Alpine A110 1100

The Alpine A110 1100 is a family description that needs its subtype attached. It links early Berlinette development with the Renault engines that expanded Alpine’s offering, while reminding collectors that equal displacement does not mean equal specification.

History and documented identity

Club Alpine Dieppe distinguishes the 1100 VA/V70 and the later Gordini-engined 1100 VB/100. RM Sotheby’s documented chassis 3091 as a 1964 1100 V70 that subsequently received larger-engine and gearbox changes. This is a concrete example of why original identity and current specification must be recorded separately. Club Alpine Dieppe — A110 history.

Design and collector significance

A displacement-led name can hide important differences in tune and chronology. The useful question is not simply whether the car has an eleven-hundred engine; it is which factory description applies to the chassis and how that compares with the car today. Preserve engine codes and documentary descriptions in the history file rather than replacing them with a single broad performance claim.

How to identify the right specification

The supplied inventory uses 1963 for this umbrella entry. The checked club history places specific 1100 developments in later years, so this draft does not force a universal production-start year. A generic 1100 profile is helpful for navigating the family, but an individual car should be identified with its own subtype and evidence. A V70 upgraded to another engine remains a documented earlier chassis with subsequent changes.

Production, rarity and counting scope

No exact combined 1100-family production count has been verified here. Nor should a total for all original A110s be reused for the 1100. Subtypes, regional builds and later engine replacements create different counting questions. Until a traceable count establishes the relevant scope, numeric production and strict ceiling eligibility remain on hold.

What to inspect before buying

Ask for engine identification, the chassis record and invoices covering conversions. Check whether the gearbox now installed matches the claimed period specification, and record the evidence for any replacement. Have the body and underlying structure examined together, including the quality and extent of restoration. For an upgraded car, assess the engineering and disclosure of the work instead of trying to collapse its entire history into an original-or-not label.

Where it fits in an Alpine collection

The A110 956 describes the earlier engine chapter. The A110 1300 record explains why a later larger engine should not be casually treated as one homogeneous specification either. Comparing these profiles works best when displacement, subtype, period and present configuration remain visible throughout.

Collector documentation checklist

• Separate the original build description from the car’s current specification.
• Keep chassis, engine and ownership evidence together in a dated file.
• Record which claims come from factory material, club research, an auction catalogue or the present owner.
• Retain photographs of restoration and significant component replacements.
• Keep completed production, regional allocation and known survivors in separate fields.

Frequently asked questions

Are all A110 1100s the same specification?

No. The checked club history distinguishes VA/V70 and Gordini-engined VB/100 descriptions.

Can an original 1100 have a larger engine today?

Yes. RM Sotheby’s chassis 3091 record documents that distinction; it is not proof that all examples were modified.

Does the photo establish an early V70?

No. It illustrates a source-described 1108 cc Gordini car and is captioned as a family example.

Explore related Alpine profiles

• Alpine A110 Berlinette 956
• Alpine A110 1300

Sources and research scope

• Club Alpine Dieppe — A110 history
• RM Sotheby’s — 1964 Alpine-Renault A110 1100 V70, chassis 3091
• Alpine — Alpine passion through the years at Retromobile

Historical facts follow the linked records; inspection guidance and collection comparisons are editorial analysis. Where sources use different counting scopes or a subtype remains broad, those limits are stated rather than resolved with an invented number.

Photography and credit

Alpine A110 described by the photographer as a 1108 cc Renault-Gordini example. It illustrates the 1100 family, rather than establishing an original early V70 specification. Photo: Alf van Beem / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0. Original file imported without content retouching. WordPress may resize display copies; the website layout may crop them.