ALPINERENAULTA 310 V6
Sold/numberbuilt1976-’84/9276
Constructiontubularsteelbackbone
chassis,glassfibrebody
Engineall-alloy,sohc-per-bank2664cc
90ºV6,withtwoSolexcarburettors
(onesingle-andonetwin-choke)
Max power150bhp@6000rpm
Max torque150lbft@3500rpm
Transmissionfour-orfive-speedmanual,
RWDSuspensionindependent,bydouble
wishbones,coilsprings,anti-rollbarf/r
Steeringrackandpinion
Brakesdiscsallround,ventilatedatfront,
withservo
Length13ft11^1 / 4 in(4248mm)
Width5ft5in(1651mm)Height3ft9^1 / 4 in
Wheelbase7ft5in(2270mm)
Weight2161lb(980kg)
0-60mph7.2secs
Top speed140mphMpg 24
PricenewFFr139,000Now£15-25,000TheAlpineguruhas
beeninvolvedwith
themarquefor
morethan40years,
havingcompetedin
A110sfrom1972-
’78.“Iwasgivena
four-yearoldR8
in1968,”recalls
Fraser-Sage,“and
thatledtomedoing
nightralliesinanR8Gordini.Thingsjust
snowballedandIsoonsetupasaspecialist.”
HehasownedeightA110s–including
twoformerworkscars–plussevenA310s
andthreeGTAs.He’sonlythesecondkeeper
oftheblueV6,havingmaintaineditforthe
previousowner:“BackinJanuary’88,Idrove
itfromLondontoStuttgartafterafriend
who’dcrashedhisA310calledmefrom
hospital.Isetoffat6amandarrived10
hourslater.Thecarperformedfaultlessly,
cruisingatover200kphforhourafterhour.”THEOWNER
Paul Fraser-Sage
December 2015 Classic&SportsCar 129verymucha case of subtleevolution.Longer,
widerand taller, the shapehad strongechoesof
the A310,but carefulattentionto streamlining
madeit the mostaerodynamicproductioncar of
its day, with a Cd figureof just 0.28.
Althoughretainingthe backbonechassisand
glassfibrebodyconstructionof its predecessors,
the thicknessof the steel was reducedby 0.6mm
whilethe strength of the plasticshellwas much
increased.The GTA’s structurewas said to offer
four timesthe torsionalrigidityof the average
familyhatchbackof its day. A removable
subframesupporteda revised2849ccversionof
the A310’s V6 developing160bhp,whilein the
autumnof 1984a fuel-injected200bhp2458cc
turbounit fromthe R25 joinedthe line-up.
A road car ratherthan a racer, the designbrief
for the GTA had called for improved ease of use,
with betteraccessibility, space,comfort,stability
and manoeuvrability. The resultwas noticeably
moreRenaultthan Alpine–afar moregrown-up
concept,it had clearlybeenengineeredwith
everydaydrivingin mind.
High-techfeaturesincluded‘plip’remote
centrallockingand electronicdoorhandles,while
the centreconsolewas dominatedby surelythe
mostcomprehensivehi-fi systemever to gracean
’80s productioncar – a graphicallyequalised
button-festclearlyconceivedfor big-haired
powerballads.Alpinemay haveabandonedthe
Col de Turini in favourofChinain Yo urHand,but
the Dieppefirm had far fromsold out.
The presswas full of praisefor the GTA, high-
lightingits refinementand superbtraction.
Autocarreckonedthat ‘for the first time Renault
has a powerfulweaponto pitchagainstPorsche’.
Britishbuyersremainedsceptical,however, the
mass-marketbadgingof UK versionsdoing
nothingto furtherits cause.The Alpinename
was ownedhereby PSA,so right-hand-drive
cars wereat first sold simplyas Renaults.
A facelift to become the aggr essive wide-body
Le Mansin 1990furtherimprovedthe dynamics,whilein 1992the car was heavilyreworkedto
becomethe A610– the last modelto sportthe
Alpinename.A highlycompetentdevelopment
of the ’84 car, the A610boasted250bhpfromits
3-litreV6, endowingit with a165mphtop speed.
To climbbehindthe wheelof AndrewJones’
GTA todayis to travelbackto an era of massive
Motorolasand red braces.If the ’80s are your
thing,you’lllovethis low-slungleather-clad
shrineto the yuppiedream.True, the dashis
everybit as plastickyas that of a Supercinq,but
in no otheraspectdoes the car underwhelmyou.
Theunassistedsteeringis superb,the ride
cossetingand the performancedramatic.Over-
comethe initialturbolag and the Alpineleaps
towardsthe horizonat an astonishingrate, while
phenomenalgripmeansthatbendsaredispatched
with uncannyease.Thisis a blisteringlyfast and
competent2+2, and it’s a greatinjusticethat so
few foundtakersin period.Marquesnobbery?
Humbug!Pay for a Porschebadgeif you will,
but you’llbe missingout on a superbsportscar
and transcontinentalexpress.
Afterthe refinementof the GTA, Crispin
Forster’sA110 is a loudand brutalhooligan.
Alongsideits ’80s stablemateit reallyis tiny, but
boy doesit punchaboveits weight.Hardaccel-
erationis accompaniedby a gutturalgrowlfrom
the Gordini‘four’, and you discoverwhatall the
fuss is aboutwhenyou reachthe first corner.
Floor the throttle and the A110 roars around
bendsat a stunningpace,the steeringamazingly‘IT’SNOTASPOLISHED
ASTHEGTA,ORASRAW
ASTHEA110...BUTTHE
PERFECTCOMPROMISE’
Clockwise:body-hugging
seatsare remarkably
comfortable;steering
sublime,but V6 is more
pendulousthan earlier
‘four’;periodGottialloys