The Master and the Pupil: Alpine A110s

I remember this car. Snow and ice spat up and out from underneath its squat rear arches as it scrabbled, slid, slewed and somehow found grip on the slippery surfaces of the South of France in winter. The 1973 Monte Carlo Rally. I’d like to say Alpine-Renaults filled the leaderboard but it’s not strictly true: there was a lone Ford in fourth place, Hannu Mikkola making up in raw talent for what his Escort lacked in traction.

Other than that, every place from first to sixth was taken by the little blue cars. That year they’d go on to win in Portugal, Morocco, Greece, Italy and Corsica and win the first ever manufacturers’ World Rally Championship title. Not bad for the original Alpine A110 that, even then, was fully 10 years old…

The last time I saw one in the open was in 2018, at the launch of the new Alpine A110. It struck me as odd that they’d wheel out the old soldier for such an occasion because it was pretty much the only way to guarantee making the new car appear large, overweight and out of shape. But now here’s another, growling up the slight car park gradient to where I am standing, easing its way over speed bumps, with an intermittent buh-buh-buh coming from its single, trumpet-like exhaust.