Ahead of the global unveil of Renault’s eagerly-anticipated new Alpine that will go on sale this year, Alpine aficionados and automotive aesthetes alike had the opportunity to either discover or rediscover some of the most iconic models ever to have sported the famous arrowed ‘A’ badge.

Various Alpine models were showcased at the 42nd edition of Retromobile at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris.

These models included the Alpine A106 which, launched back in 1955, was the very first Alpine. This model exhibited the unmistakable hallmarks that would go on to characterise all of the Dieppe-based manufacturer’s future models.

A few years later, Jean Rédélé recognised that his fledgling business would only be able to survive and thrive with a wider commercial offering. He resolved to extend the Alpine range with the introduction of a cabriolet and a coupé.

He duly tasked Giovanni Michelotti with penning an elegant and sophisticated cabriolet, playing to the key strengths of the prolific Italian designer. The prototype was ready for inspection at the beginning of 1957 in the Allemano bodyshop in Turin, where it had been built. Immediately won over, Rédélé decided to manufacture it in Dieppe.

The following year, the A106 cabriolet evolved by incorporating mechanical parts from the Dauphine, and then again in 1959 when the famous beams and backbone chassis and a hard top welded to the body transformed it into the coupé sport.

Other models on show in Paris included the Apline Berlinette, A310, GTA and A610.