Sunbeam Alpine
Encyclopedia
The Sunbeam Alpine is a sporty two-seat open car from Rootes Group's Sunbeam car marque. The original was launched in 1953 as the first vehicle from Sunbeam-Talbot
to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1935 takeover of Sunbeam and Talbot
by the Rootes Group.
and has since become colloquially known as the "Talbot" Alpine. It was a two-seater sports roadster initially developed by Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth, as a one-off rally car. It had its beginnings as a 1952 Sunbeam-Talbot drophead coupé, and was supposedly named by Norman Garrad of the works Competition Department, who was heavily involved in the Sunbeam-Talbot successes in the Alpine Rally in the early 1950s using the saloon models.
The car has a four-cylinder
2267 cc engine from the saloon, but with a raised compression ratio. However, since it was developed from the saloon platform, it suffered from rigidity compromises despite extra side members in the chassis. The gearbox ratios were changed, and from 1954 an overdrive unit became standard. The gearchange lever was column-mounted.
The Alpine Mark I and Mark III (no Mark II was made) were hand-built like the 90 drophead coupé at Thrupp & Maberly
coachbuilders from 1953 to 1955, remaining in production for only two years with 1,582 automobiles produced. The majority of production, 961, were exported to the USA & Canada, 445 stayed in the UK and 175 went to other world markets. It has been estimated that perhaps as few as 200 have survived.
In the 1953 Alpine Rally four Alpines won the Coupe des Alpes, one of which, finishing 6th, was driven by Stirling Moss
; Sheila van Damm
won the Coupe Des Dames in the same rally.
Very few of these cars are ever seen on the big screen. However, a sapphire blue Alpine featured prominently in the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock
film To Catch a Thief
starring Cary Grant
and Grace Kelly
. More recently, the American PBS
show History Detectives
tried to verify that an Alpine roadster owned by a private individual was the actual car used in that movie. Although the Technicolor
process could "hide" the car's true colour, and knowing that the car was shipped back from Monaco to the USA for use in front of a greenscreen, the car shown on the programme was ultimately proven not to be the film car upon comparison of the vehicle identification number
s.
; Howe had worked at Ford before joining Rootes.
The Alpine was produced in four subsequent revisions through to 1968. Total production numbered around 70,000. production stopped shortly after the Chrysler take over of the Rootes Group.
.
The car made extensive use of components from other Rootes Group vehicles and was built on a modified floorpan from the Hillman Husky
estate car. The running gear came mainly from the Sunbeam Rapier, but with front disc brakes replacing the saloon car's drums. An overdrive unit and wire wheels were optional. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and at the rear had a live axle and semi elliptic springing. The Girling-manufactured brakes used 9.5 in (241 mm) disc at the front and 9 in (229 mm)drums at the rear.
Coupe versions of the post-1959 version were built by Thomas Harrington Ltd
. Until 1962 the car was assembled for Rootes by Armstrong Siddeley
.
An open car with overdrive was tested by the British magazine The Motor
in 1959. It had a top speed of 99.5 mph (160.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 31.4 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1,031 including taxes.
11,904 examples of the series I were produced.
A Series II with hardtop and overdrive was tested by The Motor magazine in 1960, which recorded a top speed of 98.6 mph (158.7 km/h), acceleration from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.6 seconds and a fuel consumption of 31 mpgimp. The test car cost £1,110 including taxes.
with floor mounted control became an option but was not popular. From Autumn 1964 a new manual gearbox with synchromesh on first gear was adopted in line with its use in other Rootes cars. 12,406 were made.
Vince Tamburo won the G-Production National Championship in 1960 using the 1492cc Series I Alpine. In 1961 Don Sesslar took 2nd in the F-Production National Championship followed by a 3rd in the Championship in 1962. For 1963 the Alpine was moved into E-Production facing stiff competition from a class dominated by the Porsche 356. Don tied in points for the national championship.
A championship for Don Sesslar finally was achieved in 1964 with 5 wins (the SCCA totaled the 5 top finishes for the year). Dan Carmichael won the Central Division Championship in 1964 and 65. Dan continued to race the Alpine until 1967 when he finished 2nd at the American Road Race of Champions.
Bernard Unett raced factory prototype Alpine (registration number XRW 302) from 1962 to 1964 and in 1964 won the Fredy Dixon challenge trophy, which was considered to be biggest prize on the British club circuit at the time. Unett went on to become British Touring car champion three times during the 1970s.
A six-car works team was set up for the 1953 Alpine Rally. Although outwardly similar to their production car counterparts they reputedly incorporated some 36 modifications, boosting the engine to an estimated 97.5 bhp.
) had been joined by a Sunbeam Rapier Fastback coupé model. In 1969, a cheaper, slightly slower and more economical version of the Rapier (still sold as a sporty model) was badged as the new Sunbeam Alpine.
All models featured the group's strong five-bearing 1725 cc engine, with the Alpine featuring a single Stromberg
CD150 carburettor to the Rapier's twins, and the Rapier H120's twin 40DCOE Weber
carburettors.
Although drawing many parts from the group's "parts bin", including the rear lights of the estate Arrow models, the fastbacks nevertheless offered a number of unique features, including their pillar-less doors and rear side windows which combined to open up the car much like a cabriolet with a hardtop fitted. Extensive wooden dashboards were fitted to some models, and sports seats were available for a time.
In 1960, Sunbeam marketed a limited-production three-door variant of the Alpine — with leather interior and walnut trim, selling at a price double its open counterpart and marketed as a shooting-brake
.
(by then the owner of Rootes), on a totally unrelated vehicle that could not have been more different: the UK-market version of the Simca 1307
, a French-built family hatchback
. The car was initially badged as the Chrysler Alpine, and then finally as the Talbot Alpine following Chrysler Europe's takeover by Peugeot
in 1978. The name survived until 1984, although the design survived (with different names) until 1986.
was also a French car manufacturer producing various models until absorbed by Renault in a move unconnected with Renault's takeover of some of the commercial vehicle assets formerly belonging to Chrysler Europe.
Sunbeam-Talbot
-Background history:The Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed in 1905 to separate the Sunbeam motorcycle and bicycle maker from the new car manufacturer....
to bear the Sunbeam name alone since the 1935 takeover of Sunbeam and Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
by the Rootes Group.
First generation: the rally car
The Alpine was derived from the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 SaloonSunbeam-Talbot 90
The Sunbeam Talbot 90 was a sporting car built by the Rootes Group in Ryton Coventry under their Sunbeam-Talbot brand.The car was launched in 1948 along with the smaller engined Sunbeam-Talbot 80 but many features dated back to the pre war Sunbeam-Talbot Ten. The body was completely new and...
and has since become colloquially known as the "Talbot" Alpine. It was a two-seater sports roadster initially developed by Sunbeam-Talbot dealer George Hartwell in Bournemouth, as a one-off rally car. It had its beginnings as a 1952 Sunbeam-Talbot drophead coupé, and was supposedly named by Norman Garrad of the works Competition Department, who was heavily involved in the Sunbeam-Talbot successes in the Alpine Rally in the early 1950s using the saloon models.
The car has a four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
2267 cc engine from the saloon, but with a raised compression ratio. However, since it was developed from the saloon platform, it suffered from rigidity compromises despite extra side members in the chassis. The gearbox ratios were changed, and from 1954 an overdrive unit became standard. The gearchange lever was column-mounted.
The Alpine Mark I and Mark III (no Mark II was made) were hand-built like the 90 drophead coupé at Thrupp & Maberly
Thrupp & Maberly
Thrupp & Maberly was a British coachbuilding company based in London, England.-Origin:This business was created by a merger in 1858 of the carriage builders Joseph Thrupp, who established his business in George Street in 1760, and George Maberly.As far back as the 1880s Thrupp & Maberly began its...
coachbuilders from 1953 to 1955, remaining in production for only two years with 1,582 automobiles produced. The majority of production, 961, were exported to the USA & Canada, 445 stayed in the UK and 175 went to other world markets. It has been estimated that perhaps as few as 200 have survived.
In the 1953 Alpine Rally four Alpines won the Coupe des Alpes, one of which, finishing 6th, was driven by Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
; Sheila van Damm
Sheila van Damm
Sheila van Damm was a leading British woman competitor in motor rallying in the 1950s, and also the former owner of the Windmill Theatre in London....
won the Coupe Des Dames in the same rally.
Very few of these cars are ever seen on the big screen. However, a sapphire blue Alpine featured prominently in the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
film To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief is a 1952 thriller novel by David Dodge. John Robie is a retired American jewel thief, formerly known as Le Chat , who now spends his time tending to the rose garden in his villa on the Côte d'Azur. Following a series of recent jewel robberies on the Riviera that resemble his...
starring Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
. More recently, the American PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
show History Detectives
History Detectives
History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...
tried to verify that an Alpine roadster owned by a private individual was the actual car used in that movie. Although the Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
process could "hide" the car's true colour, and knowing that the car was shipped back from Monaco to the USA for use in front of a greenscreen, the car shown on the programme was ultimately proven not to be the film car upon comparison of the vehicle identification number
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
s.
Series Alpine
Kenneth Howes and Jeff Crompton were tasked with doing a complete redesign in 1956, with the goal of producing a dedicated sports car aimed principally at the US market. Ken Howes contributed some 80% of the overall design work, which bears more than incidental resemblance to the early Ford ThunderbirdFord Thunderbird (first generation)
Ford unveiled the Thunderbird at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. The first production car came off the line on September 9, 1954, and went on sale on October 22, 1954 as a 1955 model, and sold briskly; 3,500 orders were placed in the first ten days of sale...
; Howe had worked at Ford before joining Rootes.
The Alpine was produced in four subsequent revisions through to 1968. Total production numbered around 70,000. production stopped shortly after the Chrysler take over of the Rootes Group.
Series I 1959–1960
The "Series" Alpine started production in 1959. One of the original prototypes still survives and was raced by British saloon car champion Bernard UnettBernard Unett
William Bernard Unett was a British racing driver and development engineer, three times winner of the British Touring Car Championship in 1974, 1976 and 1977....
.
The car made extensive use of components from other Rootes Group vehicles and was built on a modified floorpan from the Hillman Husky
Hillman Husky
The Hillman Husky was a line of British passenger vehicles manufactured between 1954 and 1970 by the Rootes Group, under their Hillman marque.-Original Hillman Husky :...
estate car. The running gear came mainly from the Sunbeam Rapier, but with front disc brakes replacing the saloon car's drums. An overdrive unit and wire wheels were optional. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs and at the rear had a live axle and semi elliptic springing. The Girling-manufactured brakes used 9.5 in (241 mm) disc at the front and 9 in (229 mm)drums at the rear.
Coupe versions of the post-1959 version were built by Thomas Harrington Ltd
Thomas Harrington Ltd
Thomas Harrington & Sons Ltd was a coachbuilder in the county of Sussex from 1897 until 1966, initially at Brighton but from 1930 until the end in a purpose built Art Deco factory at Old Shoreham Road, Hove.-Overview:The company began with the construction of horse-drawn carriages...
. Until 1962 the car was assembled for Rootes by Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
.
An open car with overdrive was tested by the British magazine The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1959. It had a top speed of 99.5 mph (160.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 31.4 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1,031 including taxes.
11,904 examples of the series I were produced.
Series II 1960–1963
The Series II of 1960 featured an enlarged 1592 cc engine producing 80 bhp and revised rear suspension but there were few other changes. When it was replaced in 1963, 19,956 had been made.A Series II with hardtop and overdrive was tested by The Motor magazine in 1960, which recorded a top speed of 98.6 mph (158.7 km/h), acceleration from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 13.6 seconds and a fuel consumption of 31 mpgimp. The test car cost £1,110 including taxes.
Series III 1963–1964
The Series III was produced in open and removable hardtop versions. On the hardtop version the top could be removed but no soft-top was provided as the area it would have been folded into was occupied by a small rear seat. Also, the 1592 cc engine developed less power. To provide more room in the boot, twin fuel tanks in the rear wings were fitted. Quarter light were fitted to the windows. Between 1963 and 1964 5863 were made.Series IV 1964–1965
The lower-output engine option was now dropped with convertible and hardtop versions sharing the 82 bhp engine with single Solex carburettor. A new rear styling was introduced with the fins largely removed. Automatic transmissionAutomatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
with floor mounted control became an option but was not popular. From Autumn 1964 a new manual gearbox with synchromesh on first gear was adopted in line with its use in other Rootes cars. 12,406 were made.
Series V 1965–1968
The final version had a new five-bearing 1725 cc engine with twin Zenith-Stromberg semi-downdraught carburettors producing 93 bhp. There was no longer an automatic transmission option. 19,122 were made.Competition
The Alpine enjoyed relative success in European and North American competition. Probably the most notable international success was at Le Mans, where a Sunbeam Harrington won the Thermal Index of Efficiency in 1961. In the United States the Alpine competed successfully in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events.Vince Tamburo won the G-Production National Championship in 1960 using the 1492cc Series I Alpine. In 1961 Don Sesslar took 2nd in the F-Production National Championship followed by a 3rd in the Championship in 1962. For 1963 the Alpine was moved into E-Production facing stiff competition from a class dominated by the Porsche 356. Don tied in points for the national championship.
A championship for Don Sesslar finally was achieved in 1964 with 5 wins (the SCCA totaled the 5 top finishes for the year). Dan Carmichael won the Central Division Championship in 1964 and 65. Dan continued to race the Alpine until 1967 when he finished 2nd at the American Road Race of Champions.
Bernard Unett raced factory prototype Alpine (registration number XRW 302) from 1962 to 1964 and in 1964 won the Fredy Dixon challenge trophy, which was considered to be biggest prize on the British club circuit at the time. Unett went on to become British Touring car champion three times during the 1970s.
A six-car works team was set up for the 1953 Alpine Rally. Although outwardly similar to their production car counterparts they reputedly incorporated some 36 modifications, boosting the engine to an estimated 97.5 bhp.
Fastbacks and Shooting-brake
Rootes introduced the "Arrow" range in 1967, and by 1968 the saloons and estates (such as the Hillman HunterHillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
) had been joined by a Sunbeam Rapier Fastback coupé model. In 1969, a cheaper, slightly slower and more economical version of the Rapier (still sold as a sporty model) was badged as the new Sunbeam Alpine.
All models featured the group's strong five-bearing 1725 cc engine, with the Alpine featuring a single Stromberg
Zenith Carburetters
Zenith Carburetters was a British company making carburettors. In 1955 they joined with their major pre-war rival Solex Carburettors and over time the Zenith brand name fell into disuse...
CD150 carburettor to the Rapier's twins, and the Rapier H120's twin 40DCOE Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carburettors.
Although drawing many parts from the group's "parts bin", including the rear lights of the estate Arrow models, the fastbacks nevertheless offered a number of unique features, including their pillar-less doors and rear side windows which combined to open up the car much like a cabriolet with a hardtop fitted. Extensive wooden dashboards were fitted to some models, and sports seats were available for a time.
In 1960, Sunbeam marketed a limited-production three-door variant of the Alpine — with leather interior and walnut trim, selling at a price double its open counterpart and marketed as a shooting-brake
Shooting-brake
Shooting-brake, shooting brake or shooting break is a term for a car body style that has evolved through several distinct meanings over its history....
.
Post-Sunbeam Alpine
The Alpine name was resurrected in 1976 by ChryslerChrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
(by then the owner of Rootes), on a totally unrelated vehicle that could not have been more different: the UK-market version of the Simca 1307
Simca 1307
The Simca 1307 was the name under which Chrysler Europe launched its new large family car in July 1975.A modern, front-wheel drive hatchback, it was one of the first such cars in that class, along with the Volkswagen Passat, and became the 1976 European Car of the Year...
, a French-built family hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
. The car was initially badged as the Chrysler Alpine, and then finally as the Talbot Alpine following Chrysler Europe's takeover by Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
in 1978. The name survived until 1984, although the design survived (with different names) until 1986.
Notable film and television appearances
- A red Series I Alpine is driven by Elizabeth Taylor in the film BUtterfield 8BUtterfield 8BUtterfield 8 is a 1960 Metrocolor drama film directed by Daniel Mann, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey. Taylor, then 28 years old, won an Academy Award for her performance...
(1960) and features in a number of scenes.
- A white Series 1 Alpine was the regular drive of Rod Taylor's character Glenn Evans, a crime fighting news reporter, in the early 1960s TV series, Hong KongHong Kong (TV series)Hong Kong is a 26-episode adventure/drama series which aired on ABC television during the 1960–1961 season and helped to catapult Australian actor Rod Taylor into a major film star, primarily in the 1960s, beginning with his role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds...
.
- A lake blue "Series II" Alpine roadster is amongst the first on-screen "Bond Cars" when it is rented and driven by James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
in Dr. NoDr. No (film)Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
of 1962, most notably in a scene where Bond drives it under a truck to escape from pursuing hit men. It was reportedly borrowed from a local resident, as the only suitable sports car available on the island used for filming.
- Michael Caine's character is rescued by a woman in a white 1968 Alpine roadster in the 1971 British crime film Get CarterGet CarterGet Carter is a 1971 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother in a series of unrelenting and brutal killings played out against the grim background of derelict urban housing in the city of...
. The car is later shunted into a dock with the owner locked in the boot.
- A Sunbeam TigerSunbeam TigerThe Sunbeam Tiger was a muscle car version of the British Rootes Group's Sunbeam Alpine roadster.-Development:The West Coast Sales Manager of Rootes American Motors Inc., Ian Garrad, realized that the Alpine's image was that of a touring car rather than a sports car, and he set about changing its...
(the V8V8 engineA V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
version of the Alpine) was also the vehicle of choice for spy Maxwell Smart in the 1960s TV comedy series Get SmartGet SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
. An Alpine, outfitted to look like the Tiger, was used for the "gadget" shots, such as the cannon that comes up through the bonnet. The Alpine was used because the cannon would not fit under the bonnet of a V-8 car. The car was modified by noted American customizer Gene WinfieldGene WinfieldGene Winfield is an American automotive customizer. In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the film community, resulting in a large body of his work being seen on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner...
and was the subject of a 1/25th scale plastic model kit.
- A similar Alpine is seen in the Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
film CommandoCommando (film)Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
, where it was destroyed.
- A Sunbeam Alpine was driven by Imogen StubbsImogen StubbsImogen Stubbs, Lady Nunn is an English actress and playwright.-Early life:Imogen Stubbs was born in Northumberland, lived briefly in Portsmouth, where her father was a naval officer, and then moved with her parents to London, where they lived on an elderly river barge on the Thames...
in the 1990s British TV series Anna LeeAnna Lee (TV series)Anna Lee is a British television series produced by Brian Eastman and Carnival Films for London Weekend Television. Following a 1993 pilot, five two-hour programmes were produced in 1994, loosely based on the detective novels of Liza Cody. These were broadcast in the U.S. on the A&E cable network....
.
- A Sunbeam Alpine is driven by Michael Caine in the 1967 film Gambit. The film also starred Shirley MacLaine and Herbert Lom
- A powder blue Sunbeam Alpine is driven by Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins on the 1968 film "Pretty Poison".
The French Alpine
AlpineAlpine (car)
Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War...
was also a French car manufacturer producing various models until absorbed by Renault in a move unconnected with Renault's takeover of some of the commercial vehicle assets formerly belonging to Chrysler Europe.