Dinalpin Mexico
Central American country
In Mexico, Renault produce several models. Not in its own factory, but at Nissan, which had the facilities to do so. But Renault has been building Renaults for decades in that Central American country, even Alpines, which were renamed Dinalpin.
DINA (Diesel Nacional S.A.), a Mexican manufacturer of buses and trucks mainly, was founded in February 1952 and it assembled and sold Fiat passenger cars until the early 1960s, whilst its own range of trucks and buses was also developed with Fiat know-how. The agreement with the Italian company expired in 1960.
Picture: The way Dinalpin presented the A110 in the brochures was similar to that of Europe.
Dauphine and Floride
In1962, the state-owned DINA company acquired a licence from Renault to assemble models of the French make. This took place in the factory in Ciudad Sahagun, Hidalgo, where production of the Dauphine started at first, which was followed by that of the Floride. The latter was even marketed at an extra attractive price in order to promote the Renault brand. It was the start of a long co-operation, as the R8, R10, R12 and Estafette, models were later produced by DINA as well.
The next co-operative step between the companies was to obtain an official license to assemble Alpines in Mexico as well. This agreement was signed in 1965, although DINA was not the first company to manufacture Alpines under licence. The first licence was issued to Willys Overland do Brazil in December 1961. The small company, Alpine Engineering, with its head office in Geneva and with an office in Paris, acted as an intermediary. It took care of the legal aspects of the agreements and ensured that the licensees were provided with all the necessary equipment.
Picture: Jean Rédélé.
Based in Dieppe
This was provided by RDL, based in Dieppe, which was, of course, 100% owned by Jean Rédelé. After the conclusion of the agreement in Brazil, a contract was signed with FASA in Spain and then DINA became the third licensed partner. In both Brazil and and in Mexico, the ‘Alpine’ name could not be used, because, in the Anglo-Saxon countries and countries under the British and American spheres of influence, this name had been registered by the English Rootes Group (remember’ Sunbeam Alpine’?). Therefore, another designation had to be chosen, one that, in Mexico, would explicitly retain a link with the original (French) ‘Alpine’ name.
The names DINA and Alpine were joined together in the new brand name Dinalpin, followed by Renault’s name. The name Dinalpin could be read on the cars in separate letters at the front, in the same position as the Alpine badging was placed on the French and Spanish cars. The GT4 also showed the brand name on the rear engine cover On the Berlinette Dinalpin Renault, together with the Renault logo in between, could be found in the same place in smaller letters.
Picture: The rear of a Dinalpin GT4 has a certain elegance about it.
Localy produced
DINA was building a new factory for its brand new products in the 'Zona Industrial' of Colonia Vallejo, near Mexico City, where sixty percent of the parts used were locally produced. After all, Mexican law insisted on this percentual target for this type of licence. The bodywork had to be made locally and, for this reason, DINA called on the expertise of Industrias Nauticas, a manufacturer of boats. Nevertheless, the Alpine technicians had to stay in Mexico for more than six months, before the local workers were able master the technology on site, in order to commence commercial production.
Pictures: Several details of a Dinalpin GT4.
Modest
Alpine's adventure in Mexico was immediately tackled and with great success. Soon after its launch, no less than three different model variants of the A110 became available: the Berlinette, the Cabriolet and the GT4. However, commercial success was modest. Between 1965 and the end of production in 1974, DINA produced 508 Berlinettes, 67 convertibles and 118 (some sources state 138!) GT4s.
Pictures: A Dinalpine A110 Berlinette.
Only the Cabriolet and GT4 were available during the 1966 and 1967 model years. Remarkably, production of the GT4 was resumed in 1970, so that the majority of the GT4 production dates from between the years 1970 and 1974. During the first few years of production, only the 956ccs, four-cylinder engine was installed, which was later replaced by the 1.1-litre unit. The 1.3-litre Cléon engine followed in 1971. Various components were adapted to local conditions. The differences between the Mexican and the French Alpines were confined to details.
Feminine
During the above-mentioned years, Dinalpin was the only manufacturer of sports cars in Mexico. The small, lightweight French cars were priced against much larger cars, such as the Ford Mustang, which was nevertheless slightly cheaper. Although production of the Dinalpin ceased in 1974, the last car was sold in 1976. The modest production numbers were due partly to the fact that Dinalpin was not active in the motor sports area. The Mexican public considered the models to be elegant, but, at the same time, to be somewhat effeminate and some sporting victories might have given them a more positive image. A large proportion of the models, which were once produced by Dinalpin, have been preserved. They can often be found in Mexico itself, during historic rallies, but some have also ended up with collectors in France, in Japan and in the United States of America. To this day, many Dinalpin cars remain with their original owners. There is a Dinalpin register in Mexico, in which almost twenty percent of the total Mexican production can be found.
Pictures: A rare Dinalpin cabriolet.
Modified rear end
The blue Dinalpin GT4, shown here, was built in 1971 and it was sold in Mexico as a 1972 model year car. The 1.3-litre engine, with a Weber 32 DIR twin-choke carburettor sits in the back. It is quite remarkable, when we consider that the GT4 had already been shown in France at the Paris Motor Show, some ten years earlier in 1962. The front corresponds almost exactly to the coupé, which existed at the time, but the rear end has clearly been modified. It is said that it was Jean Rédelé, himself. who, together with his designers, intervened in the final design of the modified rear end, which was seen as being more elegant at the time.
Suspension
This new design had to blend in with the rest of the bodywork, which had been designed at Chappe. In order to create more space, the wheelbase was extended by 10cms to 2.27-metres. Whereas the earlier 2+2 coupé was based on the A108, the GT4 is entirely of A110 origin. If we believe that no more than about two hundred copies of the European GT4 version were produced, then Dinalpin’s performance in Mexico is certainly not bad. The Dinalpin GT4 is 4.05-metres long, only 1.27-metres high and it weighs no more than 600-kgs. The suspension is based on that of the Renault 8 and the car has a thirty-two litres’ capacity fuel tank. In contrast to the Berlinette, the fuel tank in the GT4 has been placed between the engine and the back seat, in a manner similar to the Renault Eight. The fuel tank heats up quickly, due to the engine temperature and the hot sun, which shines through the rear window.
Picture: Dinalpin A110 Berlinette.
Renault Mexico
In 1978 Renault opened its own production facility in Mexico. DINA still owned sixty percent of the shares and these were taken over completely by Renault in 1983. In the meantime, Nissan has been producing Renault models in Mexico and the range was completed with imported types. The production programme consisted of the Clio II, the Mégane II sedan, CC and GT (both three- and five-door versions), the Kangoo One, the Trafic and, from Korea, the Koleos and Safrane II. But Renault models were also badged as Nissans, the Aprio was the well-known Logan, while the Platina appeared as the sedan version of the Clio II.
In 2021, the delivery programme is alighned with that of other the South American countries.
Picture: Renault Clio sedan as Nissan Platina.
Picture: Nissan Aprio, a Dacia Logan with Nissan logos.