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Thread: Alpine prototype for Berlinette - can you help with more information ?

  1. #1
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    Alpine prototype for Berlinette - can you help with more information ?

    I've managed to source these pics again but still don't have any details on the car.

    If anyone new anything about them I'd love to hear from you.

    They're clearly styled after the A110 and carry the Alpine badge - and the distinctive Alpine Blue colour.

    Assuming those plates are French, does the last 2 digits mean it was a 1989 car ?

    Sorry they're not very good quality as the car is stored in polythene, but I've been asked before about them and want to learn more.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Matra et Alpine; 03-06-2004 at 05:51 PM.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    Looks alot more modern than '89

    Looks pretty cool, wonder what its got under the bonnet....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    Assuming those plates are French, does the last 2 digits mean it was a 1989 car ?
    No, it just means that the car is registered in the Departement Yonne, with Auxerre as capital, it's about 200 km south east of Paris. I think we have to start looking on French sites, to get some answers. I will also have a look at my collection of Auto Passions, which may have some hints but I can't remember any.
    I appears like a Berlinette where they sacrificed the rear seats by reversing the engine location. Could it be a special body on the Renault Roadster from about 5 years ago?

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    http://www.alpine-renault.net/accueil.htm

    If these people are willing to read an English message you might find your answer.

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    I found evidence of the existence of a prototype W71, with a central engine. It was constructed at the end of the eighties, but never made into production. In a presentation on the "Wind" reference is made to this car.
    Actually as your pictures show two cars, the riddle is not yet solved.

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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    http://www.alpine-renault.net/accueil.htm

    If these people are willing to read an English message you might find your answer.
    We'd tried there the first time around and hadn't got a response.

    Maybe I should go and ask in French this time
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    We'd tried there the first time around and hadn't got a response.

    Maybe I should go and ask in French this time

    Need some help? (est ce que que vous avez besoin d'assistance?)

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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    Need some help? (est ce que que vous avez besoin d'assistance?)
    Sounds like a deal
    My French is now very rusty and anytime I get into 'converstation' I always have to look things up. Makes it very tedious
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    Sounds like a deal
    My French is now very rusty and anytime I get into 'converstation' I always have to look things up. Makes it very tedious
    send me a message and I will try to translate it into something acceptable.

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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    send me a message and I will try to translate it into something acceptable.
    A single message I could mange, it's the subsequent conversations that get hard.
    Especially when car terms are used.
    It once took half a dozen messages and resorting to a drawing to explain I wanted a front crossmember for a Matra !!

    I think posting a pointer to the images and asking if they can identify the car, the date and it's whereabouts now ?
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    quel est cette voiture?-what is this car?
    quelle année était il a construit?-what year was it made in?
    quels sont les spécifications?-what are the specs?
    je ne parle pas le français-i don't speak french
    this is what you could post, or maybe ask if anyone speaks english and hope they know something about this car
    Wenn Sie wissen wollen, was einen volkswagen ein volkswagen macht, treibt es.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Batmobile_Turbo
    quel est cette voiture?-what is this car?
    quelle année était il a construit?-what year was it made in?
    quels sont les spécifications?-what are the specs?
    je ne parle pas le français-i don't speak french
    this is what you could post, or maybe ask if anyone speaks english and hope they know something about this car
    Thanks Batmobile.
    As a long term French owner I have resurrected some ofmy school and business French.
    But it doesn't help with local differences and technical car terms.
    I guess this one is slightly different as it IS a general question.
    Last year I was lucky to acquire an original Chrysler English-French service manual dictionary. 100+pages of terms used in the car service manuals.
    I also use on-line translation service to help me, often the guess they make helps me find the right translation
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    Thanks Batmobile.
    As a long term French owner I have resurrected some ofmy school and business French.
    But it doesn't help with local differences and technical car terms.
    I guess this one is slightly different as it IS a general question.
    Last year I was lucky to acquire an original Chrysler English-French service manual dictionary. 100+pages of terms used in the car service manuals.
    I also use on-line translation service to help me, often the guess they make helps me find the right translation
    i used what i learned in french class and what i got off the online translation thingy to put hese together but you have to word them in a not normal way in english for it to translate proporly into french.
    Wenn Sie wissen wollen, was einen volkswagen ein volkswagen macht, treibt es.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

    I think posting a pointer to the images and asking if they can identify the car, the date and it's whereabouts now ?
    That would be sufficient for a starter, just waut what happens next. I amnot surprised about your problems with the cross member, as it was for a Matra and not for an Alpine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    That would be sufficient for a starter, just waut what happens next. I amnot surprised about your problems with the cross member, as it was for a Matra and not for an Alpine.
    It was the whole concept of getting the right French word not so much the part !!
    'batteur' is the correct term.
    But that's 'beater' in ordinary French-English translation.
    'batteur' can also mean 'damper', so it's difficult to make sure the right part is talked about - why I resorted to a drawing
    At one point a friend suggested 'robinet on travers' and I was thinking it might be right until he also suggested 'pénis en travers' and I knew he was winding me up.
    But it can so EASILY go wrong
    ( I had to go to the Chrylser 'Standard Glossary of Automoteive terminilogy' for it. Cheked the intro, it was produced in 1976 and has 17,000 entries !! )
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

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