Renault has joined forces with the sports-car maker Caterham to develop a new range of sports cars that will be badged with the classic French brand Alpine.
Alpine, which became famous as a Monte Carlo winner in the 1970s (right), bowed out two decades ago with the A610 supercar.
Renault announced that it would be reviving the brand, showing off a concept car using the Mégane Trophy’s engine at the Monaco GP.
Caterham, which took over building the iconic Lotus 7 sports car, runs Renault engines in its Formula 1 cars; the new Alpines will likely draw on a combination of Caterham’s low-volume, lightweight construction technologies as well as its F1-style carbon- fibre and aerodynamic expertise.
At a time when carmakers are increasingly abandoning Europe, the new Alpines will be built in the brand’s traditional home of the French seaside town of Dieppe.