The strange product from a Transalpine marriage

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We told you before that French auctioneers sometimes have an unusual un-French offering. It goes once more for Osenat, who are selling a number of classic cars next weekend. The car above is among them. Nothing unusual with a Renault Dauphine in France, you think? Think again, as this is in fact an Alfa Romeo.

The story of this unlikely model starts with the idea of assembling Renaults in Portello, Italy. Now, you may well know that the French are known for their chauvinism, but how about the Italians? Would they buy a humble Renault model when there is a plethora of Fiat models and quite a lot more available? They wouldn’t. And so came the plan to manufacture and sell the Daupine in Italy, took a strange turning by rebadging the car as the Alfa Romeo Dauphine. And as the slightly more upmarket Alfa Romeo Ondine, which is seen here offered for sale by Osenat. Did the French like the idea? Probably not. But in return the network of Renault dealers were now allowed to distributed Alfa Romeos. That seemed a clever deal, but was it? That’;s the question as the ‘transalpine marriage’ between Renault and Alfa-Romeo didn’t last long. It ended in 1965 after they also built the R4 for a short while…

Some 2,000 Ondines are believed to have been built. Oh, it did differ slightly from the Renault version, say the Italians. It was more luxurious and came with a four-speed gearbox. Hey, and it came with Magneti-Marelli 12-volt electrics, different lights and of course Alfa Romeo badging. Alfa tried it again two decades later. And again it ended in tears…

(Words editor, pictures Osenat) 

 

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