Alpine & Renault
By Roy Smith
Billed as the first English-language book about the development of Formula One’s first turbocharged entry, Smith’s work begins by describing the origins of the separate French entities of Alpine and Renault, and how they came to be partners. From his Renault dealership in Dieppe, Jean Rédélé began creating cars named Alpines in recognition of his consecutive victories in the Coupe des Alpes in 1953 and 1954. Eventually, Renault became the majority shareholder, and planning for an ambitious future began. First came a turbocharged car for Le Mans, and with that objective achieved, attention turned toward Formula One.
The road to the top of racing’s premier category was filled with difficult lessons, but within two years of its initial appearance on an F1 grid, Renault’s revolutionary turbocar scored its historic first victory. Appropriately, that win came in the French Grand Prix at Dijon, courtesy of Jean-Pierre Jabouille, but ironically it was all but overshadowed by the great race for 2nd place that transpired between Renault’s Rene Arnoux and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve. Those stories and many more make this a book no fan of The Regie should be without.
Available for US$89.95 (£45.00) plus shipping, directly from Veloce Publishing at: 011-44-305-260068 or www.veloce.co.uk
