A couple of nice prototype manufacturing organization images I discovered:
Alpine Renault
Image by pedrosimoes7
Motorclássico, FIL, Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal
in Wikipedia
Alpine (French pronunciation: [alpin]) was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that utilised rear-mounted Renault engines.
Jean Rédélé (1922 – 2007), the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who started to obtain considerable competitors achievement in 1 of the few French vehicles created just right after World War 2. The organization was purchased in 1978 by Renault.
History
Early days
Making use of Renault 4CVs, Rédélé gained class wins in a quantity of significant events, like the Mille Miglia and Coupe des Alpes. As his expertise with the tiny 4CV constructed up, he incorporated numerous modifications, including for instance, special 5-speed gear boxes replacing the original three-speed unit. To offer a lighter auto he constructed a number of specific versions with lightweight aluminium bodies: he drove in these at Le Mans and Sebring with some accomplishment in the early 1950s.
Encouraged by the improvement of these automobiles and consequent customer demand, he founded the Société Anonyme des Automobiles Alpine in 1954. The firm was named Alpine soon after his Coupe des Alpes successes. He did not realise that over in England the earlier year, Sunbeam had introduced a sports coupe derived from the Sunbeam Talbot and named the Sunbeam Alpine. This naming problem was to lead to troubles for Alpine all through its history.
Coach Alpine A106 Mille Milles 1955 (First alpine).
In 1955, he worked with the Chappe brothers to be amongst the pioneers of auto glass fibre construction and created a small coupe, based on 4CV mechanicals and called the Alpine A106. It utilised the platform chassis of the original Renault 4CV. The A106 achieved a quantity of successes by means of the 1950s and was joined by a low and stylish cabriolet. Styling for this vehicle was contracted to the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. Beneath the glassfibre body was a really stiff chassis primarily based on a central tubular backbone which was to be the hallmark of all Alpines built.
Alpine A110 Berlinette (1962-1967).
Alpine then took the Michelotti cabriolet design and created a 2+two closed coupe (or ‘berlinette’) body for it: this became the Alpine A108, now featuring the Dauphine Gordini 845 cc engine, which on later models was bored out to give a capacity of 904 cc or (subsequently) 998 cc.[1] The A108 was constructed in between 1958 and 1963.
1960s
In 1962, the A108 begun to be created also in Brazil, by Willys-Overland. It was the Willys Interlagos (berlineta, coupé and convertible).
Willys Interlagos Berlineta, the Brazilian A108
By now the car’s mechanicals have been starting to show their age in Europe. Alpine were currently functioning closely with Renault and when the Renault R8 saloon was introduced in 1962. Alpine redeveloped their chassis and created a quantity of minor physique adjustments to let the use of R8 mechanicals.
This new car was the A110 Berlinette Tour de France, named following a effective run with the Alpine A108 in the 1962 event. Starting with a 956 cc engine of 51 bhp (38 kW), the identical chassis and body developed with fairly minor alterations over the years to the stage exactly where, by 1974, the small automobile was handling 1800 cc engines establishing 180 bhp (134 kW)+. With a competition weight for the car of about 620 kg (1,367 lb), the functionality was excellent.
Alpine accomplished growing success in rallying, and by 1968 had been allocated the whole Renault competitors price range. The close collaboration permitted Alpines to be sold and maintained in France by regular Renault dealerships. Actual best level accomplishment started in 1968 with outright wins in the Coupe des Alpes and other international events. By this time the competition cars have been fitted with 1440 cc engines derived from the Renault R8 Gordini. Competitors successes became numerous, helped since Alpine had been the first company totally to exploit the competitors parts homologation rules.
1970s
In 1971, Alpine accomplished a 1-two-3 finish in the Monte Carlo rally, making use of automobiles with engines derived from the Renault 16. In 1973, they repeated the 1-two-3 Monte Carlo result and went on to win the Globe Rally Championship outright, beating Porsche, Lancia and Ford. For the duration of all of this time, production of the Alpine A110 enhanced and manufacturing deals had been struck for A110s and A108s with factories in a quantity of other countries including Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Bulgaria.
1973 brought the international petrol crisis, which had profound effects on a lot of specialist auto companies worldwide. From a total Alpine production of 1421 in 1972, the numbers of automobiles sold dropped to 957 in 1974 and the firm was bailed out by way of a takeover by Renault. Alpine’s difficulties had been compounded by the require for them to create a replacement for the A110 and launch the car just when European petrol costs leapt through the roof.
Alpine A110 Berlinette Group 4 (1971-1974).
By way of the 1970s, Alpine continued to campaign the A110, and later the Alpine A310 replacement car. Even so, to compete with Alpine’s accomplishment, other producers developed increasingly particular vehicles, notably the Lancia Stratos which was primarily based closely on the A110’s size and rear-engined notion, even though incorporating a Ferrari engine. Alpine’s own cars, nevertheless based on the 1962 design and using a surprising quantity of production components, became increasingly uncompetitive. In 1974 Alpine constructed a series of factory racing Renault 17 Gordinis (1 driven by Jean-Luc Thérier) that won the Press on Regardless Planet Rally Championship round in Michigan, USA.
In truth, obtaining achieved the rally championship, and with Renault income now completely behind them, Alpine had set their sights on a new target. The next aim was to win at Le Mans. Renault had also taken over the Gordini tuning firm and merged the two to form Renault Sport. A number of increasingly effective sports racing automobiles appeared, culminating in the 1978 Le Mans win with the Renault Alpine A442B. This was fitted with a turbo-charged engine Alpine had been the 1st firm to run in and win an international rally with a turbo vehicle as far back as 1972 when Jean-Luc Thérier took a specially modified A110 to victory on the Critérium des Cévennes.
1980s
Alpine Renault continued to develop their variety of models all through the 1980s. The A310 was the subsequent modern day interpretation of the A110. The Alpine A310 was a sports automobile with a rear-mounted engine and was initially powered by a four-cylinder 1.six L sourced Renault 17 TS/Gordini engine. In 1976 the A310 was restyled by Robert Opron and fitted with the much more powerful and newly developed V6 PRV engine. The 2.six L motor was modified by Alpine with a 4-speed manual gearbox. Later they would use a 5-speed manual gearbox and with the group four model get a greater tune with more cubic capacity and 3 twin barrel Weber carburetors.
Alpine A310 V6 GT Pack (1983-1984).
Right after the A310 Alpine transformed into the new Alpine GTA range developed from plastic and polyester components, commencing with typically aspirated PRV V6 engines. In 1985 the V6 Turbo was introduced to comprehensive the variety. This automobile was more rapidly and far more powerful than the generally aspirated version. In 1986 polyester parts had been cut for the initial time by robot making use of a higher pressure (3500 bar) water jet, .15 mm (.01 in) in diameter at three instances the speed of sound. In the same year the American specification V6 Turbo was developed.
In 1987 fitment of anti-pollution systems permitted the V6 Turbo to be distributed to Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. 1989 saw the launch of the restricted edition GTA Mille Miles to celebrate Alpine’s 35th anniversary. Production was restricted to one hundred vehicles, all fitted with ABS braking, polished wheels, particular leather interior and paintwork. This version was not available in RHD.
1990s
1990 saw the launch of the particular edition wide bodied GTA Le Mans. The auto wore polyester wheel arch extensions with a one particular piece front. Wheels had been 3 piece BBS style made by ACT, 8×16" front & 10×17" rear. Otherwise identical mechanically to the V6 Turbo, the engine was fitted with a catalytic converter and power was lowered to 185 bhp (138 kW). This model was accessible in the UK and RHD versions carried a numbered plaque on the dashboard. The Le Mans is the most collectable and beneficial GTA derivative, given that only 325 were created (299 LHD and 26 RHD). These had been obtainable from Renault dealers in the UK and the country’s motoring press are belatedly recognising the GTA series as the ‘great unsung supercar of the 1980s’
Alpine V6 Turbo Le Mans 1990
The Alpine A610 was launched in 1991. It was re-styled inside and out but was nevertheless recognisable as a GTA derivative. The chassis structure was extensively reworked but the central box principal remained the very same. The front was entirely re-created the interior was also tremendously enhanced. Air-conditioning and power steering have been fitted as normal. The total production run for A610s derivatives was 818 autos 67 RHD and 751 LHD. Following production of the A610 ended, the Alpine factory in Dieppe produced the Renault Sport Spider and a new era was to start.
The last Alpine, an A610, rolled off the Dieppe line at 7. April 1995, Renault abandoning the Alpine name. This was constantly a difficulty in the UK market place. Alpines could not be sold in the UK below their own name because Sunbeam owned the trade mark (simply because of the mid-50s Sunbeam Alpine Mk I). In the 1970s, for instance Dieppe were creating modified Renault R5s for the globe wide market place. The rest of the planet knew them as R5 Alpines but in the UK they had to be renamed to R5 Gordini. Strangely enough with the quite a few business takeovers that have occurred, it is yet another French firm, PSA (Peugot/Talbot/Citroën) who now own the British Alpine trademark.
The Alpine factory in Dieppe continues to expand in the 1980s they constructed the particular R5 Turbo cars, following the rear engined formula they have often employed. They built all Clio Williams and RenaultSport Spiders. The factory proudly put its Alpine badges on the constructed early batches of the mid engined Clio series one particular Clio V6. The Clio Series 2 was also assembled there with more current RenaultSport Clio 172 and RenaultSport Clio 182s.
Amongst 1989 and 1995, a new Alpine named the A710 "Berlinette 2", was designed and two prototypes were built. Due to the price of the project (600 millions Francs), and as adding modern gear and interior would compromise the price tag and performances, the project was canceled.
Present
The Dieppe factory is recognized as the producer of RenaultSport models that are sold worldwide. This was initially the "Alpine" factory that Renault gained when they acquired the brand in 1973. Some of the Renault Sport models created in Dieppe are currently the Mégane Renault Sport, Clio Renault Sport and the new Mégane Renault Sport dCi is to be constructed on Renault’s Dieppe assembly line. All the RenaultSport track-, tarmac- and gravel-racing Meganes and Clios are also created in the Dieppe factory.
In October 2007, it has been reported that Renault’s marketing boss Patrick Blain has revealed that there are plans for several sports cars in Renault’s future lineup, but stressed that the first model will not arrive until soon after 2010. Blain confirmed that Renault is unlikely to choose a new name for its future sports automobile and will probably go with Alpine to brand it. Blain described it as getting a “radical sports car” and not just a sports version of a standard model.
The new Alpine sports auto will likely have a version of the Nissan GT-R’s Premium Midship platform.
The presence of sportier models in the Renault line-up would give the French automaker a much better opportunity to capitalize on its Formula 1 prowess, possessing won two back-to-back globe championships with Fernando Alonso, translating these efforts to its production automobiles is a moot point because Renault’s lineup is lacking in the sports vehicle department. Management is hoping to adjust all that and is keen to start off developing sports cars once again, as it has in the past, with the revival of the legendary Alpine label.
In France there is a big network of Alpine enthusiasts clubs. Clubs exist in numerous countries including the UK, USA, Australia, Japan.
In February 2009, Renault confirmed that plans to revive the Alpine brand have been frozen as a direct outcome of the 2008-2009 international monetary crisis and recession.
In May possibly 2012, photos of a new Renault Alpine idea titled as Renault Alpine A110-50[6] have been leaked prior to its debut in Monaco.
According to a Spanish automobile magazine it is stated that the road version will be released in 2013.[citation needed]
In November 2012, Renault and Caterham announced plans to develop inexpensive race cars under the Alpine brand which are to be available in 2016.[8] In this partnership, Caterham will obtain 50% ownership of Alpine whilst the new vehicles will be created at Renault’s Dieppe, France assembly plant.