Alpine A110 1600S Norev 1:18

Norev's 1:18 Alpine A110 1600S captures the French rally weapon that preceded the marque's 1973 World Rally Championship triumph. This 1972 competition variant represents the berlinette at peak development—lighter than standard A110 GT4 models, more powerful through Renault-Gordini tuning, and homologated specifically for international rallying. The Alpine A110 1600S diecast model demonstrates why mass-market production suits this subject: Jean Rédélé's original philosophy prioritized accessible performance over exotic exclusivity, and Norev's manufacturing approach mirrors that democratic spirit whilst capturing the distinctive French engineering that made rear-engined lightweights competitive against far more powerful rivals.

Norev's French Automotive Heritage and Diecast Philosophy

Norev chose diecast for the A110 because this car's significance lies in proving that lightweight agility beats brute power—wrapping it in premium resin contradicts what made the berlinette matter. Where handbuilt alternatives from Spark command premiums for motorsport documentation, Norev's mass-market approach allows collectors to build comprehensive French rally collections without specialist budgets per piece.

Each Alpine A110 1:18 model features opening bonnet and doors revealing the rear-mounted engine bay where the tuned Renault four-cylinder sits. The 1600S specification brought Weber carburettors, closer-ratio gearbox internals, and weight reduction to approximately 640 kilograms—details that separated homologation specials from touring variants. Norev's direct access to Alpine and Renault archives ensures colour accuracy for the distinctive bleu métallisé that defined works entries, whilst panel gaps and shut lines meet expectations for production diecast priced to enable collecting across multiple Alpine generations. For vehicles like the A110 where cultural significance outweighs exotic rarity, accessible manufacturing matches the subject's character.

Rally Dominance and Competition Heritage

The Alpine A110 dominated international rallying through an approach that British teams understood instinctively—minimise weight, maximise agility, and extract every advantage from modest displacement. From 1968 through 1973, A110 variants accumulated victories at Monte Carlo, Tour de France, Alpine Rally, and the inaugural World Rally Championship season. The 1600S variant brought homologation legitimacy: FIA regulations required minimum production numbers, and Alpine's Dieppe factory delivered sufficient road-going versions to qualify the competition specification that Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Jean-Claude Andruet, and Bernard Darniche piloted to international success.

This Norev 1:18 Alpine A110 captures the 1972 body configuration with correct front air intake geometry, distinctive rear three-quarter visibility, and the fibreglass bodywork that kept kerb weight below comparable steel-bodied rivals. That construction approach proved crucial on gravel stages where the A110's rear weight bias and minimal mass allowed corner speeds that heavier Ford Escorts and Lancia Fulvias couldn't match. For collectors documenting rally's golden era, the A110 sits naturally alongside the Lancia Stratos, Porsche 911 Carrera RS, and Fiat 124 Spider Abarth as defining machines that proved specialised lightweight engineering could overcome displacement disadvantages.

French Rally Collection and Display Context

At roughly 22 centimetres in 1:18 format, the Alpine A110's compact berlinette proportions create distinctive display presence that reflects the original's purposeful dimensions. The rear-engined layout, visible through opening bodywork, differentiates it immediately from front-engined rally competitors in period displays.

Norev's production diecast positions this replica as the foundation piece for French motorsport collections rather than an isolated premium acquisition. The pricing tier—approximately one-third of sealed resin alternatives from IXO or Spark—enables systematic collecting across Alpine's competition lineage: the earlier A108 that established Rédélé's philosophy, the A110 1300 and 1600 variants documenting displacement evolution, and the A310 that continued rear-engined rally tradition into the 1970s. Many serious French automotive collectors maintain this approach: accessible mass-market diecast from Norev or Solido for breadth across marque histories, with budget reserved for selected premium resin examples where specific liveries or limited editions warrant investment.

The A110's influence extends beyond period competition—when Alpine returned in 2017 after decades absent, the modern A110 deliberately referenced this berlinette's proportions, rear-engined philosophy, and lightweight ethos. Displaying Norev's 1972 original alongside contemporary Alpine models traces how Rédélé's engineering principles survived five decades of automotive evolution. For UK collectors, the A110 represents Continental rally excellence from an era when British entries from BMC and Ford competed directly, making French rally heritage contextually relevant to understanding period international competition dynamics.