Alpine A110
The A610 represented the end of the line for Alpine production
out of the Dieppe factory. A total of 818 were built according
to factory records of which 67 where right hand drive. Production
started in 91 and finished in 95.
Most Alpine A110 Berlinettes were built in Dieppe. Variants
were also built under licence in Brazil, Bulgaria, Mexico
and Spain. All cars are left hand drive and the A110 was never
offered for sale in the UK.
The A110 is a development of the A108 and the rear-engine
layout uses a steel backbone chassis structure, that includes
the front suspension crossmember and a rear "bridge"
to which the engine/gearbox and rear suspension mounts, and
is bonded into the fibreglass bodyshell resulting in a particularly
rigid body-chassis unit.
All examples have coil spring suspension with most having
double wishbones at the front and swing axles at the rear
with the driveshaft running inside the axle tubes and disc
brakes on all wheels. From the 1974 model year the 1600cc
cars have double wishbone rear suspension from the 4 cylinder
A310 which required some changes to the rear chassis.
BERLINETTES BUILT IN FRANCE
956cc "1000" from 1963 to 1965 (A110-950)
1108cc "80" and "85" from 1962 to 1966
(A110-1100)
1108cc "1100", "Standard" & "70"
from 1964 to '69 (A110-1100)
1108cc "100" from 1965 to 1967 (A110-1100)
1296cc "1300", "1300 SUPER" & "1300
S"
from 1966-71 (1300 VB)
1255cc "1300" and "1300 G" from 1967 to
1971 (1300 VA)
1470cc "1500" from 1967 to 1968 (A110-1500)
1565cc "1600" from 1969 to 1970 (1600 VA)
1565cc "1600 S" from 1969 to 1973 (1600 VB)
1289cc "85" and "1300" from 1970 to 1976
(1300VC)
1605cc "1600 S" from 1973 to 1974 (1600 VC)
In 1974 the rear suspension of the 1600 was changed from
swing axles to the double wishbone configuration of the A310;
the number of wheel nuts changed from 3 for the original swing
axle cars to 4. The door handles were replaced by push buttons
and a de-mountable rear panel provided easier access for engine/gearbox
removal on all cars built from this date.
1605cc "1600 SC" and "1600 SI" from 1974
to 1975 (1600 VD)
1647cc "1600 SX" from 1976 to 1977 (1600 VH)
BERLINETTES BUILT IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Willys-Overland built about 1500 845cc and 998cc A108 Berlinettes
and 956cc and 1108cc A110 Berlinettes in Brazil from 1962
to 1966, badged "INTERLAGOS" Components for around
200 1108cc A110s were supplied by Dieppe for assembly in Bulgaria
between 1968 and 1970 under the name BULGARALPINE. The DINALPIN
was produced under licence in Mexico where around 300 956cc
A110 Berlinettes were produced between 1964 and 1967 with
about 200 1108cc variants following in the period to 1972.
SPAIN
The most prolific source of Berlinettes outside France was
Spain where 1108cc, 1289cc and 1397cc A110 Berlinettes were
built under licence. Spanish laws concerning local work content
meant that these cars were only produced with engines at the
lower end of the power scale.
The 1108cc cars were heavier than the 1108cc French "70"
of the period and this weight difference is attributed popularly
to the bodyshells being thicker to cope with the local road
conditions. However, the Spanish "A110-1300" is
actually homologated at 5kg lighter than the equivalent French-built
"85".
1108cc "A110-1100" from 1967 to 1970
1289cc "A110-1300" from 1971 to 1976
1397cc "A110-1400" from 1977 to 1978
Since production of the A110 Berlinette ceased in France
in July 1977 a Spanish built A110-1400 has the honour of being
the last production A110 Berlinette to be built.
Tim Moores
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