1964 Alpine M64

Alpine was founded by Jean Redele in 1955, who had previously modified and campaigned Renault 4CVs with much success. His newly formed Alpine Company began building their own cars on the 4CV chassis and mechanicals, with their first car being dubbed the A106.

In 1962, Alpine introduced the M63 which symbolized the company's founder's interest in motorsports. This was followed by an updated version called the M64, released for the 1964 season. In total, just three examples were built (chassis numbers 1709, 1710, and 1711).

The M63 and M64 were built for the sports car circuit. The M64 was fitted with a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine offering 115 horsepower. The body was formed from fiberglass and penned by Marcel Hubert, an aerodynamics engineer at Alpine. The body was mounted on a chassis crafted of special molybdenum metal tubing.

The crowning moment for the Alpine M64 was on June 21st of 1964, at Le Mans where its super-lightweight construction and low stance helped it win the race while achieving the lowest fuel consumption in the race. The team's factory drivers included Roger de Lageneste and Henry Morrogh who raced the 2,436 miles at an average speed of 101 mph. The petite four-cylinder engine and slippery coachwork achieved 21 mpg. The Alpine M64 finished 17th overall; a few weeks later, the Alpine won its class again at the 12 Hours of Reims.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Racer
Chassis number: 1711

Alpine M64 chassis number 1711 was one of just three prototypes the small French automaker built for the 1964 24 Hours of LeMans. The most successful of the three, chassis 1711, scored class victories at Le Mans and Reims in 1964. It raced successfully the following season and was then put away, hidden for nearly 50 years.

Founded by Jean Redele, Alpine was a small French manufacturer of lightweight sports cars, race cars and rally cars. The M64 was an evolution of the M63 prototype from the previous year. A mid-engine spaceframe design similar to that of the Lotus 23, the M64 was powered by a 1049cc Renault Gordini four-cylinder engine.

This 1964 Alpine M64 finished 17th overall at LeMans in June of 1964, winning both the 1300cc Prototype GT class and the highly coveted index of Thermal Efficiency. In 24 hours, drivers Roger de Lageneste and Henry Morrogh raced 2436 miles (292 laps) at an average speed of 101 miles per hour (while achieving 21 miles per gallon).

A few weeks later, M64 chassis 1711 won its class at the 12 Hours of Reims, finishing 18th overall at the high-speed road course, with the same two drivers: Roger de Lageneste and Henry Morrogh.

That summer, de Lageneste drove it in a series of hill climbs followed by the Paris 1000-kilometer race at the Montlhery circuit. In 1965, M64 chassis 1711 ran LeMans and Reims.

At the end of the 1965 season, chassis 1711 was updated by the Alpine factory to M65 bodywork, highlighted by dramatic vertical tail fins, to develop, test, and market the next-generation version that became the successful A210.

Then, sometime in 1966, chassis 1711 was stored away. It was eventually rescued by a Renault executive who arranged for a well-known Bugatti enthusiast, Jacques Ohana, to buy it. He stored the car for decades, intending to restore it.

Then, restoration began. The original M65 bodywork was repainted with stunning results, but then mechanical work wasn't completed before Mr. Ohana's death.

The current caretakers purchased it at the end of 2016 and have recently finished its restoration.