Alpine A110 1st Series 1965

Few cars epitomise the mantra of ‘less is more’ quite so effectively as the Alpine A110, and this rare early survivor is being offered for sale in exceptional condition following an extensive restoration.

A 1990 letter from Société des Automobiles Alpine Renault confirms that chassis 3222 left the factory on 23 May 1965. Although A110s were also built in Spain, Bulgaria, Brazil and Mexico, this particular car was produced by Alpine in its hometown of Dieppe in northern France.

The A110 was bought into the UK in 1984 via the Lenham Motor Company by an enthusiast owner whose car-owning past also included a Formula Junior Cooper T52, an Ausper Formula 3 car and the unique Marina Rolls-Royce sports-racer. A few years later, some extensive recommissioning work was carried out that included an engine rebuild, and the owner would end up keeping the car for well over 20 years.

More recently, the decision was taken to treat the Alpine to a thorough body-off restoration. The important milestones are noted in the car’s history file, and include an engine rebuild in 2017, a retrim and carburettor rebuild in 2018, and rewiring and repainting in 2020 – the same year in which 34 pieces of brightwork were professionally rechromed.

Further paintwork was carried out in early 2021 and, having spent time in Alpine Blue, the car is now once again beautifully presented in its original shade of Ivory.

The painstaking restoration was finally completed in summer 2024, and the care and attention with which it was carried out is evident throughout the car. With its more-powerful, period-correct, 1108cc Gordini ‘VB’ engine, amazing handling, and an overall weight of only 650kg, it’s an invigorating little sports car that’s perfectly capable of humbling far more exotic machinery on a cross-country blast.