GTA / LE MANS / A610 UK Values

This is a difficult choice. Do you keep the knowledge of the cars within a small group of enthusiasts and accept they are a bit of a bargain or do you raise the profile and then they are more expensive to buy and some potential buyers will be excluded? We have had this debate for some years in the Rover P5 Club and the final conclusion was that if values remain low, the cars end up with non dedicated enthusiasts, decline and disappear. There are similarities when it comes to parts prices. Why would you pay over £500 for a P5 rear bumper if the car is only worth £4k but if it is worth 15K it is a different story. I think it is time to raise the Alpine profile in the UK to the same level it enjoys elsewhere otherwise there will be few RHD ones left. I have compared my A610 with other rivals (mostly when it did not work !!!) and it is impossible to equal for less than double the money. What else has all the toys, runs on normal unleaded and delivers 27 mpg on a run plus does 5.7sec 0 - 62 even before it has been to ART for tweeking? The answer is nothing. Lets get the profile up. I will be chatting to the Top Gear producer next week - ! -

If It's a mission to get a feature, would it be possible to get some of the club members tickets to be in the audience on the show?

Regards

Andy

[Alpineandy]

They can have mine...only if the stig drives though

A few years back Clarkson had a D Type jag on the track. The owners kicked up a real stink when he gave it back with a busted diff and worn out brakes (amongst other things) and he/they just shrugged it off. They really give a car a hard time on the track.
I think James may is the most gentle but also the slowest.
The stig is a racing driver so he has no mechanical sympathy but he's also the smoothest driver.

I don't think I'd want any of them driving a car of mine.

[Alpineandy]

What else has all the toys, runs on normal unleaded and delivers 27 mpg on a run plus does 5.7sec 0 - 62 ?

I think you'd have to look a some japanese machinery. Not as charismatic but equally impressive.

Lets not count our pigeons before they've flown. If I can get the car noticed and scheduled, then lets see what can be achieved in terms of a piece. James May was interested and is not much of a threat as a Land Rover driver. The test track may not be involved but would potentially risk some damage if it was. If I get anywhere, I will report back but it would not happen overnight anyway. We have done well with the P5 feature but obviously this is not a test track car and the Alpine would be.

What else has all the toys, runs on normal unleaded and delivers 27 mpg on a run plus does 5.7sec 0 - 62 ?

I think you'd have to look a some japanese machinery. Not as charismatic but equally impressive.

I had a UK Impreza 250bhp and it was very good and very reliable and very naff but I know what you mean. If my A610 does not learn to work reliably then who knows? The Impresa was less fun to drive but required less skill, was uncomfortable and had a grotty airfix dashboard so I am trying not to go there but it is based upon a £5,000 cheap 4 door saloon and it is agreed that it does a lot for very little.

[Alpineandy]

One of the very first Top Gear programmes filmed at their new venue was featuring a sporty renault (I don't remember which, but think it was the 225 Megane). They invited the Renault Owners Club. Regretfully very few of could make it at such short notice and of the few that could, some were late as the location was a nightmare to find (no signposts even at the entrance...). There were a few Alps in the car park that day and a feture was mentioned then but there was no follow up.
Good Luck.

You never know one might be in a movie or TV drama, that's all it would take for the GTA to become a cult car.

The A610 in Eldorado didnt' make a difference.

Proof perhaps that "any publicity is good publicity" is NOT true

Clarkson did drive a yellow A610 press car a long time ago and loved it.... also gave it a pretty hard time on the track.

Not only that, it came in his list of most favourite cars of all time. (might have changed now...!!!)

Somebody has got the video of that roadtest, but I can't remember who..

. . . and the car was for sale recently, up in Ipswich - Suffolk somewhere. Looked nice - despite being yellow. Apparently one of the best built.

Seems a lot of the motoring journalists still have a soft spot for the GTAs and A610s.

From http://www.autocar.co.uk/diaryarchive.asp?date=2005_7#

Petrolhead passions
Category: On the road
Two things have recently brought into sharp focus what’s great about being a petrolhead – whether you’re driving or admiring. On a recent Nurburgring mission I met two lads from Switzerland who’d driven across for a public circuit session in their respective steeds: a 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 in Gold (with tan interior and BBS alloys) and a early ‘80s Renault Alpine GTA turbo in pale blue. Apart from admiring what was possibly the coolest pair of machines in the car park – especially if your childhood consisted of top trumps, the 1983 Scalextric catalogue and pushing Matchbox models around the living room carpet - it struck me what a laugh these guys were having amongst a sea of GT3s, M3s, the odd Challenge Stradale and a pair of Carrera GTs.
Both cars were full of the detritus of the long hard drive: maps, dodgy food wrappers and water bottles. On the passenger seats lay sweat-filled crash hats and on the cars’ noses a thorough covering of trophy-like flies. Basically, they were living the dream, without necessarily needing to have the huge bank account.
Nearly home, I was passed on the fast lane of the M25 by a Pontiac Trans Am and an Alfa GTA returning from a race meeting: the Alfa buzzing behind the huge rumbling screaming chicken like a shoal of fish behind a whale. Disparate maybe, but two perfect examples of people out enjoying their cars whatever their type, age, purpose or value. That, surely, is what it’s all about.

The guys at EVO magazine still like them both too, as most of the old staff had driven them from back in the Performance Car days - I think I actually have one of the old 'Back to Routes' articles from when they had the long term A610.

They even put the GTA/610 into their list of the 100 coolest cars ever. Anyone know anyone on the staff?

The guys at EVO magazine still like them both too, as most of the old staff had driven them from back in the Performance Car days - I think I actually have one of the old 'Back to Routes' articles from when they had the long term A610.

They even put the GTA/610 into their list of the 100 coolest cars ever. Anyone know anyone on the staff?

Anyone got the 'Back to Routes' article from the January 1994 issue of Performane Car? I've got the original magazine, but to my eternal shame I've lost the center section which had several pages featuring the yellow A610 on a drive around Yorkshire! If anyone has it maybe they could scan and email it to Stephen to publish in the Road Test section.

Justin,

No I've got the original 'Back to Routes' from July 93 (going a bit yellow now, matches the A610 ) - Midlands to the North West.

I can scan that if you want or have you got it already?

No, I've never seen that one. Would be great if you could scan it.