In 1955, Jean Rédélé decided to name his new sports car company Alpine as a tribute to his successful performances in the Alpine Rally, where he drove his highly modified Renaults.

However, despite the company’s name, Alpine cars were unable to win the famous race held in the mountains of southern France. The cars often faced mechanical issues, which prevented them from achieving victory.

Eager to overcome this ongoing challenge, Alpine entered five factory-prepared A110s, along with 13 other Alpine vehicles, into the 1968 event. They faced tough competition from Renault-Gordini 8s, Ford Escorts, Lancia Fulvia Coupés, Daf 55s, Alfa Romeo GTAs, Porsche 911s, and more. Surprisingly, there were no Mini Coopers, but there were some unusual entries like a “simply hideous” truncated Citroën DS and a Vauxhall Ventora.

Unfortunately, the race was marred by heavy rain and fog during the first leg, resulting in accidents and failures for many participants. Out of the initial 64 vehicles, only 25 managed to survive the 845-mile journey from Marseille to Aix-les-Bains. At the front, three Alpines battled with two Alfas.

For the following 520-mile mountain loop, the treacherous conditions persisted, reducing the number of remaining competitors to just 16 by the end of the night. An Alpine led the race, followed by a Lancia and an Alfa Romeo.

The final leg involved a 955-mile journey back down to Antibes. The focus was on the intense competition between René Trautmann and Jean-Louis Barailler, who were separated by a mere 15 seconds. Meanwhile, Jean Vinatier was already 11 minutes behind. To everyone’s delight, Vinatier achieved victory in the glorious sunshine, redeeming the disappointment of previous years.