Tuesday 6th May 2014

Alpine A610: Spotted

The first owner loved the A610 so much as a company car he bought it. Must be rather special then...

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Certain criteria tend to exist when it comes to company cars. Bosses don't want to pay for extortionate fuel bills for their reps to slog up and down motorways, so diesel effectively chooses itself. The German marques are desirable too, resulting in our major roads beings clogged with 320ds and the like.

Unusual find in a Subaru garage...

How an Alpine A610 can be justified as a company car, even 20 years ago, it's hard to know. If only more businesses could be managed in a similar fashion then all motorways journeys would be significantly more interesting.

The story behind this A610 is fantastic. Having covered 42,000 miles in three years as his company hack, the driver of the Alpine was so enamoured by it that he bought the car once the lease had run out. It was then used as a weekend plaything, including trips to Goodwood and Le Mans, before being purchased by its current Renault mad owner in 2012. The latter is now selling the car. At a Subaru dealership. Huh?

Turns out the dealer was a Renault franchise but now with the Subaru venture more space is required for more 'on-brand' vehicles. Indeed, it does sit rather incongruously amongst the XVs and Foresters with a Subaru dealer plate affixed.

Not a dash full of flair

All A610s are rare, with only 68 RHD cars produced, but this one is especially so as only two UK cars were reputedly made in pearlescent green. The detail in the advert implies meticulous care, a point reinforced by the pics; it looks immaculate.

Any discussion of the A610 isn't complete without mentioning that Porsche. Conveniently enough, 1993 is of course the 993 era but with apparently no ceiling on the values of the last air-cooled 911 the Alpine is made to look conspicuously good value. Spend £20K on a 993 and you'll get a Tiptronic C2 with 136,000 miles. Mmm. For a Carrera with a similar mileage to the A610 and £38K is required.

It won't suit all tastes, but the underrated A610 is an intriguing and capable alternative choice to that old Porsche. We like it rather a lot.

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ALPINE A610
Engine: 2,975cc turbocharged V6
Transmission: Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 253@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 258@2,900rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 65,400
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £19,950

See the original ad here.

[Quickmoose]

I would...in a heart beat for that one.
Great find
Gorgeous looking thing, especially so in that colour.

[dukebox9reg]

Is it me or that clutch pedal looks at a really weird angle.

I hope Renault do a proper job of bringing this name back to market, not like Gordini.

[jazzyjeff]

As opposed to the 993, I would've thought the 964 was a more natural competitor for the A610?

[renaultgeek]

gorgeous, although how much easier would it be to maintain the 911?

[renaultgeek]

renaultgeek said:

gorgeous, although how much easier would it be to maintain the 911?

I'd still buy the alpine though, if I had the money.

[soxboy]

Just the ticket to live the Eldorado dream.

'Marcooos'!!!!

[GrizzlyBear]

jazzyjeff said:

As opposed to the 993, I would've thought the 964 was a more natural competitor for the A610?

I would have thought the 968 would have been the natural competitor to the A610, front engine, approx. 240 to 250 hp, RWD, exactly the same era and all the magazines at the time seemed to be doing group tests with Porsche 968, A610, MVS Venturi, Nissan 300ZX… but not a 993 or 964.

Doesn't look quite so good value then does it, nice car though.

Edited by GrizzlyBear on Tuesday 6th May 14:32

[Quickmoose]

GrizzlyBear said:

I would have thought the 968 would have been the natural competitor to the A610, front engine, approx. 240 to 250 hp, RWD, exactly the same era and all the magazines at the time seemed to be doing group tests with Porsche 968, A610, MVS Venturi… but not a 993 or 964.

Doesn't look quite so good value then does it

A610 is not front engine though...that was the 'thing'

[toppstuff]

GrizzlyBear said:

jazzyjeff said:

As opposed to the 993, I would've thought the 964 was a more natural competitor for the A610?

I would have thought the 968 would have been the competitor to the A610, front engine,

The Alpine is REAR engined.

It is a properly weird thing. I love it.

[Countersteer]

ISTR the A610 walking away with Performance Car of the Year sometime in the early 90's. A genuine surprise or really that good?

[mike-r]

That's awesome.

Reminded me of a thought today seeing an MR2. Cars with pop-up headlights, how do they flash people? I assume the lights can't really pop up and down that quickly.

[bagseye]

Completely forgot about this car, but absolutely love it. It has fantastic lines and presence that for me, would outweigh any of it's faults.

[urquattroGus]

Nice, but I lust after a Venturi from the same era much more, nice looking, and on the face of it, better built.

There just never seem to be any for sale...

[Asterix]

I remember working at Renault London mid 90's and one of these came in.

It was a lovely thing and fun to drive but the build quality was atrocious! A 993 is in a different league build wise.

Still, an interesting car.

[GrizzlyBear]

Quickmoose said:

GrizzlyBear said:

I would have thought the 968 would have been the natural competitor to the A610, front engine, approx. 240 to 250 hp, RWD, exactly the same era and all the magazines at the time seemed to be doing group tests with Porsche 968, A610, MVS Venturi… but not a 993 or 964.

Doesn't look quite so good value then does it

A610 is not front engine though...that was the 'thing'

Oh yes, what on Earth is under than long bonnet?, anyway my point still stands that all the mags at the time were putting them in group tests with the cars I mentioned above, Nice car, but not 993 nice.

[TWPC]

Wonderful French weirdness! Nice follow-up to the Pantera...

I preferred the look of the GTA (see below), effectively the A610 mark 1, but all the magazine reviews at the time said the A610 was an improvement in all the ways that mattered (i.e. not looks).

My bucket list is lengthening fast at the moment.

[Quickmoose]

GrizzlyBear said:

Oh yes, what on Earth is under than long bonnet?, anyway my point still stands that all the mags at the time were putting them in group tests with the cars I mentioned above, Nice car, but not 993 nice.

It's not a bonnet?! ...storage space and spare wheel I think..
I saw the Fast Lane test, 993, vs A610, vs 944 turbo, vs Esprit
It was definitely seen as the French 911 from conception to death.

[j90gta]

I bought my GTA Turbo in 1994. Most definitely rear not mid-engined. At the time I did a driving course with Paul Ripley who had just bought himself a 911 to offer high performance driving tuition. He had never driven a GTA before mine and confessed that had he known he would have bought one instead of the Porsche! As far as he was concerned it handled much better!! Those of us who can live with it's foibles (dodgy electrics anyone)know what a seriously underrated car the GTA and its successor the A610 is.

[GrizzlyBear]

Quickmoose said:

GrizzlyBear said:

Oh yes, what on Earth is under than long bonnet?, anyway my point still stands that all the mags at the time were putting them in group tests with the cars I mentioned above, Nice car, but not 993 nice.

It's not a bonnet?! ...storage space and spare wheel I think..
I saw the Fast Lane test, 993, vs A610, vs 944 turbo, vs Esprit
It was definitely seen as the French 911 from conception to death.

So that's a 944 competitor then... which evolved into the 968.

So what do you call it is not a bonnet? does the engine in the back stop it being called a bonnet?,a "front boot" maybe?

Edited by GrizzlyBear on Tuesday 6th May 15:02

[clonmult]

mike-r said:

That's awesome.

Reminded me of a thought today seeing an MR2. Cars with pop-up headlights, how do they flash people? I assume the lights can't really pop up and down that quickly.

I had a Volvo 480ES years back, you'd think I could remember how it handled that. Likely just use the bumper lights instead?