Alpine A 610 Classic Cars for Sale

The Alpine A610 was a coupe-type vehicle produced by a French subsidiary of Renault between 1991 and 1995. It was plagued by budgetary and popularity issues since its inception and many feel that these very same problems led to its rather premature demise.

A Brief History of the Alpine A610

The Alpine A610 was originally intended to serve as a popular GTA touring car to round out the selection that Alpine (a French company owned by Renault) was producing during the first half of the 1990s. The A610 initially appeared to be quite similar to versions made within the United States. This was particularly noted in the pop-up headlamps. However, this was merely due to the placement of the battery and in all actuality, the vehicle was entirely different.

Build Characteristics of the A610

The Alpine A610 shared the very same characteristics which were common for this manufacturer at the time. Some of the most prominent included a balanced weight between the front and rear tyres, a steel-reinforced chassis and perhaps most noticeably, an engine placed in the rear of the vehicle. All versions of the Alpine A610 boasted a six-cylinder, 12-valve engine. However, the A610 280 CH was notable in the fact that it was able to reach a top speed of 290 kilometres per hour (180 miles per hour). This was a full 25 kilometres per hour faster than the standard version.

Variants and Racing Prominence

There were a handful of notable editions produced during the lifespan of the Alpine A610. The A610 Albertville 92 was considered to be a high-end variant and was displayed at the 1992 Olympic Games. Only two samples were ever manufactured and their main purpose was to transport dignitaries from one location to another. An additional interesting version of the Alpine A610 was simply known as the A160 Magny-Cours. This was entered into the July 1991 Grand Prix and 31 vehicles in total were produced.

The Decline of the Alpine A610

One of the primary issues which led to the ultimate failure of the A610 was the fact that the public did not see much of an improvement in relation to other GTA vehicles that were being offered at the time. This is quite ironic, for motoring analysts tended to rank the Alpine A610 favourably. Even the famed British television programme Top Gear gave the Alpine A610 a positive analysis. Disappointing commercial sales eventually led Alpine (and Renault) to discontinue production in 1995. This was the very same year that the name Alpine was itself pulled from Renault branding. The French factory nonetheless remained open and the Renault Spider was produced immediately after the Alpine A610.