Alpine A610 Haute Couture, 1993
Chassis No.: 0085763 €55 000 | Sold Renault Alpine A610 Haute Couture Violine 884 1993 French registration document French registration certificate Chassis no. 0085763 The rarest, most exclusive and most ‘1990s’ of all road-going Alpines! The rarest, most exclusive and most ‘nineties’ of all road-going Alpines! 7 March 1991, Geneva Motor Show: Renault unveils the new version of what is now merely a variant of its flagship model, the A610, which succeeds the V6 GTA. Despite its modern look and its stated ambition to compete with the unbeatable Porsche 911 in its segment (and the other French GT, the Venturi!), the adventure of the last Alpine of the 20th century ended in a partial failure (or partial success), with only 818 units produced by 1995, just as Renault was phasing out Alpine in favour of Renault-Sport.The A610 is a true 2+2 GT, powered by the PRV V6 in a 3-litre turbocharged 250 hp configuration mounted at the rear. Although it weighed 200 kg more than its big sister, this was in favour of improved interior space and a more refined finish and equipment, which nevertheless failed to match the quality of its German rival, priced at roughly the same level… Despite its top-class performance, it was rarely seen in competition (though it did make an appearance at the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans!), which partly explains its lacklustre career.From the outset, in view of the sales figures, the management decided to increase collaborations and special editions in order to boost the market. Among these – very – limited editions, the following stand out: the ‘Olympique 92’ versions (two examples produced to mark the Albertville Olympic Games), ‘Magny-Cours’ (thirty-one examples to celebrate Mansell’s victory at the French Grand Prix), and ‘Le Mans’ (two individually type-approved units). In 1993, the management decided to follow Porsche’s lead and try their hand at customisation; to this end, two units, dubbed ‘Haute Couture’, were used as showpieces: a ‘Violine’ (colour code 884) with a matching interior, and a ‘Jaune Citron Vert’. The project went no further, and neither the A610 nor Alpine survived beyond 1995 – the end of the story.The Violine model, chassis #0085763, made its first public appearance in 1993 at the 2nd Tour Auto, then at the Trocadéro for the start of the Tour de France cycling race, and completed a few laps of circuits before a manager used it for a few months. The car was then sold through the dealership network and has had only two owners to date, the first keeping it from 1993 to 2020… The car was recently repainted in its unique original colour, with the design flaws inherent to the model being rectified. It has also recently been fitted with a bespoke stainless steel exhaust system, which gives it a beautiful sound. It is in immaculate condition with its unique purple interior. It comes with a few invoices, MOT certificates, and – most importantly – its service book stamped in 1993 at 10,000 and 20,000 km by the Technical and Commercial Centre of the Régie Nationale des Usines Renault car, which has had only two owners and has just over 75,000 km on the clock, is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable and exclusive Alpines ever built. With its iconic colour, reminiscent of the Viola Metallic of the Lamborghini Diablo SE30 and other Porsche 964 Jubilée models, it ticks all the essential boxes on the current market. And as Simon Kidtson says: “Colours make cars”… 7 March 1991, Geneva Motor Show: Renault unveiled the latest iteration of what was now merely a variant of its flagship model, the A610, which succeeded the V6 GTA. Despite its modern look and its stated ambition to compete with the unbeatable Porsche 911 in its segment (and the other French GT, the Venturi!), the adventure of the last Alpine of the 20th century ended in a partial failure (or partial success), with only 818 units produced by 1995, just as Renault was phasing out Alpine in favour of Renault-Sport.The A610 is a true 2+2 GT, powered by a 3-litre turbocharged V6 PRV engine producing 250 hp, mounted at the rear. Although it weighs 200 kg more than its big sister, this is in exchange for improved interior space and a more refined finish and equipment, which nevertheless fail to match the quality of its German rival, priced at roughly the same level… Despite its top-class performance, it was rarely seen in competition (although it did make an appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994!), which partly explains its somewhat lacklustre career.From the outset, in light of the sales figures, the management decided to increase the number of collaborations and special editions in order to boost the market. Among these – very – limited editions, the following stand out: the ‘Olympique 92’ versions (two models produced to mark the Albertville Winter Olympics), ‘Magny-Cours’ (thirty-one units to celebrate Mansell’s victory at the French Grand Prix), and ‘Le Mans’ (two units approved on an individual basis). In 1993, the management decided to follow Porsche’s lead and try their hand at customisation; to this end, two models, dubbed Haute Couture, would serve as showcases: a Violine, colour code 884, with a matching interior, and a Lemon Green. The project would go no further, and neither the A610 nor Alpine would survive beyond 1995; the end of the story.The Violine model, chassis #0085763, made its first public appearance in 1993 at the 2nd Tour Auto, then at the Trocadéro for the start of the Tour de France cycling race, and completed a few laps of the circuit before a manager used it for a few months. The car was then sold through the dealership network and has had only two owners to date, the first keeping it from 1993 to 2020… The car was recently repainted in its unique original colour, with the design flaws inherent to the model being rectified. It has also recently been fitted with a bespoke stainless steel exhaust, which gives it a wonderful sound. It is in immaculate condition with its unique purple interior. It comes with a few invoices, MOT certificates, and – most importantly – its service book, stamped in 1993 at 10,000 and 20,000 km by the Technical and Commercial Centre of the Régie Nationale des Usines Renault car, which has had only two owners and has clocked up just over 75,000 km, is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable and exclusive Alpines ever built. With its iconic colour, reminiscent of the Viola Metallic of the Lamborghini Diablo SE30 and other Porsche 964 Jubilee models, it ticks all the essential boxes in today’s market. And as Simon Kidtson says: ‘Colours make cars’… Est. €60,000 – €100,000 https://www.aguttes.com/lot/V26AOW02/8676e9fd-cbf8-45fd-8fe9-5f113a960e16
