RE: Sublime Scarlet Red Alpine A610 for sale
Discussion
I bought its predecessor, a normally aspirated GTA new in 1989.
G400XBX. A terrific car - when it worked.
After months of problems and a new engine, Renault bought the car back for what I paid for it.
That was it or so I thought. Then years later the car popped up directly in front of me in a queue to get into a PH Sunday Service.
I could not be more excited. I approached the owner and offered to buy the car there and then. Even though it was in a pretty rough state.
He declined my offer, only to contact me a year later with a view to sell. But, by then the moment had passed and sanity had returned.
A fun car with terrible flaws.
G400XBX. A terrific car - when it worked.
After months of problems and a new engine, Renault bought the car back for what I paid for it.
That was it or so I thought. Then years later the car popped up directly in front of me in a queue to get into a PH Sunday Service.
I could not be more excited. I approached the owner and offered to buy the car there and then. Even though it was in a pretty rough state.
He declined my offer, only to contact me a year later with a view to sell. But, by then the moment had passed and sanity had returned.
A fun car with terrible flaws.
Johnston said:
Owned my A610 for 17 years now (its done 133k miles). There is something really rather special about it. Only 818 were ever made, 68 of which were RHD. So there is a greater chance of seeing an F40 or a Countach than an A610.
I knew I had them somewhere, here we are at The Prescott Hillclimb some time ago. I've removed your registration number (badly)
Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 14th September 19:22
Mark_Blanchard said:
The A610 is a lovely looking car and this one is no exception. Seems a more coherent design than the previous GTA.
And the original 1971 A310 was sublime.
I also like some of this model, those are compact, light and have a very nice interior, at least saw some great examples, better then the say later V6 Turbo, those A310 could be the one to get, very classic, low, classic interior with some nice materials, I mean, classic and 'warm' stylish, seats ala Renault 5 Turbo 1 also.And the original 1971 A310 was sublime.
HedleyP said:
I've owned mine for ten years now. It still brings a smile to my face whenever I look at it. It's been quite a labour of love bringing it back to this condition though.
Pistom said:
Unreal said:
Thankfully a thread mostly free of people who know nothing about the cars. Mine has about 65K on the clock and has been extensively refurbished. I couldn't care less what it's worth but I doubt it will be dropping in value that's for sure. As mentioned, there are hardly any rhd cars.
Don't you just love it when owners pop onto threads like this - someone who has the balls to own one and is rightfully proud of it too.Great to hear from people who own and use cars like this, even better that they don't value the car by the price tag on it.
One of the things I love about Harry's Garage is that he doesn't seem phased by value - he sees the cars for what they are.
That is the sign of a true enthusiast.
Pistom said:
How do you get on with finding spares? I assume Simons in Germany are still a good source? I imagine you guard your back lights with your life.
Not needed anything (touches wood) out of the ordinary. Car does so few miles since a major refurb that nothing's really wearing out. I assume a fair chunk of parts are standard Renault but may be wrong. I've heard about the lights - that would be an insurance issue! Unreal said:
Thankfully a thread mostly free of people who know nothing about the cars. Mine has about 65K on the clock and has been extensively refurbished. I couldn't care less what it's worth but I doubt it will be dropping in value that's for sure. As mentioned, there are hardly any rhd cars.
They are an acquired taste to drive but quite an event. If you're pootling about the ride is harsh and there are plenty of squeaks and rattles but the cars come alive when you take them by the scruff of the neck. They are quick, especially once they're rolling and the handling is as good as anything from the period and still good today. They're very aerodynamic and top speed is 160+. It's a car I would like to take on a track so that I can find out where the limits are. I imagine it would get interesting if you overcooked it on the roads, much like a contemporary 911. You're very aware there's a big lump behind you but it doesn't feel (to me) quite as pendulous as a 911. Pic shows the position. My impression is that the engine is a fair bit further inboard than a 911 motor.
The motor gets hot, not least because it sits under a low cover, so it's normal to have the fans running for a couple of minutes after you've switched it off. They are extremely low, so getting in and out is difficult for big people and there is virtually no storage space. There is none in the engine compartment obviously and the space under the bonnet is completely full of tank and spare wheel. You have the space behind the front seats and the rears do fold but that's it. Lots of quirky touches like the door releases and fly off handbrake.
It's the only car I have that rivals my RX7 for attention and general goodwill. It is one of those cars other petrolheads like to see and have a look around because they are so rare and very few people have driven one, let alone owned one. I've not had the chance to really bond with the car but I aim to fix that next year and take it to Dieppe and possibly Le Mans. I don't have any concerns about reliability. There's nothing too complicated about the mechanicals or the electrics. I had it professionally rustproofed underneath so with the fibreglass bodywork it should be good for another 30 years.
A very interesting post - thanks ! Also for the picture of the rear-engine - something even the seller of the car in the main article couldn't manage.They are an acquired taste to drive but quite an event. If you're pootling about the ride is harsh and there are plenty of squeaks and rattles but the cars come alive when you take them by the scruff of the neck. They are quick, especially once they're rolling and the handling is as good as anything from the period and still good today. They're very aerodynamic and top speed is 160+. It's a car I would like to take on a track so that I can find out where the limits are. I imagine it would get interesting if you overcooked it on the roads, much like a contemporary 911. You're very aware there's a big lump behind you but it doesn't feel (to me) quite as pendulous as a 911. Pic shows the position. My impression is that the engine is a fair bit further inboard than a 911 motor.
The motor gets hot, not least because it sits under a low cover, so it's normal to have the fans running for a couple of minutes after you've switched it off. They are extremely low, so getting in and out is difficult for big people and there is virtually no storage space. There is none in the engine compartment obviously and the space under the bonnet is completely full of tank and spare wheel. You have the space behind the front seats and the rears do fold but that's it. Lots of quirky touches like the door releases and fly off handbrake.
It's the only car I have that rivals my RX7 for attention and general goodwill. It is one of those cars other petrolheads like to see and have a look around because they are so rare and very few people have driven one, let alone owned one. I've not had the chance to really bond with the car but I aim to fix that next year and take it to Dieppe and possibly Le Mans. I don't have any concerns about reliability. There's nothing too complicated about the mechanicals or the electrics. I had it professionally rustproofed underneath so with the fibreglass bodywork it should be good for another 30 years.
Great to see some positive Alpine discussion. I had a look back through my EVO archive looking for the 2021 quote. I haven't found it yet, but did find a great article by Henry Catchpole driving classic Alpine A110, A310 V6, GTA Le Mans (turbo) and A610 back to back (Oct 2013 #187).
I think it is safe to say he is a fan!
The article isn't posted on the evo website so hopefully they won't mind me posting it here.
I think it is safe to say he is a fan!
The article isn't posted on the evo website so hopefully they won't mind me posting it here.
Edited by sassthathoopie on Saturday 16th September 10:51
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