Old meets new: The Alpine San Remo 73
Old meets new: The Alpine San Remo 73
The sports car manufacturer Alpine have had an illustrious career, but 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the brands greatest achievements: victory at the 1973 Sanremo Rally as part of the inaugural World Rally Championship season.
It was this iconic victory with legendary French driver Jean-Luc Thérier that cemented the Alpine A110’s top spot in the very first World Rally Season.
To celebrate this amazing anniversary, Alpine are producing 200 very special limited-edition models, the Alpine A110 San Remo 73. Sporting a distinctive look that pays homage to the championship winning 1973 A110, the Alpine San Remo 73 offers an incredible driving experience and is available to order now, priced at £77,990.
Exterior
In line with the sparkling achievement of winning the very first World Rally Championship, the San Remo 73 makes a strong statement from the moment it arrives with the iconic rally colours on full display. The main body is painted Caddy Blue, with a red-tinted carbon roof and white and black stripe decals along the doors. The 1973 rally car originally sported some rather eye-catching orange wheels, sadly these haven’t been repeated in the San Remo 73. Instead, it boasts some impressive Grand Prix Brilliant Blanc wheels that have been equipped with Anthracite painted Brembo callipers.
Interior
The interior of the San Remo is a little more subdued compared to bright splash of colour of the exterior, but still oozes quality and bespoke craftmanship. There’s a repeat of the black and white decal on the inside door panels (though much smaller of course), and the bucket seats are velvety black with beautiful grey stitching. They are also tagged with ’73 World Champion’, just in case anyone was wondering about the San Remo’s inspiration. To finish it off, every San Remo 73 sports a custom numbered plaque in the centre console, letting you know exactly which of the 200 San Remo 73s you own.
Engine
Of course, given the sporting prestige that it comes from, you would expect the engine to have a bit of bite to it. Well, you’ll be happy to know that Alpine deliver in this regard as well, equipping the San Remo 73 with the same engine as the speedy A 110 S. This is a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo, cranking out 300 horsepower and an estimated 0-62 time of 4.2 seconds. There will only be one gearbox on offer, a dual-clutch automatic, and of course it will be rear-wheel drive, much like the 1973 A110 it pays homage to.
Now, you may be intrigued by this limited-edition Alpine, but find yourself asking, ‘Why are Alpine honouring a race from 50 years ago?’
The simple answer is that the 1973 Sanremo Rally wasn’t just an amazing victory for Alpine, it was one of the most jaw-dropping moments in rally history; a moment that was dominated by Alpine’s untouchable performance.
The World Rally Championship in 1973 marked the most prestigious rally championship that continues to this day, pushing the envelope of rally excellence and helping manufacturers innovate in bold and exciting ways.
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When the WRC started, no one could have expected it would be with such a dominating performance by one of the competing manufacturers. From the very first race, Alpine took centre stage and dictated the pace for the entire championship. With multiple first place positions, consistently high placings, and the wonderful talents of Jean-Luc Thérier and Jacque Jaubert (another Alpine driver) leading the charge, Alpine finished the season with 147 points, nearly double the points of second place, held by Fiat with 84 points.
So, in a season of consistent highlights, why focus on the Sanremo race in particular? Well, it was the first place win at Sanremo that ensured Alpine’s number one finish for the season. Only ten races into the season, there was now no physical way for any other competitor to overtake Alpine. Effectively, winning at Sanremo was winning the entire championship. It was a performance that has never been repeated.
No wonder Alpine are so excited to celebrate its anniversary!
