Alpine A110 Enters Production in Dieppe, France

Renault inaugurated the Alpine A110 production line earlier this week in Dieppe, northern France. Dieppe is the home of the Alpine brand and is where the original A110 Berlinette was built nearly 50 years ago.

The factory was created in 1969 by Jean Redele, founder of the Alpine brand. Over the past few years, the Dieppe plant has received investments totaling more than 35 million euros (roughly $41 million). As part of the modernization process, the plant’s paint shop received new robots for sanding and cleaning vehicles. Most importantly, the factory can accommodate production of the Alpine A110’s all-aluminum body and chassis. The facility is now in line with the Renault Alliance’s best practices, the automaker says.

The Dieppe plant has added 151 new staff members over the past two years, an increase of 60 percent from previous levels. Each employee has been given four weeks of training to prepare for the production of the new Alpine.

The Alpine A110 was one of our favorite cars to debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Equipped with a 1.8-liter aluminum block inline-four mounted transversely behind the cabin, it produces 250 hp. That should be plenty of power to motivate this rear-wheel-drive coupe weighing less than 2,400 pounds. The A110 comes paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sadly, we expect this Porsche 718 Cayman competitor to remain forbidden fruit here in the U.S.

Source: Renault