1982 Renault Alpine A310

Current owner John bought this vehicle over three years ago from dealer Hofmann’s of Henley for £29,995, who were selling on behalf of a customer, after seeing a ‘case history’ road and condition test in Classic & Sports Car magazine. It’s worth noting that at the time it was awarded 8/10 stars in terms of value, with the journalist stating that it: ‘Must be one of the nicest around, brilliant to drive and much better value than a rough 911 SC.’

That decidedly positive review was prior to further expenditure ensuring that this example is indeed one of the best around. A poorly maintained one can be a fragile beast – one you wouldn’t trust to spin round the corner. However, to prove that this is properly sorted  John completed the Scottish Malts Reliability Trial (circa 1200 miles covered in total).

He says: ‘It’s a very good, robust and competitive car. We only missed a podium on the Malts as a jubilee clip on the cooling system worked its way loose.’ Having bought the car to do some rallies in it, he now has a hankering for something different and is eyeing up a Porsche 944. ‘If I’m honest I think I’m slower in a LHD car, and I’d prefer RHD – that’s pretty subjective, of course.’

When he bought the car it had an MOT, although Lord knows how as it was still on French plates and had the original European headlights in; new units were sourced with the help of the Renault Alpine Owners Club and eventually came from the Droop Snoot Group, as they’re shared with the Vauxhall Firenza (as well as the wedge-tastic Aston Martin Lagonda).

Immediately prior to coming to the UK, it was bought by a Brit with a house in France who then sold it to Hofmann’s. Before that it was a one-owner French car. There’s a documented speedometer change at around 37,000km, so in total the Alpine has now covered a still relatively parsimonious 85,000km.

Bodywork is very good, with no bubbles, crazing or lifting evident on the glass fibre panels. The only minor blemish we could find was a small paint chip above the Renault Alpine badge on the rear, but this can only be seen when the engine bay is open. With glass fibre bodies the difference between a good ‘un and a bad ‘un is usually immediately discernible, and it’s clear this is the former.

The plastic air intake vents behind the B-pillar are both crack free, while the black plastic bumpers and rubber rear spoiler are in good condition and un-faded. The headlight cover panels are protected by a clear plastic film protector although one has a crack across it. The four-stud Alpine alloy wheels are things of utter beauty, and all in lovely condition.

The interior of this car is astounding, a riot of retro khaki velour. But it’s not just the design, but the level of preservation, for a Renault cabin of this age to survive in this condition is fairly astonishing. It’s a tale of two seats (or four, if you count the two immaculate plus 2s in the rear in which John’s 8-year-old daughter loves to ride) with the passenger one looking fresh with taut material, and a relatively mark free countenance; over in the driver’s camp, the fabric on the outer bolster is ever so slightly loose and there’s a single cigarette (Gaulois, perhaps?) burn towards the front edge. Neither however is a deal breaker.

The only other issue we can see is a bit of loose carpet trim where the door meets the inner wing panel in the driver’s foot well. Other than that it’s a lovely lesson in relatively mark-free Eighties beige velour and is a very attractive place to sit – even more so when you spark up that PRV V6 engine (Devil-ish exhaust and all) just behind your head.

The car has seen a huge amount of expenditure in recent years in order to get it to this standard. That includes (but is not restricted to): new brake discs and pads; a replacement handbrake system; a four-barrel Holley carburettor; new exhaust manifolds; a gearbox rebuild with all new synchromesh; fitment of a heavy duty clutch; new TRX metric tyres; replacement camshaft gaskets; new starter motor; reconditioned alternator; and a new stainless steel exhaust system!

The latter is a design made for Alpine specialist Paul Sage to the Devil system design available as an in-period option. Another highly regarded Alpine specialist, London-based John Law, has carried out all the necessary engine and gearbox work.

Owner John says: ‘mechanically it’s faultless and uses no oil when driving. The Holley carburettor (replacing the original but troublesome twin Solex items) makes it eminently more driveable and when I recently had it rolling road tuned it output 161bhp, rather than the original factory claim of 150bhp). It corners incredibly flat, yet combines this with a very supple ride that you just don’t get with more modern stuff. The steering is beautiful, as well.’

A quick check underneath attests to his description. The glass fibre body is solid, and all suspension components appear to be in rude health and the chassis is verified strong. Up top, the engine is well detailed and there is an absence of any oil or coolant leaks. There are also two spacesaver spare wheels present.  

And have you seen a funkier tread pattern...

How good is your French? Included in the car’s history file are quite a few French documents including the original handbook, various invoices and a fully stamped service book up to 45,000km.

Since crossing the channel additions have included UK registration documents, Hofmann’s original advert and the C&SC review article, as well as numerous MOTs and invoices. The latter are mainly a combination of JL Engineering (detailing the engine and gearbox work) and Alpine Autos (the exhaust system and other various bits of work; expenditure for both combined is just above £10,000. Add to that approximately £1000 spent at Vintage Tyres and a little more here and there, and the amount lavished on the car is clear.

There’s an MOT refusal dated August 2017. The main issues surrounding the European specification headlamps, but there is photographic evidence of the work carried out to suit UK regulations. For prospective European buyers, it’s important to know that the original headlights (fitted at Dieppe) will also accompany the car at sale. The car now has a fresh 12-month MOT.

Finally, there’s a dyno printout from tuner Novatech’s 31/08/2017 rolling road session, where the Alpine output 161.2bhp and 183lbs/ft torque (healthily up on the standard specification of 150bhp and 150lb ft torque).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

The Alpine A310 still sits fairly unassuming in the gap between A110 and Renault 5 Turbo, and that means prices are reflective of that. While a top example of either of those will set you back well above £60k, the best ‘310’s come in considerably lower.

We think that means they’re something of a performance bargain. And for this example, that’s doubly so. John has clearly looked after and continued to develop it well, using the best specialists to do so. The fact that it’s proven itself on recent events means it’s absolutely ready to go. And the brand awareness of Alpine is only going up and up with the launch of the new model.

The next owner can choose whether they want to use it as a weekend toy, a show car or whet their competitive juices and get immediately out into the world of classic events.

In its short time here it’s been bulletproof and supremely tempting to take out for ‘just one more blast’. The handling is sweet, and that V6 rumbles, bellows and screams beautifully. It’s rare to see an A310 in any condition, let alone a V6 this good.

It is of course No Reserve, but we reckon it’ll go for between £25,000-£33,000, which even at the top end is a reasonable price for a properly sorted example - a quick check on the European prices will show you this. Buy it and prices should continue to slowly strengthen, ensuring it’s a decent investment as well as huge fun.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen with evendor in South West London; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.