17 replies to this topic

[Gerard Gamand]

Who have some colors pictures of Alpine A350 formula one that Mauro Bianchi briefly tried at Zandvoort in 68 ?

The engine was the V8 Gordini (but only 310 bhp) and the tubular chassis was a new one with new suspension design.

Renault quickly ask Jean Redélé to stop this adventure...

Excuse my poor english

[Antoine Pilette]

Hi,

Have your tried the Club des Anciennes Renaults, (Ile-de-France), section sportive Alpine et Renault?
You have also L'association des Anciens de chez Alpine at Dieppe or nearby.
Alternativly, check with Redele's son. You should be able to find him thru his Renault dealership. I spent a whole day with him and his team at LM Classic 04, he's a top guy

[Marc Ceulemans]

Color picture(s) ? No I just have seen some black and white documents published in Les sports or Sport Moteur (in Belgium), after a private practice ay Zolder.

[T54]

Here are a few B&W pics, courtesy Dominique Pascal. I saw the car at the Gordini works being fitted with its engine, during a discreet visit there with Gerard Crombac. We were to keep our mouth shut. The car was Alpine blue (like Cobra Dayrona light-medium metallic blue).







These pictures were taken Ave. Victor as the engine had been fitted by the technicians at the Amedee Gordini works.
The car is very conventional except for its inventive suspention that allowed the tires to always stay perpendiculary to the road surface. It uses a DG300 gearbox and specially-built Allinquant shock absorbers. The car had been designed by Jean Hebert from sketches by Ron Tauranac. The car, tested by Mauro Bianchi at Zandvoort, was supposed to be driven by him at the French Grand Prix in Rouen. Despite testing times at Zandvoort that were far from being ridiculous, Renault decided not to get involved quite yet as MATRA was getting on pretty strongly and they certainly were not about to be put in a position of competing with Ford with a handicap of over 140HP...
I wonder what happened to the car, possibly under thick dust in a lockup in Billancourt or Dieppe...

T54

[cosworth bdg]

Surely the car must exist somewhere, a bit of detective work is needed i think ? From the pictures you have posted, the car looks quite good for the period...

[Gerard Gamand]

Thanks a lot

I had never see the second picture (first and third yes)
Great
I believe the A350 have been dismantled few weeks after the secrets tests and nothing subsist today, but I don't be sure.
Who know more ?

[Bonde]

Interesting!

I can't quite wok out from the pictures how the suspension was supposed to work - was it the same principle as the camber compensators on the later USAC McMaren M16 and the USAC 1972 Parnelli?

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Bonde
Interesting!

I can't quite wok out from the pictures how the suspension was supposed to work - was it the same principle as the camber compensators on the later USAC McMaren M16 and the USAC 1972 Parnelli?

Neither can I. The top rear "wishbones" don't look as though they can move without bending.

[Stephen W]

What is required is an 'unclothed' photo of the front end! Anyone got a clue as to where this car is currently? Could it be one of Bernie's horde?

[Gerard Gamand]

in adition for this interresting Alpine A350 F1, I can say that this new concept of suspension was designed by Richard Bouleau, who worked directly with Michelin. He call this suspension "pendular" because the four wheels would be always perpendicular with the ground.

[philippe7]

Three years ago Jean-Maurice Gigleux had posted this in an old thread about the various early Renault F1 efforts....

Originally posted by GIGLEUX
Of course the car was not ready to participate at a "concours de beauté". but we have not to forget it was still in a prototype form. To say Jean Rédélé was not informed or opposed is not the truth. Things were not so simple that black and white: at first the Alpine works were not huge, so think that such a car could be built, use a racing engine, be load on a lorry and sent out of France for practise with the boss not knowing or approving is impossible. In fact every day Rédélé was enquiring about the progress of the car; it also received a code (A350) in the Alpine classification which show it was officially buit and knowned. Renault was opposed to the entry of such a car with one of their engine in the F1 field. At the time they were mainly involved in rallies and sports-protos, the V8 Gordini engine being at first conceived for such cars. So Rédélé who was dependant on Renault officialy ignored the existence of the A350. This car was also built to test a new concept of rear suspension which was conceived by Richard Bouleau: even today all is not known but the idea was to bettered tyres contact and from that braking; technically left and right wheels were not independant but interconnected by the upper whishbones linked to themseves by a false frame; the result was that the four wheels were perpendicular to the road and it was the chassis itself which take inclination in the bends (excuse me if confusing but I'm not a technician). After the V8 fiasco at Le Mans 1969, Renault bought A.Gordini enterprise and put a stop to all work on these engines. So it was completely finished for the A350 wich later (it seems 1970) was scrapped.

He had also posted some intersting (different) pictures but they are now offline unfortunately.....

Are you around Jean-Maurice ?

[T54]

Indeed, the usual politics killed the car. I remember the inventive suspention quite well and wil try to make a workable drawing of it when I get a chance.
I am not so sure that it was dismantled. it is possible that the engine may have been removed, but somehow and from bits I have heard from people who should know, I believe that the car may still exist.

[Gerard Gamand]

I'm very curious to see your workable drawing...
we begin the search of this A350 !

[macoran]

Originally posted by Gerard Gamand
I'm very curious to see your workable drawing...
we begin the search of this A350 !

Yes....but 1st order of business is to confirm model designation.
Talk is of the A350....but the pictures are all named A340.... etc.

[Gerard Gamand]

Sure, definitively Alpine A350

There is mistake on pics legends

[rudi]

Each unraced F1 car needs a legend. The forbidden entry at the 1968 french GP is just untrue. The
car was just a test car for Bouleau's suspension. Look at the fuel tank..

[T54]

Rudi,
The car had two side alloy fuel tanks when I saw the car. The picture you show was taken in the racing shop in Dieppe, you can see an A210 car on top left there. However this tank was present when the car was pictured in Paris, but I do not recall seing it on the car. I also would doubt that a small tankage like this would be sufficient to test the car at Zandvoort unless Mauro would have stopped quite often...

[Gerard Gamand]

very strange front suspension indeed