Antonio Silva
I have a good friend who holds as true a phrase dedicated to men, referring to the fact that we are like children: "Over time, only the prices of your Toys change." I have to admit, even if it is only in these pages that you surely do not read ... that you are quite right.
For children of the seventies and eighties, those of us who have played with 1:43 scale metal cars from Guisval, Matchbox, etc., the Alpine was already one of our favorite toys. Those little racing cars loaded with stickers "Racing", we called them.
Very few of us, between the ages of five and nine, knew that these cars were real machines, created by brilliant engineers to win tests of the highest level. And if there is something that identifies Alpine, it is its magnificent results in all kinds of competitions.
For the A-110 there is a period that must be highlighted: the years 1971-1973, where the 1.600-S officers won almost everything in the International Championship, which is what the current World Championship was called then. Thirteen victories including Monte Carlo, San Remo, Morocco and Tour de Corse, among others, gave rise to the consolidation of the myth.
Previously, the French and Spanish A-110s had already achieved important victories in national tests. A) Yes, in 1965 a unit with an R8 Gordini engine achieved its first victory in the Rally dos cataluñas and, from that moment -a couple of years before for some privileged-, numerous Spanish teams adopted the model, which began to be seen in different national rallies and became a classic in events such as the "Ciudad de Oviedo" or the " Firestone ». Such is the success in competition that Renault's Spanish subsidiary, FASA, creates its own racing team.
But let's focus on Jorge's toy. For the history of Alpine, with its different versions and variants, I recommend the book by Jaume Segarra, "Alpine Myth and Passion", where you will find all the information you need about these kids.
Jorge was one of those kids in the seventies and eighties. He enjoyed playing at home with his yellow Alpine; little by little it was
growing up, at the same time that he began to assimilate that his toy had an older brother in the real world. Over the years, his hobby made him research deeply about the brand, about the developments of Alpine in Dieppe and, later, of FASA in Valladolid.
At that time he already knew that his small 1:43 scale car, already worn and worn out from heavy use in competition it was an A-110 1400, an exclusive version of the Spanish market that had no French equivalent.
Indeed: in Spain it was the FASA Engineers who, with tenacity, hard work and limited means, created these effective sports cars in the shadow of the French matrix. The Alpine-FASA idyll began in 1963, and lasted until 1978.
Some engineers and employees who years later would become collectors, such as the well-known Francisco Conde, have narrated this peculiar situation in different books and articles. FASA will begin manufacturing the A-108, in berlineta and cabrio versions, and later the same will be done with the A-110.
This passion led to the fact that improvements or modifications were proposed to the French headquarters with respect to the original versions, with parts often coming from other vehicles in the Renault range. This gave rise to the Alpine-FASA, which would have as a swan song our guest today, the A-110 1.400.
This model is, therefore, an exclusive version of the Spanish market, and it was manufactured from May 77 to May 78. Only 130 units were produced, of which a good number ended up in Switzerland and Germany, since production began 10 months after the A-110 production was closed in Dieppe.
The 1400 had a 1.397 cc engine. from the R-5 Copa. For its development, the FASA team, led by Agapito Ureña, literally turned to this latest series. The redesign carried out not only included the assembly of a new engine, but also included numerous improvements over the 1300, such as the four rear shock absorbers, the reduction in weight, the new dimensions and, of course, higher performance with 185 km / h maximum speed.
Regarding the bodywork, as you know it was and is a sign of identity of the Alpines. The beautiful Italian design, signed by Giovanni Michelotti, was made entirely of fiberglass and glued with high-tech resins to the simple center-beam chassis, with the engine hanging from a cage at the rear.
This manufacture of fiber with epoxy resin made possible from the beginning a featherweight of the whole, in addition to a proven structural rigidity. For lovers of the classics, it is also a blessing to know that there are no oxidation points; on the contrary, this type of bodywork requires a different paint, expert painters and can hide cracks from poorly made repairs.
The toy
Jorge continued to accumulate knowledge about the Alpine world and meeting key figures such as the aforementioned Francisco Conde and Jaume Segarra. Over the years, he saw the opportunity to finally get a unit: he did not hesitate, a magnificent and original A-110 1.100 blue, which he was commissioned to restore and which he uses regularly today.
But our protagonist continued with his particular Man-Child inner struggle. He had the myth only in part, because he was missing his longed-for yellow toy, with those beautiful rally headlights and that aesthetic racing… Besides, now he knew what his new big boy toy was capable of.
He was aware that in a melee going up any mountain pass, his little Alpine would be almost unbeatable. And every night, when he went to bed, he slept imagining what it would be like to drive that 1400 with its double damping and its 85 hp engine. I even dream of a rally 1800, with four carburettors, more crossed trees, firmer suspension, buffers ...
One fine day another A-110 was shot. This time it was in state "calamitous", so Jorge had it clear. He was going to restore that almost irrecoverable car to A-110 1400 specifications, but aesthetically recreating the pinnacle of the Alpine, one of the two 1800 Rallyes.
This is something that said of other makes and models is sacrilege. However, it is common in the Alpine world that, in search of performance or for aesthetic reasons, the owners of these machines have been updating them in specifications by assembling parts of their older brothers. It is a task that is relatively easy, as the Alpine shares numerous mechanical parts with other Renault vehicles.
In this case, the aesthetic modification was simple and understandable, since there were parts of the body that, given their terrible condition, had to be completely re-manufactured.
"Ready, Steady, GO !!!"
Those who have run a rally or seen a video of the start will know what I mean. These are the magic words of departure from international tests, which we could translate as "Ready, Set, Go!!!". As I approach this machine, they are the ones that haunt my brain.
The car is magnificent, beautiful, it exudes sportiness. Its color, the original decoration, the wheels, the crouched ass and its negative fall behind, the Cibie “gutter” headlights. It has no bad side; in profile, from the front, from behind, it tells you “I am made to run. If you have what it takes, try to tame me ”.
I walk over to the simple knob and open. Again that feeling of sportiness, with an extremely light door. Inside, the sporty bucket seat welcomes me. Will I be able to get in? I wonder as I begin the maneuver. In his brother "on the street" this is already complex ... but taking his breath, in the end you do it cleanly; There are no concessions here, the baquets further reduce the space available to enter, especially if you are not at your ideal weight.
At last I made it, I am inside, behind the beautiful leather steering wheel - the original is made of wood, with three spokes with the central "A" -, admiring the complete dashboard. Two large clocks, corresponding to the speedometer and tachometer, plus three other smaller central ones, for the battery charge, oil pressure and water temperature. A simple hour clock also appears in the center of the board.
The Alpine touch is in each piece, in the watches, in the steering wheel, in the dashboard lined in leatherette and wood. I am quickly transported to the late seventies, I am running the Shalymar Rally ... I start the 4-cylinder and it does not leave me indifferent, what a roar. At first a little hesitant and unstable, a little thinner already in temperature, but this toy was not born to be listened to at idle.
I decide to “copi”, at least at the beginning, so that its owner shows me how far the berlineta can go. So this time I'll give you the output: "Ready, steady, GO !!!". The engine pushes decisively from below, while Jorge inserts the gears with surprising ease, each stretching to around 6.500 laps - the tachometer reads an optimistic 8000. The thrust is sensational, my back takes note of the sporting vocation of the car. vehicle. The damping feels hard and dry, and the traction on this slight uphill we are now riding is surprising.
The noise floods everything, you have to forget about comforts, this car is not for traveling, but for enjoying. It's hoarse, sporty, with that final howl that tells you the right time to insert the next relationship. The heat is not overwhelming because it is 15º outside, but in other conditions it would be. The smell of gasoline helps even more to transport us to the atmosphere of rallies.
We come to a twisted section. It does not disappoint, it is tremendously settled with that cushioning and, between the expert hands of its master, it links the slow curves at a devilish speed. The braking is also very powerful, since the 1400 with double circuit and 4 discs is more than enough.
[su_youtube_advanced https=»yes» url='https://youtube.com/watch?v=haQAFK63Vzk' ]
Jorge stops with a smile and hands me the wheel. I have to admit that he got out of the car with great ease and that I crawled like a worm ... I fasten my seat belt, insert first, rear-view mirror, turn signal, let's go. At first I try, without success, to drive this car in a relaxed way and at low laps; It is not possible, the mechanics do not support this type of use.
When I realize it, I drive it faster and, not letting it fall below 3.000 Rpm, everything changes.
It is very hard and rough, its accelerator is sharp, the suspensions mistreat you and its steering without assists punishes your biceps; but as you increase the speed and the layout becomes more complex, you appreciate its virtues. That hard damping makes it turn very flat and a loss of traction is not easy, the steering is reasonably precise and the brakes outstanding. Without a doubt, in expert hands, it is a definitive weapon for rallying.
Like everything behind it, with a majority distribution of weights on that axis, you have to brake to turn ... and, if you want to have fun, accelerate and correct while exiting the curves. That is something that Jorge does with surprising ease, you can tell the miles driving his mount.
With some Cocacolas sitting on a terrace and with the Alpine in front asking for more, our dynamic test ends. We are exhausted, but with that smile that all children get when we get off our favorite attraction.
[su_spoiler title = 'TABLE OF TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS' style = »fancy» show = 'false']
| • Make model | Renault Alpine |
| • Version | FASA-1400 |
| • Power | 85 DIN HP (6.200 Rpm) |
| • Engine | 4 cylinders in line |
| • Displacement | 1.397 cm3 |
| • Distribution | 8 valves |
| • Maximum torque | 11 mKg (4.500 Rpm) |
| • Transmission | Rear-wheel drive, 4-speed manual gearbox |
| • Weight | 695 Kg |
| • Tires | Michelin X VS size 165 X 70 HR 13. |
| • Acceleration 0-100 | ND |
| • Maximum speed | 185 Km / h |
| • Weight distribution (front / rear) | 285 / 410 Kg |
| • Distance between axis | 2.100 mm |
| • Front track | 1.359 mm |
| • Rear track | 1.301 mm |
| • Length | 3.857 mm |
| • Total width | 1.529 mm |
| • Empty height | 1.140 mm |
| • Height above ground (empty / loaded) | 141/112 mm |
| • Manufacturing Period | May 1977 - May 1978 |
[/ Su_spoiler]
