Alpine previews next A110 with sculptural design concept
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Alpine has offered a first hint at the styling of its next A110, although you’ll have to look beneath the folds to make it out.
The French sports car maker has revealed a veiled sculpture previewing the design direction of its third-generation A110. Set to appear at the Paris Motor Show from 12 October, it suggests the newcomer will retain the familiar proportions of its predecessors while adopting more pronounced curves and muscular wheel arches.
This is a design study rather than a finished concept car. Alpine says the sculpture explores the shapes and proportions that will influence the production model’s bodywork.
Familiar shape, new foundations
The next A110 will be all-electric and use the new Alpine Performance Platform, or APP, which Renault Group revealed earlier this year.
That platform has already made a public appearance beneath the Alpine A110 FUTURE development mule at July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The test car wore bodywork adapted from the current A110, stretched to accommodate the new platform’s dimensions.
The sculpture provides a better indication of where Alpine’s designers are heading. The company says the third generation will remain recognisably an A110, drawing on both the original Berlinette and today’s model.
Key features include a V-shaped front-end treatment and a suggested dual-light signature. A shark-nose front leads into a beltline running towards a low rear, while a teardrop-shaped cabin sits between four prominent wheel arches.
A narrow waist and more sculpted sides are intended to give the familiar silhouette a contemporary interpretation.
A little Concorde inspiration
Alpine says draping a veil over the form is a design technique used to study proportions. By softening the surface detail, it allows the overall shape and stance to emerge.
The blue covering also suggests lightness and airflow, two themes central to the project.
There’s an aviation connection too. Designers drew inspiration from Concorde, particularly the idea of capturing the energy of the aircraft as it broke the sound barrier. That influence is expressed through the sculpture’s wind-caught veil and apparently floating form, rather than any claimed performance figure.
Beneath the artistic language, Alpine’s stated aim is straightforward: carry the A110’s identity into a new generation while allowing its design to evolve.
Founded by Jean Rédélé in 1955, Alpine introduced the current A110 in 2018 with an emphasis on compact dimensions, low weight and agility. The forthcoming model will mark only the third generation of the nameplate in the brand’s 71-year history.
Visitors to Alpine’s Paris stand will get a closer look at the sculpture from 12 October. The finished bodywork, technical specifications and performance figures remain under wraps.
