Alpine · 1971–1984

Alpine A310

The Alpine A310 is a sports car built by French manufacturer Alpine from 1971 to 1984. It was the last Alpine model conceived by founder Jean Rédélé.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Alpine A110 · Successor: Renault Alpine GTA/A610|Alpine GTA

All Alpine A310 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

Dieppe-based Alpine was an independent company founded in 1955 that specialised in competition cars and sporting road cars, employing largely Renault components. They established a fine competition history with the Alpine A110 winning the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally and World Rally Championship. The A110 was recognised as being too focused to sell in volume as a grand tourer. Rédélé sought a second model with wider appeal that could compete with the Porsche 911. Although Gordini and Renault were working on V8 and V6 engines, the Alpine A310 was initially powered by a rear mounted tuned 17TS/Gordini four-cylinder engine. The maximum power was 127 PS (93 kW; 125 hp) thanks to the use of two twin-barrel 45 DCOE Weber carburetors. The first model of the A310, built 1971-1976, was a car with a four-cylinder engine and six headlights. Being larger, heavier, and no more powerful than its predecessor, the early A310 was considered underpowered in comparison to the potential of the chassis. The car was first shown at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. The prototype A310 had louvres across the rear windscreen; these were not carried over to the production model. Early models had a NACA duct mounted near the window atop the left front fender, later four-cylinder cars received two, mounted closer to the front of the car. In 1976, to help flagging sales, the lower-cost A310 SX was presented. This model has a 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) version of the Renault 16/17's 1647 cc inline-four and simplified equipment. The basis of the A310 was a hefty tubular steel backbone chassis, clothed in a fiberglass shell. As with the previous A110, the entire body was molded in a single piece. Like the ill-fated DeLorean, which used the same PRV powertrain, the engine was mounted longitudinally in the rear, driving

Competition

In 1973 the A310 was designated to replace the A110 in the World Rally Championship, where it saw mixed success. The A310 also had great success in French motorsport as a Group 4 car. In 1977 Guy Fréquelin (Alpine Renault A 310-V6) won the French Rally championship. In 1983 the car was moved to the Group B rally stage.

Production

=== Production models === A310 4-cylinder model variants. ===== 1971–1976 ===== A310 1600 Series 1 (55 L fuel tank, 3 stud suspension, four-cylinder engine, 5-speed transmission) A310 V6 model variants. ===== 1977–1984 ===== Production numbers.

Future Development

In February 2025, Alpine announced a second generation of the A310, based on the 800V Alpine Performance Platform which is being developed by Hypercar Alpine. This model is intended to enter the market in 2027 or 2028, following the release of the third-generation A110.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Alpine A310
Manufacturer: Alpine
Production: 1971–1984
Class: Sports car
Body style: 2-door Coupé
Layout: RR layout
Engine: 1605 cc A2L/A3L I4 (1600 VE/VF), 1647 cc A6M I4 (1600 VG), 2664 cc PRV V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Length: 4180 mm
Width: 1640 mm
Wheelbase: 2270 mm
Height: 1150 mm
Predecessor: Alpine A110
Successor: Renault Alpine GTA/A610
Designer: Michel Beligond, Yves Legal, Trevor Fiore, Robert Opron, Peter Stevens (restyling)
Assembly: Dieppe, France