1966 Alpine A210
- Engine
- 1.47L inline-four twin-cam Gordini-Renault (also raced with 1.3L and 1.0L variants)
- Colour
- French racing blue with tricolor stripe and number 55
Alpine A210 chassis 1725 is one of only eight examples built, and arguably the most decorated of that small series. Constructed in 1966 with a lightweight glassfibre body and rear-mid-mounted Gordini-Renault twin-cam power, it contested three Le Mans 24 Hours (1967–1969), claiming class victories in 1967 and 1968 alongside an Index of Performance win in 1968. After its racing career it passed to a French collector who stored it carefully for over four decades, preserving it in a remarkable original state; following his death in 2016 the car was conservatively recommissioned rather than fully restored.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate €1,200,000 – €1,500,000
- 1970 →Acquisition unknownChristian Martinpartial documentation
Long-serving Renault employee who acquired the car after its active racing career ended. His tenure was brief before the car passed to the next owner.
- → 2016Private saleGérard Gombertpartial documentation
Motorcycle racer and mechanic based near Fayence in southern France who used the car on track for a period, towing it with a Renault Estafette van. He stored the A210 in a shed, sheltered from the weather, while much of his wider vehicle collection deteriorated outdoors. Owned until his death in 2016.
- 2016 →AuctionPost-2016 auction buyerfull documentation
Acquired the car at auction following Gombert's death. Chose sympathetic conservation over full restoration, returning the exterior to its 1968 Le Mans livery and commissioning a full mechanical overhaul costing over €42,000, documented by an invoice.
Competition
- 19671967 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Henri Grandsire9th overall, 1st in class
Co-driven by José Rosinski; car ran a 1,296-cc engine.
- 19671967 Reims 12 Hours9th overall
Final running of the Reims 12-hour race; driver names not recorded in the prose.
- 19671967 Nürburgring 500 KilometresDNF
Unsuccessful attempt; no further detail given.
- 19671967 Kyalami 9 Hours7th overall
Car fitted with a larger 1,470-cc engine for this event; drivers not named.
- 19681968 Nürburgring 500 Kilometres4th overall
Drivers not named in the prose.
- 19681968 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Jean-Claude Andruet14th overall, 1st in class, Index of Performance winner
Co-driven by Jean-Pierre Nicolas; car ran a 1,005-cc engine, which also secured the Index of Performance award.
- 19691969 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Alain Le GuellecDNF — head gasket failure
Co-driven by Bernard Tramont; car used a 1,470-cc engine and retired after approximately two hours.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2016Service
Following the Gombert estate auction, the car was cleaned and its exterior conserved rather than fully restored, preserving the naturally aged finish.
A deliberate conservation approach was chosen to retain the car's original patina.
- —Bodywork
The exterior was returned to its 1968 Le Mans configuration through reapplication of the tricolore centre stripe and race number 55.
Carried out as part of the post-2016 recommissioning.
- —Mechanical
Complete overhaul of all mechanical systems, including the 1,470-cc Gordini-Renault engine, at a documented cost exceeding €42,000.
An invoice for this work is included in the car's documentation file.
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