This Renault-Alpine A442 is said to have won Le Mans in 1978 and could be worth up to five million euros. It will be auctioned in November.
It should be worth up to five million euros: One of only four Renault-Alpine A442s built is waiting for a new owner in Le Castellet. The Le Mans racer will go under the hammer at the RM Sothebys auction in Le Castellet on November 19, 2021. A legend has grown up around the history of this former works racing car with chassis number “442 2”: It is said to be the winning car in the 1978 Le Mans 24-hour race, Renault’s only overall victory on the Sarthe.
Is that the Le Mans winning car?
At least that is what the expert Pierre Abeillon claims. The Frenchman relies on his detailed research, which he has recorded in extensive documentation. For 20 years he examined all four cars and compared their characteristics with photos from the 1970s. An important indicator for him are the rivets with which the corresponding chassis plate is attached to an aluminum sheet in front of the pedals. In the A442 that is now on offer, they correspond exactly to those on the historical images of the Le Mans winning car.
The look of the Renault Alpine now on offer also supports this point of view. An unrestored long-tail body with the start number 2 and the logos of the drivers on both sides below the cockpit opening is mounted. Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud won the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. The body also shows another detail of the winning car with the transparent cockpit hood. This cover, which improved the A442’s airflow, was only used by the overall winners Pironi / Jaussaud.
Or not?
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However, Renault continues to oppose that the sister car with the chassis number “442 3” is the winning car. This A442 belongs to the group’s factory collection. It has a unique identifier, namely the bracket welded to the chassis for the race to attach the plastic pulpit above the cockpit. Only the winning car and the A443 used as a sister car had this detail, the manufacturer’s main argument.
The A442 B from the factory collection has been used several times at classic events such as the Le Mans Classic (2016 with ex-works driver Jean Ragnotti and Renault boss Carlos Tavares) or the Goodwood Festival of Speed. According to the manufacturer’s presentation, Jean-Pierre Jarier and Derek Bell (start number 3) drove in Le Mans 1978 with the chassis number 2 now offered at auction.
The only A 442 in private ownership
Peter Singhof / RM Sotheby’s
Keyword: Renault-Alpine A442 (1976): Le Mans car for 5 million