sports cars and competing at the highest level of motorsport in Formula 1.