Skip advert
Advertisement
Features

Alpine GTA USA – dead on arrival

The tale of how a revised ’80s Alpine nearly became a halo car for Renault in America

In 1979 AMC made a deal with Renault to sell the French company’s cars through its vast US dealer network. From there things got serious and by late 1980 Renault was taking a 46 per cent stake in the struggling American company and drawing up grand plans for a US invasion, led by locally assembled versions of the R9 and R11 and an Americanised version of the R18. But to lure Americans to their local AMC showrooms Renault really needed a sexy, low‑slung flagship. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Happily, the company’s advanced research division, BEREX, was working on just such a thing: a striking successor to the Alpine A310, to be called the Grand Tourisme Alpine or GTA. Less happily, by the time Renault realised the GTA could be useful across the Atlantic the project was already well advanced and, given its shoestring budget, no effort had been made to engineer it for US regulations. But Renault’s appetite was whetted by projections that said 2500 Americans a year would buy one, thereby doubling GTA production numbers, so once the Euro Alpine had entered production in late ’84, Renault HQ gave BEREX an extra 180 million francs to create a GTA that would meet US rules and requirements.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

 > Saab PhoeniX – dead on arrival

The changes needed were many, starting with a stronger front-end structure, bigger and tougher bumpers, and side-impact beams in the doors. The glassed-in headlights breached strict US standards so they were replaced by pop-up lamps, sitting above an enlarged front intake for better cooling. Also on the outside there were Federally mandated side marker lights and a central stop lamp, while on the inside Americans would get standard air con, leather seats and cruise control.

Advertisement - Article continues below

All told, the US market Alpine was 136mm longer, 200 kilos heavier and ten per cent weaker, its emissions-control kit knocking the 200 horsepower turbocharged V6 of Euro cars down to 180bhp. By late 1986 the Federalised GTA was ready and pre-production cars were loaned to a generally enthusiastic US media, Motor Trend even proclaiming it a ‘European Corvette fighter’.

Unfortunately, in November 1986 Renault boss Georges Besse was assassinated by left-wing terrorists, and his successor, Raymond Lévy, had no patience for the company’s expensive American adventure when La Regie’s ship urgently needed stabilising at home. In March ’87 AMC Jeep was sold to Chrysler and the American-spec GTA was culled just as series production was about to begin. Of the 21 cars built before the blade fell, 12 were sold to the public and the rest used in the development of the Alpine A610, a revised GTA incorporating many of the engineering changes created for the American model. This, however, wasn’t the only way in which a part of the Federal GTA lived on.

Around the time the American Alpine was cancelled, Lotus was signing off Peter Stevens’ design for the M100 Elan, which was intended to use Isuzu Piazza rear lights behind perspex covers. Only after the design had been approved was it found that these didn’t emit enough light to meet homologation rules, triggering an urgent search for replacements that ended when Stevens spotted a GTA in an episode of BBC yacht schlock drama Howards’ Way and reckoned its tail lights were the right size and shape for his Elan.

A quick trip to a local Renault dealer confirmed his suspicion and the French were happy to sell Lotus the parts, including the redundant Federalised version of the GTA rear light (with red turn signals rather than orange) which was used on Elans exported to the USA. As such, while the US-spec GTA died with Renault’s American ambitions, a piece of it lived on with every M100 Elan sold in the United States. 

This story was first featured in evo issue 306.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused
Aston Martin Vantage S front
News

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused

With a bump in power output among myriad detail changes, the Vantage S could be the ultimate driver’s Aston
8 Jul 2025
The new BMW M2 CS could be another all-time great M car
BMW M2 CS – front
News

The new BMW M2 CS could be another all-time great M car

BMW has applied the CS treatment to the G87 M2 – if it’s anything like its predecessor, it’ll be sensational
3 Jul 2025
The 2025 Carrera 4S is an all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 without hybrid power
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
News

The 2025 Carrera 4S is an all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 without hybrid power

Porsche adds AWD to the Popular Carrera S lineup, as well as a Targa
2 Jul 2025
Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes
Ferrari manual
News

Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes

Ferrari reckons if you want a manual, you should buy a classic, and has no plans to bring back the stick
1 Jul 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025
New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused
Aston Martin Vantage S front
News

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused

With a bump in power output among myriad detail changes, the Vantage S could be the ultimate driver’s Aston
8 Jul 2025