- First registration in the name of the factory

- A car from the Alpine competition division

- Now fitted with a 1968 racing bodywork.

- Older restoration with numerous genuine parts

- Collection of an enthusiast from Marseille

- No reserve

With its serial number 10498, this Berlinetta left the Alpine factory (on Rue Pasteur in Dieppe) alongside two other models, all intended for the brand’s Competition Division. All three were registered on the same day (7th March 1968), from 1536 to 1538 UR 75. The 10498 unit got the number 1536 UR 75 and was registered under SA Alpine based on 13 Rue Forest in Paris, known as the holy of holies for the brand, since it was here that the first A106 examples were assembled and delivered!

While the other two 1300 examples took part in rallies such as the Lorraine, the Ronde Cevennes, as well as the Wiesbaden Rally in RFG, the 10498 example has not participated in any well-known ones thus far: either it was kept as a mule or none has yet been discovered, since there seems to be no archives before 1969 from the rally service.

However, it’s worth noting that at the time, mules were very similar to the ones entered in racing events. They had a lightweight bodywork, two fuel tanks, heated windshields, bucket seats, etc. The only real difference was around the engine: a 1,296 Alpine for the back-up car and a more advanced 1,296 or 1,440 Mignotet for the actual racing cars.

As it is usually the case in motorsport departments and in February 1969 when the factory sold the car, the registration document corresponding to chassis 10498 was assigned to another factory car; which was previously registered in 1966 as 2039 TK 75 (having participated in the Targa Florio and the Tour de Corse…). With 10498 title, it was acquired by Alfred Krause from Vosges from the well-known Courtois de Cernay dealership in Alsace, a reseller of many Dieppe cars. Krause then registered it as 801 JN 88. He took part in numerous racing events, including the 1969 Tour de France Auto (DNF). It was also seen at the Roquette hill climb near Nice (7th), the famous Rally des Tulipes in Holland and the Ceyreste hill climb above La Ciotat (13). He sold 10498 to Yvan Wioland of Thann in Alsace and it was then registered 930 PM 68. It then had 9 owners in Haut Rhin between 1971 and 2016, including Roland Regli who also competed in motorsport!

 Around 1990, the latter sold it to a company called Concept in Marseille, who then separated the ex-factory 1966 chassis/bodywork and associated the registration document to another ex-factory Alpine… this car still exists and is located in Haute Savoie. As the owner of multiple Alpine cars, the director of Concept assigned the identity of the registration title 10498 to the chassis / bodywork of a 1300 customer or factory example, which perfectly corresponds to the 1968 year: lightweight bodywork, dual fuel tanks, etc. the bare and rather incomplete car was sold in the mid-1990s to an enthusiast… in Haut Rhin! Consequently, it retained its registration number 930 PM 68. Mr. Bechler fully restored it and it was in 2006 that we went to see it. It’s worth mentioning that the roof skin was replaced during this restoration, which revealed traces of a gallery mounting location, quite similar to factory cars of the 1968 Monte Carlo! A mystery that remains to be solved…

The bodywork number 611 (oval plate) was also changed to 1011, but the latter does not coincide with anything since the 611 corresponded to 2039 TK 75, of which the bodywork was from 1966.

After owning it for 20 years, Mr. Bechler sold it 10 years ago to the current owner… in Marseille! As you’ve noticed, this car seems to please enthusiasts from Alsace or the southern region.

In 2025, this Alpine possesses many features of a racing car: lightweight bodywork, dual tank with a lateral hatch for the central one (a dummy one made of polyester), bucket seats, lightweight grey felt interior, a quick-release cap on the front fuel tank, roll bar and door hinges drilled for weight reduction. According to Mr. Bechler, the Gordini engine was tuned; it was a 1,296 cc engine with a Ferry camshaft. It has a 5-speed transmission with a 8x33 torque and includes standard gears, along with a short-ratio 5th gear. It also now features standard wings which were fitted in the early 1980s. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a car from Alpine’s competition division, which has had an eventful but fascinating history, as is often the case with racing cars of that era.

Gilles Vallerian

Expert with the National des Experts Specialises association