Real enthusiasts can come across real special items. Take Alberto Gironella, a Mexican Renault and Alpine collector, who became the owner of a Renault Etoile Filante through a stroke of luck. Here’s his account of how that was possible.
Alberto, the son of the Mexican painter of the same name, loves to talk about his Renault collection. But when the word Alpine is mentioned, he really begins to glitter: “As a child I dreamed of sports cars. But that was it. Availability in Mexico was extremely limited because there were many years of import restrictions in my country. A few Alfa Romeos and Porsches may have been available but the Ford Mustang and the Dinalpin (the Mexican-built Alpine) were the only sports cars built under a licence in Mexico, and those two models cars were equally priced equally in the 1960s, which gives a good indication of how expensive a Dinalpin was at the time. "
Never the less, Alberto's first car became a Dinalpin: “Yes, this was an 1100 that I bought as a 15-year-old boy in 1970. I earned a little money working in the chemical industry with my grand father, which made it possible to buy the A110. At that time I was allowed to drive on a temporarily permit, which was later converted into a full driver's license. My Dinalpin was a 1966 model and wore production number 90 that had been modified. I sold it only recently. A total of 508 Berlinettes and about 67 convertibles was made, all of them A110s. In addition, Dinalpin also built the GT4, of which 138 are believed to have been manufactured.” Between 1965 and 1973, Dina Diesel produced the various Dinalpins. This company, originally a truck manufacturer, also assembled the Renault Dauphine, the R4, R8 and other models. These cars arrived in Mexico in CKD form and were assembled with some locally produced parts. The wiring, windows and seats, for example, came from Mexico.
The Dinalpin was the very first Mexican-built model of its kind. It was also the car, which used the highest number of locally produced parts. Jean Rédélé himself went to Mexico to see for himself how the Renault 8 was built there and saw that many parts that were also used in the A110 were available. The license agreement for assembling the cars was made with Ets. RDL, so separate from Alpine but of course also located in Dieppe. This construction was not unlike that of Interlagos in Brazil.
But let’s go back to the Alberto’s story first, who, as a young man, continued his studies. He obtained his grade and aspired to start a technical career in automotive engineering. This is when his love for Alpine was further expanded and when another Dinalpin came into his life. This was a 1969 model, also an 1100, but different from his first car in terms of suspension and dashboard (5 clocks). “Three different moulds have been used for Berlinettes in Mexico”, says Alberto, “And there are also three different chassis’, which were in line with the French evolutions of the car. This is different from Spain where only the original mould was simply modified.”
“My second car was the modified version with, among others, double headlights and 15” wheels with hubcaps with central locking nut. I bought wheel arch extensions through a Frenchman in the US and placed them on the car. I also fitted Gotti wheels and a 1300 S-engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Apart from this I got the opportunity to buy a worn-out Dinalpin from the Dina competition department. This particular car could not be saved, but the necessary parts, such as the aluminium petrol tank, were still okay and I used several of them for my 1100. The restoration of the car took several years, and I worked on it from 1971 to 1974.”
In 1977 Alberto decided to go to France. His plan was to continue his motoring related trainings there as he didn’t see any possibilities to further develop in Mexico. His father lived in Paris, so the choice to go there was made easy. In the beginning Alberto travelled throughout France learning the language. But when he met up with an acquaintance of his father, a plan was made. Alberto: “This man restored British cars. I started working for him and learned a lot. He also worked on fibreglass bodies and taught me to use an industrial Singer sewing machine and make custom floor coverings piped with leather. In a short period of time, I learned that I could make everything by myself, while, as a young person, I already had the necessary technical experiences with Dinalpins.”
But it was Dieppe where Alberto really wanted to go to. He had just bought a 1971 A110 1600 S at the time (he paid 11,000 francs) and drove this car to Dieppe to buy parts. Once there, he asked if he could see the production line, where the last A110s and the A310 V6 were being built. When he’s restored his A110 it went to Mexico to be sold there.
Alberto: “During the weekends I always went to see my father in Paris. At one point he gave me a business card from a director of Renault who’d bought a painting of him. My dad had told this man about me and had promised him that I would give him a call. And so I did. I told him that I was 22 years, and he asked me what my ambitions were. I was very clear about that, since I was keen to become a manufacturer of sports cars in Mexico, wanting to learn that ‘profession’ in France. He also asked me what I was most interested in: Renault, Alpine or Renault Sport. My answer was all of them, but I expressed that I wanted to start at Alpine. Next, the Alpine director was called at once and I was amazed, sitting in my chair when I heard the man say that I was a millionaire son from Mexico, who wanted to build Alpines in his own country. The result was that I got an internship there for a year to get to know the entire production process.”
Next up, Alberto went to Dieppe for an interview, driving a Bentley from the restorer’s business and clad in a suit and tie. Alberto: “I went to a studio near the factory, a tiny place, but only a three-minute walk away. I went through the entire production process there: welding the chassis’, working with fibreglass, making adjustments, the moulds and even spent one or two days a week in the development department.” In those days, Alain Serpaggi and Jean-Pierre Limondin were at the helm. I also worked in the upholstery department, in the technical assembly, prototype construction, engine test facilities, quality control, chassis tuning and quality testing department.”
During this period, Alberto went to FASA for a week, together with Limondin to test an A310 with airconditioning system. This was in 1978 when the last A110s with 1.4 litre Alpine engine were built in Valladolid. Alberto: “This was interesting to see, because the Spanish works were much smaller than the ones in Dieppe, which was also the idea for Mexico.”
Employees of the French manufacturer were surprised to see a young guy coming over together with director and being presented with a jacket with the A from Alpine embroidered. But Alberto was there to learn, not just watch. And that was why the jacket was exchanged for a pair of overalls quickly. More than one in fact, because each department had its own colour. Alberto: “Then I noticed how defining clothing is, because in overalls I was one of them. I made lots of friends. And after ten days I already put together a complete chassis. When the director walked by, he didn't even recognize me."
At the end of his internship, agreements were made for the construction of the A310 in Mexico. Unfortunately, that never happened because the import of parts was taxed too heavily. The plan was to build the cars together with Renault of Mexico, but it never came to an agreement. Eventually Alberto went back to Mexico since he didn't get a work permit in France. A real pity, as he was offered a job at Renault Sport.
"Because there were no other options, I founded my own company in preparing cars for competition and rally purposes. I bought the Berlinette 1600 SC that I still have. Next came a Renault 5 Turbo of 1983-vintage. In the meantime, I prepared cars for the Mexican 24 hours race, in which a Renault 18 participated alongside no less than 95 Volkswagens and a dozen of Nissans. The preparation and restoration business flourished and at the same time my collection grew. It included a 1600 S that I’d modified into an 1800 Group 4 car, using original parts, but I also prepared other A110s and 5 Turbos.”
But how does a Mexican get his hands on an Etoile Filante? Alberto: “Well. Renault left Mexico in 1986 for political and economic reasons. What remained was an engine factory for exporting purposes. This company was called Rimex, Renault Industria Mexicana. When Renault subsequently returned in 1999 under the alliance with Nissan, the Rimex factory was sold. The Etoile Filante had been stored here and remained in the old premises. It looked pretty bad, wasn’t painted correctly, was covered in dust and really looked derelict and sad. An employee who continued to work in these premises with the new owner, asked his boss if he could have it and place a VW Beetle chassis underneath the car in order to be able to drive it. Do whatever you like, was the answer, but the conversion never happened. A Renault collector, who knew about it, got hold of the car, bought it and kept it for some time. During an exhibition of my father’s work in 2002, my brother bumped into this particular man and they exchanged contacts.”
Telephone contact followed. Alberto knew the Etoile Filante, since he saw it upon his return from France in 1986. The owner told him that it actually was a show model of which twelve would have been made for publicity purposes. Due to having limited space he wanted to sell it. As a matter of fact, he wanted to exchange it for two paintings by Alberto’s father. The deal was being closed.
But when Alberto started working on the car’s restoration, he soon discovered that it was more than just a model. The car came with a full chassis, body and wheels, but without an engine. Alberto: “There were just too many parts that have no function on a show cars, such as the pedals and the suspension for the turbine. When I discovered all of that, I started looking for more information. And that is how I came in touch with Jean-Michel Blin who wrote the book about the Etoile Filante. I told him that I had an Etoile Filante in my possession. He could hardly imagine that, because in addition to the real record car, only one other copy was built in period.”
Alberto went to the 2003 Rétromobile show because the real Etoile Filante was exhibited there. Alberto: “I spent three days photographing details and making drawings that I needed for the restoration. When the hall was closed to the public, I was still busy. So I put together a complete file, which included the correct paint colours and all the dimensions.”
A year later, Alberto received the proposal from auction house Artcurial to sell his car. But he found that too early. His plan was to wait until 2006 when the record attempt was 50 years old exactly, so he would have the extra time needed to bring the restoration to a successful end. In 2006 the Etoile Filante left for Paris by aeroplane and graced the cover of the auctioneer’s catalogue. The auction took place in the Palais des Congres and the car was at the Artcurial display at Rétromobile. There were two people with serious interests in the car: the Le Mans Museum and Michel Hommell of the Manoir de l'Automobile. However, the reserve price was not met in auction. But still, Le Mans would like to exhibit the car, and so the Etoile Filante stayed in the museum for a year and a half after the necessary paperwork was filled in. Then it came back to Mexico. The Le Mans museum then proposed to make a deal: exchange the Etoile Filante for a GT40 without history. Alberto: “There are several GT40s, but an Etoile Filante is almost unique, so that’s why I still have this fantastic object in my collection.”