The Alpine A220 is a prototype that participated in races in 1968 and 1969. Until 1967, Jean Rédélé and his technicians were limited to the construction of racing cars with a maximum engine capacity of 1.5 liters. For the sports car race in 1968 and especially for the endurance race at Le Mans, the team developed a 3-liter racing car. This request was made possible by a new Gordini engine.
Gordini combined two 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engines into a conventional V8 engine. The carburetor V8 engine produced 228 kW (310 hp), the injection engine 257 kW (350 hp). The chassis and body were adopted by the A210 and adapted so that the heavy and wider engine could be integrated into the chassis. The A220 made its debut in the spring of 1968 at a national sports car race in France. It quickly turned out that the car was underpowered for the 3-liter class. In addition, while the lightweight, aerodynamic fiberglass body was perfect for the A210, it was oversteer in the faster and heavier A220. In Le Mans in 1968 four A220 were at the start, but only one – at the wheel Andre de Cortanze and Jean Vinatier – reached the finish. With the eighth place overall, the car was in the finish before three A210. In 1969, when no A220 reached the finish line in Le Mans, the project, despite some victories in smaller events, was set at the end of 1969. The Alpine A220 you can see in the pictures was piloted at the Le Mans Classic 2018 by Gerard Besson and Francis Dougnac.
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Report by collectorscarworld.com
Photos by rs65photos.com
