The Alpine A220: A Vintage Le Mans Icon Like No Other

Rolling Legacy - In a time when vintage race cars are as much about art and history as they are about horsepower, few machines capture the imagination quite like the Alpine A220. It's the kind of car that doesn’t just sit pretty in a collection—it brings with it the sound of high-revving ambition, the smell of pit lanes past, and the spirit of French motorsport daring to punch above its weight. 

The Renault Alpine A220 was built by the legendary Alpine team as an evolution of their earlier A210—created to take on the big players at Le Mans. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Built by the legendary Alpine team as an evolution of their earlier A210, the A220 was their bold answer to the big players at Le Mans. Instead of playing it safe, they equipped it with a mid-mounted 3.0-liter V8 engine producing around 290 horsepower, channelled through a five-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. It had the looks of a proper endurance prototype and the guts to go with it. While Tat the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1969 may not have delivered the fairy-tale ending Alpine hoped for, the car left a lasting mark with its sheer presence and determination.

One of the unique features of the Renault Alpine A220 is its ability to switch from a long-tail to a short-tail configuration, making it better suited for hillclimbs and road rallies. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

What makes this particular A220 truly special is how much deeper its story goes. Of the only five examples ever built, this was the very first, and it carries the richest racing history. It raced for the Alpine Works team with drivers who would later become legends—Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, and Jean-Luc Thérier all took turns at its wheel. In 1969, it was converted from a long-tail to a short-tail configuration to better suit hillclimbs and road rallies. That change made it one of a kind—the only short-tail A220 ever made.

The Renault Alpine A220 was the only example officially registered for the road by Alpine in August 1969 to enable its entry in rallies like the Critérium des Cévennes, combining race-bred performance with street-legal status. (Picture from: RoadAndTrack)

But that’s not all. Unlike its siblings, this A220 was also the only one officially registered for the road by Alpine themselves, back in August 1969. The move was to allow participation in road rallies like the Critérium des Cévennes, blending race-bred performance with street-legal credentials. That decision means today, more than 50 years later, it remains the only Alpine A220 that you could technically drive to the bakery—if you’re feeling bold enough.

The Renault Alpine A220 offers the rare chance to sit where legends once sat and feel the same vibrations that roared through the Mulsanne straight and up the narrow climbs of Chamrousse. (Picture from: RoadAndTrack)

The car’s second life began under the care of Jean-Pierre Buirette, a former Alpine chassis designer who knew every nut and bolt of the machine. From 1984 to 2004, he carried out a meticulous 20-year restoration, preserving its character while reviving its former glory. Under his hands, the car wasn’t just repaired—it was reborn with the care of someone who had been there when it first raced. Since then, it has passed to only one more owner, making it a true three-owner time capsule from the golden age of endurance racing.

The Renault Alpine A220 powered by a mid-mounted 3.0-liter V8 engine producing around 290 horsepower, channelled through a five-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. (Picture from: RoadAndTrack)

Even Zagato, the renowned Italian coachbuilder, honored the A220’s bold legacy in 2024 with the stunning AGTZ Twin Tail—a modern sports car inspired by its fearless design and enduring emotional appeal. But no homage, no matter how pretty, can replace the real thing. There’s something irreplaceable about the original—its scars, its victories, and the echoes of names who once raced it into history. This A220 carries all of that with quiet confidence, standing not just as a rare car, but as a living memory on four wheels.

The Renault Alpine A220 was never meant to gather dust in a private gallery, but to be driven, seen, and to keep racing history alive. (Picture from: RoadAndTrack)

So what does it mean to sit behind the wheel of this one-of-a-kind machine? It means taking a seat where legends once sat, feeling the same vibrations that echoed through the Mulsanne straight and up the narrow hillclimbs of Chamrousse. It’s not just about reviving a glorious past—it’s about keeping it alive in motion. | 4E22TmE1nZU |

With its unmatched backstory, factory roots, and painstaking restoration, this A220 isn’t meant to gather dust in a private gallery. It’s meant to be driven, to be seen, and to remind people why racing history still matters. Even today, more than five decades after its first roar at Le Mans, the Alpine A220 hasn’t lost its voice. It just needs someone new to carry it forward—someone ready to take the wheel, not just as an owner, but as the next chapter in its journey. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ROADANDTRACK | CLASSICDRIVER | CARSANDCLASSIC | ULTIMATECARPAGE | EXCLUSIVECARREGESTRY | RACECARDIRECT | CARBODYDESGN ]

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