last update: October 1, currently 18 models in this collection
Renault was one of the pioneers of the turbo engine. Porsche beat Renault as the first manufacturer that won Le Mans using a turbo engine, but Renault moved on after Le Mans and was the first to bring the turbo to the Formula One. After a long time, Renault came back to sports car racing in 2013 and are still there, now using the Alpine brand.
The first V6 and V6 turbo
1973 Magny-Cours, Alpine-Renault A440 V6. Alpine introduced the all new A440 with Renault V6 engine in 1973. Jean-Pierre Jabouille drove it at its debut race to 4th place and would also win the next.
#19 Jean-Pierre Jabouille (F) – 1st
Alpine-Renault A440 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º, approx. 280 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 440 #1
- ELIGOR Collection Renault #6 (diecast)
1974 European Sports Car Championship, Alpine-Renault A441 V6. In 1974 four improved A441’s were entered in the European Sports Car Championship. The cars – ran by two teams – won all races. This is one of the four original A441’s, which was used by Jean Ortelli in hillclimbs later.
1974 Jean-Pierre Jabouille (F) / Alain Serpaggi (F) – 1st
Alpine-Renault A441 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º, approx. 280 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 441 #1
- ELIGOR Collection Renault #38 (diecast)
1975 Le Mans 24h, Alpine-Renault A441 V6 The Alpine-Renault V6 dominated the European Sports Car Championship in 1974. In 1975 the French stepped into the 3-liter class of the world championship with a turbocharged version of their A441. The works team used the A441 turbo only once and put all efforts in the new A442. The Elf Switserland team with lady drivers Lombardi and Beaumont used a normally aspirated version of the A441 all season, including at Le Mans. The car retired after only 20 laps with fuel feed problems.
#26 Marie-Claude Beaumont (F) / Lella Lombardi (I) – DNF
Alpine-Renault A441 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º, approx. 300 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 441 #3
- SPARK S1549 (resin)
1975 Mugello 1000 km, Alpine-Renault A441 V6 turbo. The Alpine-Renault V6 dominated the European Sports Car Championship in 1974. In 1975 the French stepped into the 3-liter class of the world championship with a turbocharged version of their A441. It won its first and only race at Mugello. The works team drove the rest of the season with the newly developed A442, but that was still unreliable and scored no victories.
#5 Jean-Pierre Jabouille (F) / Gérard Larrousse (F) – 1st
Alpine-Renault A441 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 480 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 441 #3
- SPARK S1550 (resin)
1977 & 1978 the big attack
1977 Le Mans 24h, Renault Alpine A442 V6 turbo. The name has changed from Alpine-Renault to Renault Alpine and the main color was now Renault yellow instead of Alpine blue. Renault entered a single A442 last year which was very quick but retired. In 1977 they returned, now with 3 works cars and one for the team of Hughes de Chaunac that didn’t even last one lap. Again, the Alpines were the quickest, but Jacky Ickx in the Porsche 936 chased them until all of them retired.
#7 Patrick Tambay (F) / Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (F) – DNF
#8 Jacques Lafitte (F) / Patrick Depailler (F) – DNF
#9 Jean-Pierre Jabouille (F) / Derek Bell (GB) – DNF
Alpine-Renault A442 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 550 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnrs. 442 #1, 442 #2 and 442 #3.
- IXO Classic Le Mans & GT Cars LMC042 / LMC043 / LMC 044 (diecast)
1977 Le Mans, Mirage-Renault M8. Also two Mirages were powered by the Renault V6 turbo engine, one failed to finish but the #10 car got on the podium as the only Renault powered prototype.
#10 Vern Schuppan (NZ) / Jean Pierre Jarier (F) – 2nd
GTC Mirage GR8 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 550 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #802
- SPARK STME07 (resin)
1978 Le Mans 24h, Renault Alpine A442B and A443. After last year’s defeat, Renault entered 3 full works cars this year: One A442 in last years specs, one A442B with a canopy for better aerodynamics and 2.1 liter engine, and a brand new A443 with that same power plant and a longer wheelbase. The A443 led the field from the start and served as the hare. It retired with a broken engine, but also caused some damage and delay to the following Porsches. In the end the #2 A442B “bubble” won Le Mans. Renault quit immediately after and started their Formula 1 project where they named their car Renault Gordini and not Alpine.
#1 Jean-Pierre Jarier (F) / Patrick Depailler (F) – DNF
Alpine-Renault A443 – 2.1 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 580 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 443 #1
#2 Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (F) / Didier Pironi (F) – 1st
Alpine-Renault A442B – 2.1 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 580 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. 442 #3
- MINICHAMPS MC430 781101 (diecast)
- MINICHAMPS MC430 781102 (diecast)
1978 Le Mans 24h, Renault Alpine A442. A fourth Renault Alpine contested this year’s race. It was a 1977 A442 that was entered by Equipe Calberson. It was slower than the official works cars but reliable and finished 4th behind the winning A442B and two Porsche 936’s.
#4 Jean Ragnotti (F) / Guy Frequelin (F) / José Dolhem (F) – 4th
Alpine-Renault A442 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 550 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnrs. 442 #1
- ALTAYA 24 heures du Mans 46 (diecast)
1978 Le Mans 1978, Mirage-Renault M9. Just as in the previous year, Renault provided Mirage with engines. Unfortunately, it was the engine that blew up on the #11 Mirage. The #10 car did finish the race, but way back in 10th place. The Mirage M9’s had a long-tail bodywork which made them look quite differently from last year’s car which made them approximately 1 second per lap quicker however the chassis were quite some years old.
#11 Michel Leclère (F) / Sam Posey (USA) – DNF / engine
GTC Mirage M9 – 2.0 liter Renault Gordini V6 60º twin turbo, approx. 550 hp. aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #801
- SPARK S0312 (resin)
The in between years
1983 Renault 5 turbo cup, Renault 5 turbo. Jan Lammers’ F1 career didn’t go as hoped. But he was an absolute ace in the Renault Cups; champion in the little R5 turbos in 1983 and 1984 and 3rd in the Alpine V6 cup in 1986. Later he would also excel in endurance racing, winning both Le Mans and Daytona.
#2 Renault 5 turbocup – Jan Lammers – 1st
Renault 5 turbo 2 cup – 1.4 liter Renault Gordini 830 straight-4 turbo, approx. 200 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- SPARK S6155 (resin)
1994 Le Mans 24h, Venturi LM 600-Renault. Venturi is a small French manufacturer that uses Renault engines for its cars. In this case the PRV6 engine was equipped with two turbo’d and delivered about 600 hp. Only one of six started Venturi managed to finish, but it was not this one with its special livery designed by Arman. This was the comeback of art lover Hervé Poulain, also responsible for the famous BMW Art Cars in the 70’s.
#30 Hervé Poulain (F) / Jean-Luc Maury Laribiére (F) / Bernard Chauvin (F) – DNF
Venturi LM 600 GT1 – 3.0 liter Renault PRV V6 90º twin turbo, approx. 600 hp. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. MVS #LM006
- ALTAYA Monstres sacres de l’endurance 57 (diecast)
Almost 20 years later, Alpine is back
2013 Le Mans 24h, Alpine A450-Nissan. Using historic names for modern cars is a hot topic in LMP2 category in 2013. A Zytek looks like a Caterham, the Morgan LMP2 is a rebadged Oak-Pescarolo and this Alpine is no more than an Oreca 03 with V8 Nissan engine. Signatech uses the name and logos of historic brand Alpine on this car, of course with approval of Renault that wants to relaunch the Alpine brand. A bit of racing success would help, but the beautiful car finished only 8th in class and 14th overall.
#36 Nelson Panciatici (F) / Pierre Ragues (F) / Tristan Gommendy (F) – 14th / 8th LMP2
Alpine A450 – 4.5 liter Nissan VK45DE V8 90º, approx. 460 hp. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Oreca 03 #06
- SPARK S3755 (resin)
2016 Le Mans 24h, Alpine A460-Nissan. The Alpine A460 has its own homologation but is not much more than an Oreca 05. Oreca’s are doing well at fast tracks such as Le Mans. But the Signatech team performed very well over the entire season because they also win the LMP2 teams and drivers titles in FIA WEC.
#36 Nicolas Lapierre (F) / Stéphane Richelmi (
MC) / Gustavo Menezes (USA) – 5th / 1st LMP 2
Alpine A460 – 4.5 liter Nissan VK45DE V8 90º, approx. 460 hp. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Oreca 05 #12
- SPARK S5119 (resin 1:43)
- SPARK Renault 77 11 782 209 (resin 1:18)
2021 Le Mans 24h, Alpine A480-Gibson. Alpine enters the Hypercar category with a car which is neither a Hypercar nor an Alpine. It is a last year’s Rebellion (Oreca built) LMP1 chassis with a Gibson V8 engine. It is allowed to run in Hypercar after some adjustments such as an increase of weight and decrease of engine power.
#36 Nicolas Lapierre (F) / André Negrão (BR) / Matthieu Vaxiviere (F) – 3rd
Alpine A480 – 4.5 liter Gibson GL458 V8 90º, approx. 600 hp. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Rebellion R13 / Oreca 07 #01
- SPARK S8232 (resin)
In 2024 Alpine entered the FIA WEC with an actual Hypercar, the Alpine A424. I hope to add a model of that to my collection.
Thanks for visiting 😉