Renault has long harboured ambitions to revive the classic Alpine sports car brand, and last year it announced a tie-up with Caterham to do just that. Renault and Caterham signed a joint agreement to develop two new sports cars from a common, shared architecture - one badged as Caterham and the other as Alpine. Sadly, this week, that plan hit the buffers a little when Renault announced that it was buying Caterham out of the agreement.
"Following a mutual agreement between Renault and Caterham Group, Renault has increased its stake in Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham to 100 per cent, following acquisition of the interest held by Caterham Group. Renault will now continue to develop its own Alpine sports car to be launched in 2016, as initially planned. Caterham Group also plans to continue with its own sports car" said the statement.
"This acquisition brings to an end to the partnership signed in November 2012 by Renault and Caterham Group to develop and manufacture sports cars through a joint venture, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, owned 50/50 by the two partners. Other forms of cooperation could still be envisaged between Renault and Caterham Group in line with each company's strategic policy directions. As a result, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham will change its name to Société des Automobiles Alpine."
The better news though is that the plan is still on course to release a new Alpine coupé into the wild in 2016. The company will be using its participation in the Le Mans 24 hours race this year to remind sports car buyers of its history and, indeed, its existence.
For vehicle production, the Dieppe plant in France, home of the Alpine brand, is making preparations to build and assemble the chassis and bodywork of the future Alpine. The team is fully committed to developing a true Alpine production vehicle by 2016 under the management of Bernard Ollivier: "With 90 per cent of design specifications complete and an interior design to be finalised before the summer, enthusiasm is growing around the future Alpine production car. The key words for the vehicle are style, enjoyment and sporting spirit."
Anything else?
Since 2013, the Alpine brand has been stepping up its sporting commitments, taking part in a number of events. Last year, Alpine turned in a remarkable performance, scooping the title in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). This year, the Signatech-Alpine team is aiming to do even better, defending its title and aiming for a podium in LMP2 class at Le Mans.