Vintage Car | Chrysler Alpine | Drive in | 1976

'Drive in' reporter Peter Hughes Puts the Chrysler Alpine through its paces
First shown: 30/03/1976
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Quote: VT13437

[@Vics251]

I was working in a Chrysler dealership at the time. It’s true the engines did rattle a lot, but they never fell apart. We never replaced an engine in the ten years I was there. The real weak spot was the gearbox, we were always rebuilding them.

[@Jonathansyoutube]

I had a talbot Solara, and it did rattle with the tappets. Eventually had them adjusted and the rattling came back after two weeks. The engine was incredibly reliable though.

[@stephenconway2468]

I had a Horizon and the gearbox taught a lot about double declutching

[@stuartwilkie4887]

I've always wondered Vic - and you seem to be the one to ask. Why did they make that rattling sound? And what could you realistically do to cure it? I believe they were OHV units with push rods for the valves - something to do with the set up of those? Looking at the car here. The paint and panels of the car are very straight and free of imperfection. Shame they rusted so quickly....

[@andrewknight6853]

the engines were very noisy as you say but i never had any problems with them, i am surprised about the gearboxes you mentioned, because we didn't have any problems with them ether, it was rust that seemed to be the real problem with these cars!

[@rob5944]

I'd welcome a breakdown for a little peace and quiet!

[@kingfisherautomotif9884]

I love the way the bumpers are 'pre-faded' from the factory ;-)

[@darenliddle4411]

ye complete with rust

[@herrfister1477]

Agreed. Disgusting.

[@McVaio]

​@@darenliddle4411Plastic can't rust.

[@bogfinken]

Oh the rattling sound of the engine brings back memories of these automobiles.. My parents had a well abused copy, very soft comfortable sofa seats, very noisy engine and a rumbling exhast sound, crazy body roll and the gearbox was just terrible! But the tin-worms just loved the all of the body panels unconditionally!

[@RayQuenched]

Just in case anyone is interested, this was filmed at what would have at the time been called the Road Research Laboratory in Crowthorne, Berkshire, more recently known as TRL. Sadly this great test track was recently bulldozed to make way for housing.

[@BillCarrIpswich]

Much like most of our industrial heritage. There is going to be plenty of places to put people in Britain, just not a lot for those people to do.

[@TheAllyMor]

Great shame....

[@gerrywatson261]

Yeah - that figures! I heard same thing going to happen to the airfield Top Gear use.

[@64bakes]

@InfiniteMushroom the majority of new housing is for middle class residents, not "Muslims" or "immigrants". Where on earth did you get that idea from? The fact that the housing proposals have been planned and put forward by Legal & General for "downsizers, young professionals and families" says a lot. Oh and by the way, the development includes plans for a care home too.

[@660einzylinder]

I think they used the track in an episode of Morse about a murderous driving instructor.

[@nicnak4475]

Great value cars second hand to buy in auction at the time and always sold fast , engine rattled if not serviced correctly but were very strong , very spacious , was a time when the car trade was fun .

[@CaptHollister]

It's always good to be reminded that before Volvo and some Japanese brands offered them, rear wipers on hatchbacks and wagons were not considered normal equipment even on mid-range cars.

[@harrydawes6188]

I remember working in a talbot dealership in 79 ,the Alpine sunseeker looked great in white with black decals and alloys,quite sporty and went well.

[@davidmorland4046]

My Dad owned the Talbot Alpine & drove many thousands of miles in it each year the only replacement part it needed other than normal servicing was a waterpump it was TOTALLY RELIABLE and very economical they were very underrated cars.

[@theobster]

We had a yellow one, 1300, engine sounded like a bag of spanners but it was completely reliable, the only thing I remember being replaced was the clutch and front wheel bearings. As a child I remember it being big and comfy, it used to swallow all our camping equipment easily. It was written off after a truck smacked into the drivers side front wheel and literally pushed the engine 6 inches to the left, It was trailered home and somehow managed to drive under it’s own steam onto the scrappers lorry! I remember my mum crying as it drove away, she loved that car!

[@simongood3]

I had one of these after I passed my test in 1987 me and my dad were doing something to the exhaust one, day as we banged something the headlight fell out and smashed ,I was fuming but my dad was crying with laughter. It was just a deathtrap rustbox...but aaah the great memories 🤣

[@MX-Mug]

Rebadged to Talbot in the late seventies, I have a picture of me with my mates brand new V reg in tango orange!

[@vychodny]

and AZLK Aleko in USSR

[@trefod]

All hail the valve clatter. They sounded distinctive that's for sure.

[@alfamonk]

those bumpers! i remember hearing theses rattling around in the 80s

[@amigachris]

ancient engine sounded like a bag of nails.

[@craigstaggs8597]

True but you can't break them !

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

I had two for my first two cars , simca engine rattled its t*ts off , rusted with enthusiasm , must have worn out three MIG welders in total but could not kill it , even as my first cars . great for shagging in also . fits one petite redhead in the back nicely.

[@richards9407]

:) :) :)

[@darrenwilson8042]

one petite readhead endorses this message - ha ha ha ha ha

[@johnparkinson881]

i had one for my first car too (pvh657t) was ok i guess but i soon upgraded to a ital 1.7 in jps black n gold lurrvly

[@davidfarmer2049]

A little bit too much information there, mate.

[@garyrothwell1914]

is the redhead still going?

[@MarkAtkin]

That's filmed at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) in Crowthorne, Berkshire. Its now been privatised, and is TRL limited.

[@BANAANISOSE1789]

I LIKE IT AND THE CARS FROM THAT ERA

[@jackdaw339]

I always liked this car.Love the way the engine sounds too.

[@volvo480]

I remember those as a Chrysler-Simca 1307/1308 and their subsequent Talbot versions on the Dutch roads, they were everywhere because they were relatively cheap. I say relatively because like most cars of the seventies they were rusting really, really badly (bad steel, poor corrosion protection), I remember a newspaper article that calculated the average lifespan of a Simca to just 8 years. The engines sounded like a typewriter but went on forever. Of the tens of thousands sold in the late seventies, less than 20 are roadworthy today.

[@derekevans8266]

I had one of these for a couple of years around 1976 but it was badged as a sunbeam. It was quite reliable I only remember one problem the oil pressure light would flicker on on tick over. I dropped the sump changed the oil pump one night it was fine after that. The gearchange was awful though. I bought it second hand and found that when I went over about 50mph on the motorway the whole car started to shake violently, I took it back and the garage they did all the checks but couldn't find the problem. It had one of those insurance warranties I think it was called silver shield so I took it into the main agents in Leigh, the engineer put it up on the ramps and said straight away that one of the drive shafts needed changing. Apparently there was a fault with the drive shafts they were out of balance when they were new and it should have been recalled and replaced. It was replaced under warranty and it was fine after that. Nice car but noisy.

[@marcushmp]

I had one of these as my first car, it was the 'S', not what I would describe as sporting.

[@johnstairs]

Agree I worked for Leyland at the time of the Triumph Acclaim launch,yes it was a re badged Honda Ballard but was streets ahead of the Maxi and Maestro just needed to be a five door.

[@hutchie5972]

I had one just like this. Drove beautifully and was ideal for the five of us except for - bits fell off and it rusted in front of your eyes. I traded it in for a Talbot Alpine. The body was perfect but the engine blew up.

[@andrewclark891]

Proper sensible motor journalism, rather than the later top gear rubbish, though the early top gear season s properly reviewed cars

[@RETROCAM73]

These Drive in programs are really good you need to show the whole program I love the older cars 1976 I was 3 😊

[@garydunn3037]

In 76 I was 18 and my father sold these, amongst others for a living. MostEuropean cars of that era looked really drab. We used to go to car Auctions and I much preferred the look of many of the American cars of that era, if only they had made them a bit smaller for our roads. Loved the little Mustang 11 as used in Charlie's Angels, it was the size of a MK4 Cortina,but looked far better,

[@Trinavara]

We had this car in Trinidad when I was a kid in the 80's,it was a nightmare apparently,even kids knew that,seems like it had potential though..keep em coming!

[@stuartwilkie4887]

Trinidad! I bet it was a rare car over there! Were there any others?

[@phil955i]

Pre sun-faded bumpers ;-)

[@TherymasterWidnes]

Jeez, Mr Hughes is thrashing this heap to within an inch of its life!

[@area51isreal71]

Here in Australia, Chrysler were looking to replace the Centura (Chrysler 180) and they had an Alpine here for evaluation. Apparently the engineers loved it but it was ruled out because of costs and memories of the nightmares of trying to assemble the French sourced Centura properly. They went with the Mitsubishi Galant instead, called it a Sigma and sold every one they could assemble.....and then some.

[@seanoconnor6832]

area51isreal m

[@vintagecarnews5899]

super video

[@ainsleystones4600]

I had two in the mid 90s. I liked them!

[@nwoerad3806]

Good description of a dirtbox.

[@TedCornish]

I had one of those with the vinal roof, broken synchro between 2nd and 3rd gear, ahh double de clutch happy days. Great car though

[@userwl2850]

1.30-140 excellent gearbox and engine???? 🤤 they rattled like a can of marbles and almost impossible to change into 3rd gear without a crunch.

[@richards9407]

Ah but they were ok when they were new, for about 2 weeks.....

[@Phaidrus]

lol

[@grahamariss2111]

I had several, Simca box was a little slow and could balk when engaging 1st, I never felt it crunch on the down changes, certainly as good as the maxi or Renault fwd boxes of the time.

[@Phaidrus]

Well, a certain degree of manhandling was required for proper gear shifting.

[@alunevans2002]

Christ

[@maxflight777]

Stunning car. 1442CC but ….out performed a lot of Ford/Vauxhall 2.0 cars. I thrashed my fathers Alpine round the roads of Warwickshire….understeer was the order of the day, but it did grip as it rolled. Happy days. PS I didn’t know they were built in France, i thought they were all assembled at Ryton.

[@WhiteBlueFlag]

The same car as Talbot was assembled in the early 1980's in Finland, they made 14047 of Talbot Solara (sedan) and 1510 (hatchback) models. Even an experiment with e-Talbot was made. I remember driving it was nice but the 1.3 engine was nothing special, it had to replaced because the very car had been rust-protected and lasted "too" long for the specs.

[@caribbeancarchannel2]

My father had the similar Simca 1510. it was a very modern car, looking like an aircraft inside. Other brands like Audi havent been on that high interiour level...

[@Grant0610]

God, I Rembrandt when these were out! Makes me feel ancient!

[@RoadCone411]

I think your spell checker needs to Van Gogh

[@syxepop]

I don't think it was a bad spell checker... It is more difficult to spell the painter's last name than what he wanted to "remember". But you goi it, it was Van Gogh'd.

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

don’t be so Picasso you all!

[@brianfearn4246]

You aged at least 10 years after driving a alpine 10 yards .

[@Dan-uy1dh]

My dad had this car in Ethiopia there were only 3 of them, some 35 years ago when I was a little boy. The front windows was electric & I used to annoy him by winding it up & down good old days!!!

[@johnstairs]

Nice brown flares!

[@hjp1hjp22]

There are no more than 40 Chrysler Alpine hatchbacks and the later Talbot badged Alpines from 1980 including the saloon version called Solara still running in Britain today.

[@Glenn1967ful]

They came good when they were given a Peugeot five speed transmission that cut a lot of the engine noise and had a nicer gearchange. My parents had three Alpines and had few reliability issues with them, but we had to regularly check them for rust and have them undersealed every year. Must have liked them as they kept buying them until the Talbot name was dropped.

[@cyborgbadger1015]

my dad had an orange one with brown bumpers and tinted windows n stripes.

[@zzhughesd]

OMG we get it good. Was -1 when this program launched

[@howellstevens9622]

Neatly styled,but that engine & white bumpers!

[@sauluribe7082]

Looks like a Volkswagen Passat chassis. In the states it was called "Dasher" the Volkswagen that is.

[@2Truth2you]

Great cars with good performance, brilliant roadholding and chic appeal. My mechanic said the Lamborghini Countach was based on this car. Just shows how advanced it was at the time. I was lucky enough to borrow one from the neighbours garage when I was at school 1978. I got done for joyriding after some idiot pulled out in front of me when I was doing 95 mph on a back lane. No time to stop and both cars totalled. I would've had it back in their garage in 10 mins without them knowing I even borrowed it.

[@coyote5735]

Got in much trouble, did we?

[@marks6663]

The Countach debuted at the 1971 Geneva auto show. Way before this car.

[@davidfarmer2049]

well they certainly knew in this case didn't they

[@mikemartin2957]

​@@marks6663the Simca 1100 on which the Alpine was based on was launched in 1967 so it could well be so , these Simca models also tended to be based on Fiats , so the Lambo connection could be right. Designers who worked on cars then before computers were commonplace in design & cost analysis often started off on ordinary machinery &on to more exotic cars later!

[@kengreenwood7583]

I had one of these and put twin 36dnf weber carbs on it, manifold from a simca rally car.

[@georgeb7332]

My dad - who had appalling judgement/taste with cars (he had a dreadful Morris Ital before this) - bought one of these just as I was leaning to drive. It was a honking pile of badly-made garbage. It was in the garage more than on the road. On one memorable occasion a wheel rolled by the passenger window. It was the rear wheel, which had decided to leave the vehicle. It had more sense than my father.

[@lunes-1]

Great video,keep it up!₩13

[@philhealey449]

I had the misfortune as a junior engineer in 1984 to be teamed up with a Plymouth lawnmower dealer to drive in his Alpine to an agricultural show in Windsor. He quickly executed a cunning plan for "sharing the driving" by sitting in the back and reading his newspaper after the first 40 miles, causing long-lasting seething resentment on my part. His idea of a chauffer driven limousine was however perhaps detached from the reality of his raucous clattering undergeared Alpine. He did admit at the end of the trip that he had made it out of two salvaged crashed cars, but I think that made little difference to its refinement.

[@marksmith-lp3mu]

my brother had a 1.6gls in early 90s had a twin choke carb trip computer electric windows alloys etc and no tailgate as rotted away, lots of plating to make the tailgate usable,, pretty nippy in the day

[@80sfordman]

He forgot to mention the front parking sensors in his review 😂

[@shanehnorman]

A friend had one and described it as "not so much a car as 20,000 spare parts in close flying formation". And, btw, 'vintage' means refers only to cars built between 1918 and 1930.

[@coyote5735]

That description describes nearly every car of that era. Rust, rust and more rust and people kind of accepted it.

[@richardparkin4930]

Great alternative to Leyland offerings. Unfortunately. Loved this era for cars….in fact loved the era. Was Tony Bastable ever really replaced. His presentations were top class and down to earth. Happy days.

[@morrismckinnon6047]

Tailgates rusted on these like nothing I've ever seen before! I went to open the hatch on my mates car in the 1990's and the bottom part lifted with a crispy crunch but the frame and glass stayed down! Good cars, bad quality metal.

[@richardrichard5409]

Well, to be fair, it could of been over 20 years old by then😉

[@alanoconnor6921]

Luckily enough Morris marinas all came with a complimentary bus timetable,

[@WillyKidd]

Are we sure this isn't Richard Hudson-Evans reporting in this episode? Thanks for sharing, ThamesTV

[@sanderdejong66]

In The Netherlands, this type was called Chrysler 1307.

[@nlpnt]

That late '70s mint green metallic - I swear I saw the same color on dozens of Volares back in the day - is just screaming for a matching green interior instead of the test car's dull gray one.

[@Larryloafer488]

It was a sad car, however, the presenters coat is still mint

[@notroll1279]

That's best of British in the 1970s: Happily testing a thouroughly cheesy car - and finally bringing up the main criticism that it isn't actually that British at all. Aaarrghh….

[@thedr.feelgood]

We had one , when I was a kid. WTD 411T

[@whodeanimania712]

i had on in red BET 469T.. Ls 1440cc got it in 1985 (paid £995..died in 1989....was my first car.. quite big as i remember..twin webber,nippy.. but rust was faster,and engine cracked,due to an oil leak

[@daciamcv1026]

had one of these in orange could always find it in a car park,

[@stupossibleify]

Well, I'm sold.

[@Naughtybaz]

Look at that then, lovely roads.

[@matthays716]

In 2018 there only 5 left in the uk

[@mindoza44]

I PICKED an r reg alpine up at chester motor auctions for £40 in the early 80s. sounded like you were driving an old cine projector we called it odeon . what a shed it was, scrapped it in temper when the o/s/f brake disc sheared off nearly killing us. junk..

[@leonshackleford9585]

I ❤the Chrysler Talbot Alpine in Grasshopper Green & Navy Greens

[@delewan]

I'd still wager a bet to say it's the best Chrysler product yet.

[@vicfulcher9834]

When did you last see one of these

[@video99couk]

It was a much more advanced car than the Avenger but nothing like as much fun to drive.

[@sporkfindus4777]

I forget his name, but I thought the usual guy had a cold until 3/4s in and realised it was a different presenter

[@fatbhoy2002]

Look at how parched the landscape looks. 1976 enjoyed a very hot and dry summer in the UK and here in Ireland; it looks like it's been filmed in Spain or something.

[@camiloernestohernandezrinc7823]

Assambled and sold in Colombia by Chrysler-Colmotores between 1978 and 1981, under the name DODGE ALPINE. with CKD material from Spain. There was a taxi version called "Eurotaxi" that sponsored a popular film from 1979 called "The millionaire taxi driver" (El Taxista Millonario)

[@stephenbedworth3404]

Had five of these noisy rattly engine head gasket problems but generally reliable, never had one where the heater worked properly !!!!!!!!

[@captainaverage721]

Any ideas where this was filmed an absolute lack of any other vehicles here. Wondering if its a part of Millbrook proving ground??

[@LH-cj6ll]

The chrome around the central dashboard has already melt lol

[@MrBrianc1975]

I always thought those bumpers were sun faded to that horrible grey colour. I didn't realise they were like that from new!

[@saxongreen78]

(It didn't quite replace the Hunter, though...it was continued in production for a few more years.)

[@judethaddaeus9742]

…until the Solara replaced it. Sadly, not the Hunter estate version, though. That wasn’t replaced.

[@fasthracing]

European car of the year I believe

[@mindoza44]

overhead carmsharft (his pronounciation not mine) . never ohc. rattly auld school pushrodder. 11

[@mikemartin2957]

Aye , he dropped a Clanger there! It remained a push rod unit well into the late 80s & 90s when Peugeot used it in the smaller engined 309.

[@daveslife9486]

Lol they ticked like a clock from the factory, good old GB yester year😍

[@bangtwister]

Tappets need adjusting, I still have the special tool as well!

[@bigvinny333]

I adjusted the tappets on mine with the door key. They key ring slot fitted perfectly over the slightly rectangular valve adjuster top allowing for a spanner on the securing nut.

[@k.m.4611]

now it's clear what the Moskvich 2141 was cloned from...

[@kyle8952]

Wasn't much of a clone. Soviet auto minister walked in with a blurry photo of one, said "build me one like that" and walked right back out. Biggest shared part between them is the lightbulbs.

[@benwilliams6081]

I had noticed 5he resemblance...

[@frazzleface753]

Looks a very modern car for 1976

[@warrencumming2267]

Not seen one of these for decades but I can still hear the awful wheezy, rattley racket from the engine lol

[@danmccarthy4700]

Did anyone else wince at the sound the car made while stopping?

[@Sww1975]

What happened to the bumpers??

[@hughwaddell5772]

It is still a British car to an extent it’s a descendent of the Rootes group! Which originated in Coventry! And operated in Coventry until 2007! Except where they built in France not Coventry?!

[@oliveroneill1388]

That wheel sqeek. Says it all

[@johnnytenjobs]

I never drove one. Remember the rattles though.

[@oliveroneill1388]

is that angus deaton , on the vox,

[@lazer5582]

I had a booted model,noisy engine but a very reliable car,cant complain really as it only cost me £150.

[@englishrob8245]

I’ve just watched a Ford Cortina Mk IV film which came out the same year as the Chrysler Alpine you’d think that Cortina Mk IV would get it’s ass kicked by this car with the Cortina being an outdated saloon model. And the strike ridden 70’s affecting both factories. But the Cortina Mk IV sold more models in fact over four as much as the Alpine. The raspy sound of the engine (it was quieter in the Cortina Mk IV) and the dodgy gearbox was two of the reasons. Yet France the French version the Simca 1308/1309 sold more than the Cortina Mk IV. The French must be more patriotic than the British.

[@gunnarkvinlaug7226]

Replaced by the Peugeot 309 in 1985!

[@speedmachine69]

Have a word with his trousers!

[@1hugeturdsundae]

1976; I can picture Benny Hill in one of these cars with all the strippers, nurses, cops, the voyeuristic perverts in the tree outfits, the little old guy he always speed-slapped across the head, and many others he pissed off in about a 20 second time frame, running behind the car, chasing after him. Hill, driving the car, and the very long line of people after him, are zigzagging on the road, peoples yards, through their house etc. in high speed motion with 'Yakety Sax' playing in an up-speed tempo: "Du du dudu du du du du, dududu du du dudu du du dudu dudu du du dudududu du du du dudu du du, du du du dudu du du dudu du dudu dudu du du du dududu du du dudu, dudu du du du du dudu du du du du du du du du dudu du du du du dudududu."

[@davidgibson4840]

had one... rolled it due to faulty brakes.. drove it to work then home after the crash. so tough

[@jamesfrench7299]

Very different offering to Chrysler Australia at the time. I understand you Brits got a few of our Chrysler by Chrysler luxury large sedans. I saw one used in an episode of The Sweeney.

[@coyote5735]

The Sweeney and the Ford Granada.........................you're fucking nicked son, very un PC; when men were men.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Loved the tan Granada.

[@owenlewis8006]

In the 70s They did attempt to sell Australian cars here in the U.K, also some American models too, but they only ever sold in penny numbers. Too big, too thirsty, sketchy parts availability. Gas has always been expensive here.