For many European makes, the United States seems to be the most desirable market, and Renault made frantic attempts in its history to gain a serious foothold there. In the first half of the 1980s, it seemed to succeed, so preparations were made to launch the Alpine there as well.
Photo: Photographed in America? Or just a French country road with American-looking barn?
Text: Tony Vos - Photos: Renault
Based on the V6 Turbo, a model specifically tailored to American requirements and tastes was developed. But the project would not get beyond a pre-series of 21 units. Indeed, the bulk of these cars did not even cross the pond, not one was delivered to a dealer. Incidentally, the investment was not entirely in vain; several elements would later be found on the A610.
At the time of the launch at the AutoRAI in early 1985 and the sales launch in the autumn of that year, Alpine's engineers were focusing on making the turbo model suitable for the United States. The decision to do so was made as early as late 1983 when the model was still in full development. In order to achieve any success with Alpine, the car would have to be modified in every detail. For sales, Renault could rely on the large dealer network of American Motors (AMC).
The project was kicked off in March 1984. Full bets are placed on the US launch scheduled for March 1987. The changes were far-reaching. To start with, glass headlights were banned in the USA, so they had to be replaced by plastic ones. Flip-up dual headlights were chosen, while the triangular indicators remained unchanged, but in orange. The bumpers were considerably bulkier from the design department because of the prescribed crash zones. They got a black rubber strip that extended down the flanks. These measures increased the car's length by 13 centimetres to 4.46 metres, while the width without mirrors grew by just a mere centimetre. The air intake under the front bumper was larger on the US version to provide better cooling at lower speeds and in areas with typically high temperatures. The rear spoiler was complemented by a third brake light, and to prevent Americans from wondering about the name of this new model, it was planned to have a larger Alpine badge on the grille between the rear lights. Smaller differences involved the antenna on the left rear wing and polished turbine wheels. Finally, minor changes were made to the location of the windscreen wipers.
Of course, there were also changes to the interior that mainly reflected the different taste of the American sports car buyer. Naturally, the speedometer was in miles per hour. Furthermore, the GTA was equipped with a different type of sound system, air conditioning as standard and cruise control. In addition, the seats were adjusted electrically and Alpine specified a different fabric for the American variant.
Photo: This cross-sectional drawing of the American GTA clearly shows the large Alpine badge on the back.
Photo: A white and red American Alpine are 'packed' ready for transport at the factory site in Dieppe.
Beneath the skin, there were mainly changes that allowed the GTA to meet the stringent US safety requirements. At the front, the chassis was made of pressed steel instead of the tubular construction of the European model. Additional lateral reinforcements were added and Renault incorporated safety beams in the doors. These changes created a totally different weight distribution. Talking about 30/70 front/rear in the European version, the American Alpine came in at 40/60. Total weight increased by no less than 120 kg to 1,325 kg. Therefore, the shock absorbers were modified and the car was a whopping 12 mm higher on the wheels. And although American cars in particular are not known for their good brakes, Alpine managed to compensate for the higher weight with standard ABS and 2 mm thicker brake discs. Because travelling distances are much longer in the United States, the GTA's 57-litre fuel tank was replaced by a 73-litre tank.
Engine changes were mainly related to the fact that a catalytic converter was mandatory in the US market and thus the engine had to be able to run on unleaded petrol. This modification resulted in a reduction in power output from 200 to 180 hp. Maximum torque also shrank and was only achieved at a considerably higher engine speed. To still keep the zest in it, Alpine chose the gearbox from the turbocharged GT, which featured a lower fourth and fifth gear. Despite its higher weight, the GTA USA still reached a top speed of 235 km/h, meaning performance was comparable to the European V6 GT.
Photo: The white car on the left is the prototype with a V6 GT badge on the rear side windows and European wheels.
The first American Alpine was assembled in Dieppe in June 1986. By December of that year, exactly 21 pre-series models had seen the light of day. At the beginning of the following year, 500 were to be made and shipped to California. Alpine was all set. Much attention had been paid at the factory to quality improvement. This started when the chassis was delivered by Heuliez to Dieppe. There, every possible imperfection was found electronically. But it didn't help. The sale of the American operations by Renault to Chrysler put a line under Alpine's growth expectations and challenge. Initially, Alpine held out hope of still being able to sell its cars in America through a contract with Chrysler. The plant was given greater capacity and could build 20 cars a day by early 1987. Only four were made. All hopes turned to nought. Chrysler, after taking over AMC and Jeep, had more on its mind than selling French sports cars to Americans. Renault and Alpine were left with nothing but to use the significantly modified base of the American version to further develop the model into the A610.
Most of the American Alpines still exist today. The Dieppe factory owns two of them , all but one remained in Europe. In December 2000, that one car was exported from Belgium to the United States. And surely that is an extremely meagre result considering the enormous efforts.