A110 1300S - "Rally Vltava1968"
- Jürgen Clauss
- Nov 1, 2022
- 16 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
FACTORY CAR "USINE"
HISTORY
1968 RALLYE EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY VLTAVA
05-07 JULY 1968
RALLY DEBUT
BAPTISM BY FIRE OF VICTORY
On July 5, 1968, the forests and villages of Czechoslovakia transformed into a roaring stage – the Rallye Vltava was called, and Alpine Renault answered with determination, passion and two razor-sharp A110 1300S Berlinettes.
After solid showings at Monte Carlo, San Remo and Wiesbaden, the factory team was still chasing the big breakthrough. Legendary factory drivers such as Jean Vinatier, Jean-Claude Andruet, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, and Gérard Larrousse had scored top ten finishes, but the first victory still eluded them. Until Vltava.
In the fresh summer air of Czechoslovakia, the Alpine with license plate 4712 GE 76 lined up at the start – piloted by the experienced and precise duo Jean Vinatier and Marcel Callewaert.
Starting number 8 was their ticket to an unforgettable debut, not just for the team, but for Alpine itself. With unmatched elegance, razor-sharp handling and the signature howl of its 1300cc Gordini engine, the A110 tore through the stages. Gravel, tarmac, hairpins – nothing could stop the Berlinette. It wasn’t the most powerful car on the field, but the quickest, lightest and smartest. And that was the key.
At the end of this dramatic weekend, history was made – Alpine Renault had secured its first overall victory in the 1968 European Rally Championship with a 1300S Berlinette, a perfect harmony of man and machine, courage and mechanics.
The Rallye Vltava was more than just a stage win, it was the starting gun for an era. The first bold mark on the road to dominance in European rallying. Alpine had shown what they were capable of. And the world began to take notice.
Fotos © Le Tahitien
Fotos © M. Callewaert
"The Blue Riders" - Jean Vinatier, Jean-François Piot , Marcel Callewaert & Jean Todt in conversation.
ALPINE IN THE ALPS
VIENNA STORIES
It was more than just a simple car handover, it was the beginning of one of the most charming chapters in Alpine A110 history. The journey of 4712 GE 76, fresh from the Rallye Vltava stages, into the hands of a Viennese gentleman racer – Walter Roser.
Roser, a man with a keen sense — not only for fragrances but also for curves — was no stranger to motorsport in 1968. Newly crowned Austrian national champion in the Renault 8 Gordini, he had already made a name for himself - fast, confident, stylish and above all, passionate to the core.
His job as a perfume salesman often took him to France and with his fine instincts for people and machines, he knew exactly where to forge the best connections — in Dieppe, the heart of Alpine. There, he met Alain Ducharne, the man responsible for Alpine’s sales to Eastern Bloc countries and someone who recognized Roser’s potential.
Thus, Viennese charm met French racing blood. The former works Berlinette of Jean Vinatier, fresh from its glorious overall victory at the Rallye Vltava, crossed the Alps into a new chapter of its motorsport career.
A car change? No. A soul change. Because with Walter Roser, the Alpine was not just driven — it was lived.
That very same year, he pushed the 1300S with its striking French license plate 4712 GE 76 over Austrian passes and through European special stages — light-footed, fearless, always on the limit. And in doing so, he collected not only trophies but admiration.
This “Wiener G’schicht’” is no footnote in Alpine history, it’s a beating heart. It shows how passion breaks boundaries, how a perfume salesman becomes a semi-factory driver and how a French Berlinette becomes a legend in Vienna.
Foto @ TMW
3-2-1-go!
BOSCH RACING TEAM VIENNA
Walter Roser, a defining figure of Austrian rallying, was a member of the well knowned BOSCH RACING TEAM VIENNA from 1967 to 1971. His experiences from that time were immortalized in his autobiographical booklet 3-2-1-go! This approximately 90-page paperback offers an authentic glimpse into the rally scene of the 1960s and is today considered a rare collector’s item.
In 3-2-1-go!, Roser describes not only the technical and driving challenges of rallying but also the atmosphere and team spirit within BOSCH RACING TEAM VIENNA. His accounts convey the passion and commitment with which he and his teammates approached motorsport. The book serves as a valuable historical document, offering both enthusiasts and historians deep insight into an important era of rallying.
V.INT. 1968 1000 MINUTE RALLY
18-20 OCTOBER1968
1000 MINUTES
RALLY ROMANCE ON AUSTRIAN ASPHALT
The air vibrated, the asphalt steamed — the “1st International Border Rally of the 1000 Minutes” was more than just a race. It was a new chapter in Austrian rallying. With special stages, time pressure, and a true sense of pushing limits, this premiere covered roughly 900 kilometers across the winding roads of Lower Austria, fueled by pure passion and precision.
The name said it all. 998 minutes of target driving — almost 17 hours of nonstop tension.
No wonder it soon earned the reverent nickname “the 1000 Minutes.”
In the thick of it - Walter Roser and his co-driver Loibnegger. In their nimble Alpine A110 1300S,
they practically danced across country roads, dominating the field and holding a clear lead in the overall standings for a long time.
But rallying is not just speed — it’s a game of navigation and fate.
A navigation error, a brief slip off course, a broken windshield — the price: the overall victory.
Yet true rally hearts don’t quit. Despite setbacks, Roser/Loibnegger pressed on with courage and skill, securing 3rd place overall and dominating their class up to 1300cc.
The 1968 1000 Minutes was proof - rallying is no accident. It’s passion, precision and sometimes tragedy. But those who race it write history. Roser did exactly that.
Foto @ TMW
1969 CIRCUIT DEL MUGELLO
TRACK DAY
WHERE PASSION MEETS PERFORMANCE
When history merges with asphalt, magic happens and that’s exactly what occurred when Walter Roser took his Alpine A110 to the legendary Circuito del Mugello.
Not just any drive, not just any day — this was a day of truth. A day of engineering. A day of passion.
Because if you want to coax the last spark of power out of a 1296cc Gordini engine, you need not only courage and experience but also the right address.
CONRERO in Italy — an icon of European motorsport, a temple of fine tuning, power, and character.
Roser knew that performance isn’t bought — it’s earned, felt and lived. So he tested his Berlinette with a keen ear, sensitive hands and razor-sharp instinct on the beautifully demanding curves of the old Mugello circuit.
The photo tells the story. The Alpine, taking a brief breather at the trackside, the engine still warm, tires marked,
body kissed by sunlight.
This isn’t a museum piece — it’s a racing car with soul, ready to conquer the track again.
Foto © Carlo Alberto Gabellieri
3 CITIES RALLY MUNICH - VIENNA - BUDAPEST 1969
03-05 OCTOBER 1969
THE LEGEND OF THE 1969 THREE CITIES RALLY
FASTEST PRIVATEER IN EUROPE
A ride through three worlds, a battle against time and the moment a Viennese driver became Europe’s fastest privateer.
Autumn 1969 was cool, but the air was electric. The Three Cities Rally Munich–Vienna–Budapest was on, a mythical triad of asphalt, dust and glory. That year, the field was packed with big names.
The French factory squad, the Equipe Tricolore, sent titans Jean-Luc Thérier and Jean Vinatier to compete — both behind flawless Alpine A110 1300S cars.
But there was someone else. Walter Roser, the perfume merchant from Vienna, who had long proven he was more than just a gentleman driver. Together with co-driver Leopold Mayer,
he accepted the challenge with his own Berlinette, the very same that Vinatier had raced across Europe.
In a move still puzzling today, Roser changed the original French license plate 4712 GE 76 to 2575 AL 92 — a new code for a new chapter. And that chapter would read like a motorsport fairy tale. From Munich to Vienna and deep into Hungary’s Vértes Mountains, the fight raged on.
Curve after curve, kilometer after kilometer. While Thérier led overall, Roser pushed his Berlinette through special stages like a man possessed — precise, fast, relentless.
Then came Vérteskozma, the legendary 12-kilometer Hungarian stage. Thérier, seemingly invincible, broke his Alpine, ending his rally. And Roser? He flew! For three special stages, he left veteran Jean Vinatier behind.
With every kilometer, his reputation grew, and by the finish line, the talk was no longer just about the factory teams — but the privateer who hunted them like a works driver.
He was celebrated, admired, marveled at. From that day forward, he carried a new title:“The fastest privateer in Europe.”
@ TMW
© Rolf Schmidt
QUEL MALHEUR!
What a drama, what a triumph and what a bitter aftertaste for the Grande Nation!
The 1969 Three Cities Rally, already a fireworks display of emotions, turned in its final minutes into a true motorsport thriller. Jean Vinatier and Claude Roure, the elite duo of the Equipe Tricolore, were on course for victory.
Their Alpine A110 ran like clockwork — precise, fast, superior.
But then came the moment when not the accelerator, but the stamp decided the race.
At the end of a special stage, perhaps out of haste, perhaps over-enthusiasm, Vinatier/Roure stamped too early.
A fatal error in the regulations — two minutes penalty. In rallying, an eternity.
On the other side, Roser/Mayer, the local heroes from Austria, had also made a mistake, but only a one minute penalty.
And so it happened, not the fastest time, but the greatest discipline won the day.
The French team’s protest was swift — heated, loud, fierce. But the rules were merciless, the stamp unforgiving.
The overall victory went to the Alpine country. Walter Roser and Leopold Mayer stood on top —
not by chance, but by skill, endurance, and the little bit of luck every legend needs.
“Quel malheur!” rang out from French throats.
“C’est la course!” they retorted in Vienna.
SHOWTIME
After the celebrated triumph at the legendary 1969 Three Cities Rally Munich–Vienna–Budapest, the car became the shining star of a new stage — Roser’s Alpine A110 1300S was no longer just a race car, it was an icon.
Polished to a shine, still bearing fresh marks of victory on its paint and bodywork, it stood proudly at the Renault stand - the crowd magnet at a sadly undocumented automotive show.
Anyone who entered the stand felt it immediately: this was no exhibit — this was a legend.
Amid elegant lights and gleaming chrome, it drew all eyes. No slogan, no brochure could speak more loudly for the brand than this little white lightning bolt with its mysterious plate change: 2575 AL 92.
It was more than a car. It was a story of gasoline, sweat and glory.
A symbol that even a semi-works driver from Vienna could beat the great names of France —
and that a Berlinette could be more than a race car — it was a statement. The stage belonged to her.
VI. INT. 1969 1000 MINUTE RALLY
16-18 OKTOBER 1969
AUSTRIAS MOST DEMANDING RALLY
It was brutally fast, relentlessly long, and not for the faint-hearted — the “Rally of the 1000 Minutes” was Austria’s toughest test on asphalt and gravel.
Not a Sunday stroll, but a merciless dance through the night, over 900 kilometers of pure rally essence. Anyone wanting to survive here had to give their all. Mind, skill and courage.
KING OF COOL
And right in the middle of it all - Walter Roser, a gentleman with rally genes. The scent of gasoline mingled with a hint of perfume — no surprise, since Roser was a perfume salesman by trade.
But what really set him apart was style. In Parc Fermé, he strolled in a fine suit, casually lighting a cigarette, wearing dark sunglasses, as if Steve McQueen had adopted a Berlinette.
In front of him stood his weapon, the legendary Alpine A110 1300S, once bearing the license plate 4712 GE 76, now running as 2575 AL 92 — the French charm remained, the plate a mystery. The Berlinette that had carried Jean Vinatier to victory was now Roser’s faithful companion in the wildness of the Alpine stages.
And how she flies! Sleek, nervous, fast — with Roser at the wheel, the Berlinette became an extension of his will. Every drift, every braking point, every second counted. Yet he remained cool, undeterred, focused.
A gentleman in a battle suit. A champion with style. A king of the corners — the King of Cool.
© TMW
VII. INT. RALLY OF 1000 MINUTES 1970
16–18 OCTOBER 1970
DRIVER CHANGE — AN ERA IN TRANSITION
DRIVER CHANGE — AN ERA IN TRANSITION
The “Rally of the 1000 Minutes” was more than just a round of the European Championship, it was a myth on wheels, a trial by fire for man and machine. To survive here, heart and mind had to beat as one. The seventh edition in 1970 promised once again speed, drama, and legend-making. And in the middle of it all, a change of chapter.
Georg Koltay, a talented man with petrol in his veins, took the wheel of that Berlinette which had once shaken up the rally world as 4712 GE 76. The camera captured him, concentrated, focused, ready to continue writing history. No easy task, as this car bore the legacy of Vinatier and Roser, carried victories, dramas and fame.
But Koltay wasn’t alone. Two other Austrian rally pros took their turns behind the tight cockpit of this Alpine — each with their own ambitions, each with their own story. Some chapters ended in success, others were lost in the dust of special stages. But all shared respect for the machine and what it represented.
Because this Berlinette was more than just fiberglass, metal and a Gordini engine. It was a piece of living rally history. A drivable legacy. And though it soon passed into the hands of ambitious amateur drivers, its spirit remained unbroken.
One car. One era. And drivers who came and went — but never without leaving their mark.
© TMW
PRIVATEERS
Following Walter Roser’s shining successes in the 1968 and 1969 seasons, he exchanged the legendary 4712GE76
for a stronger Alpine A110 1600S — but this marked a new chapter for the 1300S. The delicate, agile rally beast
came into the hands of Austrian privateer Josef Barbach.
With equal passion and skill, Barbach piloted the Berlinette through the twisty Alpine roads, where it showed all its agility and unmistakable character.
He wrote his own stories, chased every second, felt the heart of the Gordini engine in every curve.
The picture shows him proudly standing next to a well-earned trophy — a silent testament to his successes and deep bond with this extraordinary rally car. In the background, the portrait of his faithful companion, the 1300S,
which gave him unforgettable moments on the road.
Here, driver and machine merge into one — more than just sport, it is pure passion alive in the asphalt and in rally history.
Josef Barbach! Ex-1300S Pilot.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
TEST OF PATIENCE
AUGUST 2005
A picture of misery was the once proud factory Alpine when it was registered for public road use in Vienna — severely damaged, marked by time and fate. For this unique Berlinette, it seemed like the end. An uncertain existence in the Alpine region, far from glory and racetracks, was looming.
The car passed through the hands of at least half a dozen enthusiasts, but none dared to take on restoration. Hope seemed lost and the Alpine’s story threatened to sink into dust and neglect.
But in August 2005, the tide turned. After years of visits during my summer holidays in Austria,
a friendship developed between me and the then-owner. He entrusted me with Walter Roser’s precious ex-Alpine — convinced that I would breathe new life into it.
Thus began the great test of patience, an act of love and faith in the rebirth of a legend.
A promise not only to restore this Berlinette but to bring it back to shine — as if it had never fallen.
BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS
PAINT JOB
JANUARY 2008
SPRAY & PRAY
Authentic restoration of a Berlinette is no ordinary workshop job, it is an art form.
It requires far more than craftsmanship and technical knowledge.
It demands deep understanding of the evolution of this unique vehicle, especially in its competition-proven version. Racing Berlinettes differ in countless details from their civilian sisters, often so subtle they are nowhere to be found in manuals or restoration guides.
Almost three years passed, marked by euphoric highs and moments of deep doubt, until the body was finally ready for paint. Hours upon hours of pure sanding, every millimeter shaped, felt, refined by hand. Every contour, every line,
every radius had to be perfect.
Professional painting was an absolute must. Nothing would be more tragic than undoing all that preparation with a careless coat of paint. Expectations were high, pressure immense. Yet despite planning, precision, and perfection,
the moment the spray gun first touches the polyester body remains one of hope and anxiety.
Spray & Pray. Because now it is decided whether months of dedication culminate in a flawless finish,
or end in disappointment.
It is that narrow line between risk and reward, between technique and emotion, that makes painting perhaps the most magical moment of any restoration.
REASSEMBLY
APRIL 2010
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
The big moment had arrived, the assembly. But anyone who thinks it’s just a matter of fitting parts together is greatly mistaken. The final assembly is an act of utmost precision and the ultimate proof of how much passion and perfection this restoration embodies.
Even before painting, every attached part was precisely adjusted, every drill hole perfectly positioned, every gap refined, every door and hood meticulously aligned.
Now, in this crucial phase, nothing was left to chance.
Restoring harmonious panel gaps, exact light edges and symmetrical transitions consumed countless hours, but it was worth it. Because this is exactly where it’s decided whether a vehicle has been merely restored, or reborn.
Every single part, from the headlight glass to the fuel flap, was inspected, refurbished and brought to shine. Even seemingly trivial components like the magnets of the fuel flap were not cheaply replaced but tracked down with painstaking care and dedication at the original manufacturer in France, for a result that breathes authenticity.
In the end, it is this uncompromising attention to every detail that makes a restoration not just good, but exceptional.
POWERTRAIN
“LE SORCIER” — THE SORCERER LIVES
When you lay eyes on a ready-to-install 1296 cc GORDINI racing engine with around 135 hp, the heart of any
lover of French engineering begins to beat faster. It’s not just a unit, it’s a mechanical manifesto telling the story of Amédée Gordini’s genius.
The legendary “Sorcerer” — as all of France reverently called him — breathed fire into ordinary Renault engines,
turning them into unbeatable fighters on Europe’s rally stages. And this engine here? It carries its legacy in every bolt, every part, every metallic pulse.
The specially made pulley on the crankshaft, originally designed for the chassis-side-mounted alternator drive,
is a technical relic and at the same time a work of art.
Details like this tell the story of the brilliance that set Gordini engines apart from others.
Unmissable is the hand-welded oil pan with integrated cooling fins, an unmistakable feature of the era when performance was everything. The race exhaust without a muffler is not provocation,
but a statement — to freedom, power and authenticity.
And then there is that sound. That metallic growl coming from deep within the cast iron —
raw, honest, electrifying. The sound of a Gordini engine is no mere noise, it’s music.
Music that doesn’t come from a speaker but from the depths of the mechanics. Music that awakens memories
and drives dreams.
The “Sorcerer” may no longer walk among us. But with every spark it lives on. In engines like this.
In Berlinettes like this. In moments that breathe history.
BACK ON TRACK
LIGHT & SHADOW
OKTOBER 2010
AUTUMN CHAMELEON
It is that magical moment of the year when summer says goodbye, forests are bathed in gold and the light stretches long and warm across the asphalt. The sun hangs low, the play of light and shadow flickers like a memory — fleeting, yet full of life. Amidst this melancholic beauty, it glides — No. 8.
Like a myth on wheels, it returns — not as a museum piece but as a living legend. Its second spring is no accident but the result of years of dedication, meticulousness and love of detail. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, it shows itself as it was in 1968 when it made rally history in Czechoslovakia, in the full glory of its Vltava victory, with all the original factory options it was once equipped with.
And although its livery is clear, its presence understated — there is a quiet pride in this simplicity. Nothing too much, nothing too little. The shapes flow, the details whisper stories only those willing to look closely can hear. In the world of the Alpine A110 1300S, restraint is not weakness but the highest form of elegance.
This Berlinette doesn’t speak — it sings. Of glorious days, of petrol and dust, of precision and passion. And on a golden October day in 2010, it tells us what it means to carry light after so much shadow.
GET OUT AND DRIVE
FLAT OUT
OCTOBER 2010
LET`S DRIFT AGAIN
Autumn is in the air — cool, clear, promising. The road is dry, the steering wheel firm in hand, the seatbelt snug across the shoulder. And then, ignition, a guttural bark — the 1296cc Gordini awakens. What follows is no joyride, it’s a revelation.
Barely warmed up, the Berlinette shows what it was built for. Light, compact, low — a knife through butter. The tuned racing engine willingly revs to the red, the gas pedal becomes a brush painting curves into masterpieces.
Then the moment, a quick flick of the wheel, gas — drift. The rear breaks loose, controlled, willing, as if it had only waited for this dance. A slight countersteer and it’s perfectly sideways, textbook style. No wild struggle, but flowing motion — precision, feeling, balance.
Insiders know that among all Alpine A110 variants, it is the 1300S with the tuned Gordini heart that speaks most directly to the soul. No excessive weight, no unnecessary force — just pure, unfiltered driving joy.
The drift is not a loss of control. It’s control at its finest. And so it dances through autumn, light-footed, hungry, confident. A revival of old days, a departure into new adventures.
Let’s drift again — as if it never stopped.
Car In Detail
DÉJÀ-VU
OKTOBER 2010
FLASHBACK
What would Jean Vinatier say today, seeing his former rally companion?
Would he recognize her — this small, light blue fighter with distinctive curves and unmistakable gaze? Would he remember the steering wheel he gripped tight on that legendary summer night in 1968 in South Bohemia, as he flew through the winding band near Pisek, driven by ambition, petrol, and the will to win?
Probably not. To Vinatier back then, she was a tool. A weapon. A precision instrument to pulverize stage times and leave opponents behind.
It wasn’t about aesthetics but the stopwatch. No room for sentimentality, rallying meant fighting.
But today, in the golden October light, she is more than that — a witness of time, a sculpture on wheels. The sharpness of past days has been replaced by dignity, her scars no longer visible, but her story remains palpable. Every detail tells of triumph, tragedy, technology and the untamed passion it took to bring her back from oblivion.
The Berlinette has arrived. No longer just a racing machine — but an icon.
And maybe, just maybe, Vinatier would remain silent at the sight of her today. Smile… and nod briefly.
FOREVER
MOMENT INVITATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018
I-PHONE ONLY
Sometimes it’s the craziest ideas that make the biggest impact.
A full-length film shot entirely on an iPhone? Why not.
Filmmaker and creative free spirit David zu Elfe had the vision — clear, uncompromising, poetic. What followed was a wild race against time, only a few days passed between the first idea and the final execution. The deadline for the Moment Invitational Film Festival was mercilessly closing in.
It was February. Ice rain lashed the country roads, snow swept through the forests, and right in the middle of it all was this Berlinette, the protagonist of a story that goes beyond what can be seen.
“FOREVER” — more than a film. A love letter. To shapes, to sound, to motion. To what remains when the roar of engines has long faded away.
The judges loved it. The audience felt it. And us? We knew - some things are simply forever.
...and the winner was:
// a film by DAVID ZU ELFE (https://instagram.com/davidzuelfe/)
// recording, sound design & score by PHILIPP STEPHAN(https://instagram.com/deafbirdsound/)
// voiced by RICK WHELAN (https://www.fiverr.com/heresricky)
// poem by PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR (1872 - 1906)
// car provided by JUERGEN CLAUSS / ALPINELAB.DE
