It was not 1,000, but 1,104 Alpines who gathered on May 28 and 29 on the lawns of the Dieppe esplanade (76) to pay tribute to the founder of the brand with the A fléché: Jean Rédélé. The argus was there. Back in pictures on an extraordinary weekend.
He would have been 100 years old on May 17, 2022. He is Jean Rédélé, the founder of the Alpine brand. Three associations of brand enthusiasts wanted to pay tribute to this pilot and entrepreneur who notably gave birth to a legendary model: the A110. For this gathering, the Association des Anciens d’Alpine (AAA), the Club Alpine Dieppe (CAD) and the Club Alpine Usine de Dieppe (CAUD) have called on all owners of models with the A arrow (or assembled within from the Dieppe plant).
Their ambition? Gather 1,000 vehicles on the lawns of the esplanade of Dieppe (76), stronghold of the founder. Successful bet ! On May 28, 2022, the day the celebrations kicked off, no less than 1,100 vehicles were exhibited under a radiant sun to the delight of owners and the public who came in large numbers to attend this extraordinary event.
Alpines of all ages united
Alpine lovers, from France, Belgium, Germany, Austria or even Portugal, have not done things by halves. During our walks in the aisles, we met several couples who had come…in two cars! Muriel and Laurent, fans of the brand for 40 years, have no less than 4 models with the A arrow in their garage.
That day, it was with two A110s (an old 1300 and a Color Edition 2020) that they made the trip. A few steps away, the scene is more comical. A mother with a stroller is amused by the reaction of a passer-by who still does not believe her eyes when she assures him that she came “as a family” with her husband “each at the wheel of a coupe”. If the modern and old Alpine A110s were widely represented, the A310 and A610 also had pride of place. Moreover, some atypical models did not fail to make visitors smile and attract the lens of our photographer!
>> Discover our most beautiful photos of the Alpine gathering <<
Renault models assembled in Dieppe and an F1
Alpine wouldn’t be what it has become without Renault’s support. In 1973, the small brand joined the bosom of the tricolor giant. Three years later, the R5 Alpine left the Dieppe factories. Then the lines began to produce R5 GT Turbos, Spiders, Clio V6s… So it’s not surprising to come across some of these examples along the aisles.
This copy is unique. It is as white on the outside as it is on the inside!
Some rare copies were also part of the trip, like Emmanuel and Goffroy’s R5 Turbo. This is the only copy that is as white on the outside…as it is on the inside! ” And again, hasten to entrust us with the father and his son, we have removed all the sheepskin in the cockpit. All the rooms – now black – were covered with it »! It must also be said that its previous (and first) owner was none other than a Saudi prince. It is in a good-natured atmosphere that all the people who have contributed to the success of Alpine found themselves, starting with the family circle.
TO READ. Renault Sport series. The history of road models from 1995 to 2021
The Rédélé family present during the festivities
Michelle Rédélé, 93, would not have missed this event for nothing in the world. The designer’s wife, accompanied by her children and grandchildren, received from the hands of Alpine boss Laurent Rossi a rare copy of the special J.Rédélé series. She then confided to us that she was moved, very happy and impressed by the enthusiasm aroused by the brand. ” It reminds me of the whole story that started there, that happened there… It was an absolutely incredible adventure. I can’t even find the words to tell you what it really represented: the risk, the doubt…
“Jean was truly the most persevering person I have met.“
So we knew he would go all the way with all the pitfalls and difficulties that this represented at a time when France was not helping people who had ideas much. But that didn’t stop him. To give the meeting an even more special flavor, Jean-Charles Rédélé (the son) and Renault Classic have taken some fine specimens out of their garage and exhibited them in a temporary museum. They will be to be discovered in a future article on The argus. Stay connected !
TO READ. Alpine Renault: photos of the incredible Rédélé collection
