A refresher course is useful here: Alpine is a French sports car manufacturer that fell under Renault's control. In their heyday they all but became the French Porsche. Their A110 proved immensely successful in rallying during the 1960s and 1970s and the A310 that replaced it won over legions of fans during its thirteen year production run. The brand was purchased by Renault after sales plummeted in the mid-1970s and was quietly put to sleep in the mid-1990s.
"We need to develop Renault's presence on the premium market," explained Carlo Tavares, Renault's chief operating officer. "We're thinking of bringing back the Alpine nameplate for that and designing several cars that would be both sporty and luxurious."
Nothing is set in stone quite yet.
"We're in an exploratory phase right now," added Tavares.
What remains to be seen is what spot the Alpine brand would hold in the Renault lineup. The French automaker already has the Renault Sport brand which is responsible for the sport versions of their cars (notably the Clio and the Twingo), and they recently brought back the Gordini name to market luxury versions of those cars, much to the chagrin of Gordini fans.
If the Alpine brand is to come back and find its place in Renault's crowded family, its lineup will have to consist of entirely new and specific models instead of modified versions of existing cars.
