Classic Car Catalogue

Alpine 1965

berlinette Tour de France
cabriolet
coupé GT4

France

The old A-108s with the Renault Dauphine engines virtually disappeared from the program. They are only available as an option on the berlinette. Three body styles are offered but the small company from Dieppe is focusing on the development of the coupé A-110 Tour de France. Launched last year as an option the 1.1-litre Renault R8 Major engine is now available in two variants: "70" with 66 bhp and "100" which reaches 95 bhp. The latter approaching a top speed of 200 km/h. The engine of the "100" came from the R8 Gordini. It features a hemispherical cylinder head, two horizontal carburettors, an oil cooler and a special exhaust. The dashboard gained three extra dials for oil pressure, water temperature and an ammeter. Sales are growing significantly from just a dozen in 1961 (first year), fifty in 1963, nearly a hundred in 1964 and a hundred and fifty this year.
The new A-100/1300 was announced in June. It has the Renault R8 Gordini engine and can be distinguished from other models by having small vents beneath the headlights. The dashboard has been modified with three extra dials located in the middle between the speedo and the tachometer. This model becomes available in the autumn.
The Paris Motor Show in October saw an introduction of a simplified range. The old A-108 with the Dauphine engines disappeared from the program. Two versions of the 1108 cc and one 1296 cc power units are available on all three models.

A third "overseas" manufacturers licence for the Alpine is FASA in Spain, the other two being DINA in Mexico and Willys do Brazil.

 

Berlinette Tour de France

wb: 2100 mm 4cyl.
845 cm³
53 ch
4cyl.
845 cm³
competition
4cyl.
998 cm³
70 ch
4cyl.
956 cm³
55 ch
4cyl.
1108 cm³
66 ch
4cyl.
1108 cm³
95 ch
4cyl.
1296 cm³
115 ch
berlinette A-108/845
– end
A-108/845
– end
A-108/998
– end
A-110/956
– end
A-110/70 A-110/100 A-110/1300
– June

 


A-110/1100 at Paris Motor Show in October 1964.


A-110/1100 at Paris Motor Show in October 1964.


A-110/100


A-110/1300


A-110/1300

 

Cabriolet and Coupé GT4

  wb: 4cyl.
956 cm³
51 ch
4cyl.
1108 cm³
66 ch
4cyl.
1108 cm³
95 ch
4cyl.
1296 cm³
115 ch
cabriolet 2100 mm A-110/956 A-110/1108 A-110/100 A-110/1300
coupé GT4 2270 mm A-110/956 A-110/1108 A-110/100 A-110/1300
    – end   – October – October

 


Coupé GT4 at Paris Motor Show in October 1964.


Cabriolet at Paris Motor Show in October 1964.

 

M.64 4 cyl. 1150 cm³    
M.64/65 4 cyl. 1296 cm³ 130 cv  
M.65 4 cyl. 1296 cm³ 130 cv  
GT A-110 4 cyl. 1108 cm³    
M.63B 4 cyl. 956 cm³    

 

Victories:
       
         
Entries and results:
  Targa Florio 09.05.1965 Entrant: Results:  
#         gen. class category
2 A 110   Sage/Thomas (Guilhaudin) Alpine 27th 7th 1.0-1.3 15th GT
6 A 110   Hanrioud/Cheinisse Alpine acc. - -  
22 A 110   Delageneste/Vinatier Alpine 13th 3rd 1.0-1.3 7th GT
164 M.65   Grandsire/Bianchi Alpine acc. - -  
               
24h Le Mans 20.06.1965 Entrant: Results: Index
#   chassis #     gen. class perf. eff.
46 M.65 1719 Bianchi-Grandsire Alpine fail. - - -
47 M.64/65 1710 Vinatier-Delageneste Alpine fail. - - -
50 M.64 1709 Vidal-Revson Alpine fail. - - -
51 M.64 1711 Verrier-Masson Alpine fail. - - -
55 GT A-110 5146 Cheinisse-Hanrioud Alpine fail. - - -
61 M.63B 1708 Bouharde-Monneret Alpine fail. - - -


During the tests on the Sarthe circuit in April Jean Rédélé (right) interviews pilot Bernard Consten in front of the prototype M.65 #50.


Le Mans.

Although the Alpine M.64 did very well at Le Mans last year, it proved to be quite tricky to steer in lateral wind. To combat this phenomenon, Marcel Hubert, who had already designed the bodies of the M.63 and M.64 prototypes decided to give them rear fins.
During tests in April the new M.65 was powered by the 1150 cm³ engine but for the race d'Amédée Gordini is preparing an all new 1.3-litre unit.

Jean Rédélé entered six prototypes for this year's race at Le Mans having high hopes in the new 1.3-litre engine prepared by Gordini. The prototype with the starting number 46 is the M.65 with the new "winged" body. It is powered by a 1.3-litre engine constructed by Gordini. The basis of this unit is the engine of the Renault R8, but after all the modifications made virtually nothing of the original engine is left. I has two overhead camshafts, dry sump lubrication system and the cylinder block is cast of light alloy.
The same engine was installed in the prototype with the number 47. This however has the old type body. No's 50 and 51 are known from last year's race models M.64 with 1150 cc engines. The latter has an experimental, hydro-pneumatic rear axle suspension. With the number 55 in the category of Grand Turismo GT starts an unusual A-110/1108, which has the body of the M.64 mounted on a standard frame of the GT4. The sixth car is a modified M.63B with 1.0-litre engine previously seen at the race in 1963.
Unfortunately the Alpine team had no luck and none of the cars managed to cross the finish line. Bianchi and Grandsire withdrew after only two hours due to failure of the gearbox. In the ninth hour of the race a valve broke in the Vidal-Revson engine. After fourteen hours a rubber hose in the cooling system cracked in the car driven by Verrier-Masson. In the next hour the distributor in Vinatier-Delageneste car broke down and in the Bouharde-Monneret engine the connecting rod cracked. The longest lasting, Cheinisse and Hanrioud were forced to retire after twenty hours.


Z nadzieją na sukces Jean Rédélé zgłosił do tegorocznego wyścigu w Le Mans aż sześć samochodów. Prototyp z numerem startowym 46 to M.65 z nowym, "skrzydlatym" nadwoziem. Napędzany jest on silnikiem 1,3 litra skonstruowanym przez Gordini. Bazą tej jednostki jest silnik Reanult R8, ale po dokonanych modyfikacjach nic właściwie z niego nie zostało. Jednostka ta ma dwa wałki rozrządu nad głowicą, wymuszony system smarowania z suchą miską olejową a kadłub odlany jest ze stopu aluminium.
Taki sam silnik zamontowano w prototypie z numerem 47, który ma jednak nadwozie starego typu. 50 i 51 to znane z ubiegłorocznego wyścigu modele M.64 z silnikami 1150 cm³. Ten ostatni ma eksperymentalne, hydrauliczno-pneumatyczne zawieszenie tylnej osi. Z numerem 55 w kategorii Grand Turismo wystartuje GT A-110/1108, który ma nadwozie M.64 zamontowane na standardowej ramie GT4. Szóste auto to zmodyfikowany M.63B z silnikem 1,0 litra znany z wyścigu w roku 1963.
Niestety tym razem szczęście opuściło zespół Alpine i żadna z załóg nie dojechała do mety. Bianchi i Grandsire wycofali się po zaledwie dwóch godzinach z powodu awarii przekładni. w dziewiątej godzinie wyścigu urwał się zawór w silniku Vidal-Revson. Po czternastu godzinach pękł gumowy wąż układu chłodzenia w aucie prowadzonym przez Verrier-Masson. W następnej godzinie awarii uległ rozdzielacz zapłonu w samochodzie załogi Vinatier-Delageneste a w silniku Bouharde-Monneret urwał się korbowód. Najdłużej utrzymali się Cheinisse i Hanrioud, którzy zmuszeni byli wycofać się po dwudziestu godzinach.


Alpine M.65, chassis #1719, engine: Renault 1296 cm³ (Mauro Bianchi / Henri Grandsire) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine.


Alpine M.64/65, chassis #1710, engine: Renault 1296 cm³ (Roger de Lageneste / Jean Vinatier) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine.


Alpine A 110 GT4, chassis #5146, engine: Renault 1108 cm³ (Jacques Cheinisse / Jean-Pierre Hanrioud) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine


Le Mans.
 


Alpine M.64, chassis #1711, engine: Renault 1149 cm³ (Roger Masson / Guy Verrier) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine.


Alpine M.64, chassis #1709, engine: Renault 1149 cm³ (Philippe Vidal / Peter Revson) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine.


Alpine M.63B, chassis #1708, engine: Renault 1002 cm³ (Pierre Monneret / Robert Bouharde) at 24h Le Mans, Société Automobiles Alpine.


This photo was taken at the Targa Florio on 9 May. It shows the prototype Alpine M.65 1150 cm³ during its last refueling, shortly before it was destroyed in a fire as a result of Henri Grandsire's accident.

For the Targa Florio in the beginning of May, Jean Rédélé entered his M.65 prototype. This car participated the previous month in the Le Mans test. Driven by Lucien Bianchi and Henri Grandsire the car performed brilliantly fighting against a more powerful Abarth with 1600 cm³ engine. Unfortunately, shortly after mid-race, H. Grandsire suffered an accident. He hit a marker, the car went out of the track and caught fire which seriously burned the driver and destroyed the car.

At the Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres on 23 May, two Alpine cars took the start: one in category 1,000 cm³ driven by Delageneste and Ruby, the other in 1300 cm³ (with the new 1.3 engine) entrusted to Bianchi and Vinatier. Neither of them completed the race.

For the 12 Hours of Reims in July J. Rédélé entered five cars: four prototypes and one GT. All finished brilliantly, the four prototypes at first, second, third and fourth in the 1000 to 1300 categories. The GT also won its category.

 


Targa Florio.


Roger Delageneste and Jean Vinatier were 3rd in 1001-1300 cc class at Targa Florio.


First victory of the year for an Alpine F3. Vidal won the Mont Ventoux Grand Prix.

For the first time Alpine entered Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing in 1964.
The new Gordini engine has not yet reached its maturity, being just finished before the first French Grand Prix of F2/F3 in Pau on 25th of April. The season thus began badly for the Alpine F2 with only 9th place in Pau. It was the same throughout the year in the other F2 grand prix where the Alpine single-seaters experienced only disappointments. Fortunately, the situation was better for the F3. In Pau, Bianchi arrived 2nd only four seconds behind the winner, Roy Pike in Brabham-Cosworth. The result was even better at the Mont Ventoux coast race won by Vidal and, overall, the season was rather encouraging for the Alpine F3.

The new engine prepared by Gordini for Alpine racing season with the capacity of 1000 cm³ for Formula 2 and 1300 cm³ for prototypes M.65. In the first case stroke is limited to 55 mm, In the second it reaches 72 mm with bore of 75.7 mm for both. Tilted at 15°, with a dry oil sump, it allows very low profile of the car. This well designed engine seems promising but it lacks power. Gordini remains silent on this but it is estimated generally that the 1000 cm³ develops a 100 horses or slightly more, which seems insufficient to compete against the powerful Cosworth engine which is the king of Formula 3.

The Berlinette Tour de France participated successfully in countless rallies in 1965. On 6 and 7 November in the 10th Tour de Corse, Bianchi-Gauvain and Delageneste-Cheinisse finished 2nd and 4th respectively in the overall results. Three weeks later, at the Critérium des Cévennes on 27th and 28th November, four Alpines climbed to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places in the Sport classification.


In this A-110/1100 Mauro Bianchi finished second at Criterium of the Cevennes.


Mauro Bianchi finished second in Tour de Corse.