October is a busy month for Alpine. And for a good reason...

Alpine is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the A110, which was unveiled in October 1962 in Paris, during the automotive fair.

Is this a coincidence that Alpine decided to unveil the A 110R at this moment? Certainly not.

But when stars align, they really align.

Yesterday, Ocon finished the Suzuka F1 race at the 4th place, Alonso at the 7th place, and they took the 4th place to McLaren F1.

Saturday, Pierre Gasly and Alpine announced that they will work together, with Esteban Ocon.

And yesterday, a superb racing A110 from 1970 was auctioned for... 178, 500 Euros.

That is a brilliant way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the icon.

Henry's Alpine A110 1600S By Bonhams.

"This Berlinette was assembled by the factory's competition department in 1970. Production records (on file) indicate that serial number '16610' was assigned by the competition department on 25th November 1969. Its original body number was '2606'. The sales department's archives indicate that the car was delivered six months later, in June 1970.

It should be noted that the body was supplied to the racing department already painted but without the front axle or the engine/transmission, which were installed later by the competition department's mechanics. '16610' was completed in October 1970 and registered on the 15th of the same month as '7850 GS 76'. Equipped with a 'small chassis' (the 'large chassis' having appeared in the same period, but on competition cars intended for dirt roads), '16610' was an 'asphalt' car and made its debut on the 1970 Tour de Corse. Chassis '16610' with body '2606' would participate in three events of the World Rally Championship:

7/8 November 1971 - Tour de Corse - No.8 - Vinatier/Murac – 5th
28/29 November 1971 - Criterium des Cévennes - No.76 - De Cortanze/Roure – 12th
December 1970 - Essais Monte Carlo - Andersson

After this last event at Monte-Carlo with Ove Andersson, '16610' was returned to Alpine's Used Vehicles department on 21st December 1970 for reconditioning in anticipation of its sale to private clients (as evidenced in the dossier). Jean Rédélé limited his competition cars to running only two or three events before offering them for sale to privateers. This would allow him to regularly supply his official factory drivers with new cars, while at the same time claiming that privateers could have exactly the same cars as factory drivers. Thus, a regular supply chain was established between the factory and the private teams.

The hit list:

20/21 February 1971 – Neige et Glace – No.19 – Henry/Grobot – 6th
4-7 March 1971 – Rallye Lyon Charbonnières – No.19 – Henry/Grobot – 5th
4 April 1971 – Critérium de Touraine – Henry – 4th
25 April 1971 – Tour de l'Aisne – No.6 – Henry/Grobot – 3rd
1/2 May 1971 – C/C des Monts du Jura – Henry – 4th
8/9 May 1971 – Critérium Alpin – No.7 – Henry/Grobot – 1st
16 May 1971 – Ronde du Vercors Vivarais – No.9 – Henry – 2nd
29/30 May 1971 – C/C du Mont Revard – Henry – 4th
13 June 1971 – Hill climb de Cruseille de Salève – Henry – 22nd
20 June 1971 – Rallye de Genève – No.20 – Henry/Grobot – 2nd "

And the photos, now ( Credit Bonhams ) :