Manufacturers of sports car are attracted to the 24 Hours of Le Mans like magic. No wonder that Alpine participated frequently in this endurance race in the 1960s and 1970s. This M64 was one of their weapons to do so.
Alpine’s kick-off in the international manufacturer’s championship took place on May 19, 1963 at the Nürburgring, when the M63 made its debut. The result was very encouraging: 11th overall. This original and first Alpine M63 wore chassis number 1701. Only a month later, on June 15 and 16, three examples of the M63 were entered at ‘Le Mans’. But here they did considerably less well. One car did not finish with clutch problems, the other with engine problems, while the third crashed with the Brazilian sports director of Interlagos behind the wheel. He could not be saved from the fire in which the car was left.
A year later, Alpine revenged itself with the M64, now with altered body shape and a completely new tubular spaceframe chassis. The central beam principle of the A110 chassis was now discarded, losing 20kgs off the Alpine’s weight as a result.
As the last produced Alpine M64 and wearing chassis number 1711, this car debuted during the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1964. The Alpine works team entered a total of four cars that year. This blue one made it to the circuit with start number 46, driven by Henry Morrogh and Roger de Lageneste. The Alpine, with its 115hp 1,149 cc engine, managed to set the 36th fastest time in qualifications, while after 24 hours of racing, the M64 passed the finish line as a very respectable seventeenth overall. In a day and a half, cars and drivers covered a total of 3,921 kilometres, averaging a speed of 163km/h. Because of their brilliant performance, the drivers were able to secure first place in class, winning also the energy index prize. The Alpine M63B from Masson / Zecolli finished 20th overall. Another M64 had to give up earlier, while the fourth car was unable to classify.
During the 12 Hours of Reims, chassis ‘1711’ was driven by the same team once again when they won their class once more. As to a tradition of driver Henry Morrogh – which is also confirmed in Roy Smith’s book on the Alpine prototypes - he made an honorary lap to celebrate the victory with the car, accompanied by Juan Manuel Fangio who happened to be present at this event. The famous Argentine driver had become world champion in Formula 1 for four times in a row between 1954 and 1957. After Reims, the Alpine M64 participated in several hill climbs as well as in the 1,000kms race of Paris, where it came second in class.
After the 1964 season, the Alpine works team started preparing four cars for the next year. Three of them were M64s, including chassis 1711. For the next qualification race with Jacques Cheinisse at the wheel, the works racer underwent a number of modifications. An Allinquant oleo-pneumatic spring system was for example fitted. In this configuration, the M64 participated in the Le Mans test on April 4, 1965, where the Alpine finished third in class. During the actual 24 Hours race, the car, now equipped with 1,300cc engine and with drivers Roger Masson and Guy Verrier at the wheel, unfortunately had to give up due to a mechanical problem. As a matter of fact all six Alpines entered in the important race were unable to reach the finish line that year. But in Reims, in July 1965, the Alpine 1711 returned and then took fourth in class plus twelfth overall. The car’s last performance in the hands of the works team came at the Grand Prix of Cognac, when Mauro Bianchi was entered as a driver.
After this chequered career, Alpine used number 1711 as a prototype for the M65, which became the A210 next. That’s also why this particular car comes with the modified rear with vertical fins as if it were a vessel. These bodywork changes served primarily for aerodynamic purposes. But at the same time, the modified M64 probably had a promotional reason, too, serving as a showcase for the new model.
After its racing career, a Renault executive rescued the Alpine M64 1711, selling it to Jean Louis Marnat who, together with Antoine Raffaeli, took care of some of the Alpine prototypes. Marnat knew the type of car well. In 1968 he was one of the drivers in an Alpine-Renault A210 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Marnat then sold the Alpine to Jacques Ohana, a Marseille based collector best known for his Bugatti collection. Ohana preserved the car until his death in 2014. He even started a restoration, but was never able to finish this. The M64 next came into the hands of a passionate German who ensured that the M64 would be fully returned to its original specifications at the beginning of this year, while retaining the modified rear that is so well known from the A210. From then on, a correct 1.1 litre engine was also reinstated under the bonnet.
Hervé Charbonneaux, son of designer Philippe Charbonneaux, confirms that just three M64s have been built. Moreover, it is assumed that approximately 23 Alpine prototypes have been completed in the entire build period. This one is a works car with excellent racing pedigree and one that has proved to be able to compete in between the heavier and slower cars at historic racing events. It is a real pinnacle of French manufacturers in competition and especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will be welcomed in just about any historical event today.
The car was offered for sale on October 30th, 2016 by auctioneer Artcurial during its ‘Automobiles sur les Champs’ sale. An estimated sales price of 330- to 380,000 euros was expected. And although the rear window of convex Plexiglas had been damaged during transport, the car was hammered down at 369,520 euros precisely.