Tokyo is a goldmine, it really is. Much like any big city, it doesn’t matter how long you live in it, there will always be things that continue to surprise you, be it on a cultural or intellectual level, all the way down to the things you see and for us car enthusiasts, the cars you come across. There’s never a dull moment in a city like this, and that’s why I’ve never taken a drive, stroll or a bicycle ride without ever keeping my eyes peeled for anything interesting that comes into my radar, phone always ready to grab a quick snap if I do find something that catches my attention. That’s exactly the way in which I came across this semi-abandoned Renault Alpine, a car that I’ve been seeing for years in the exact same condition and position as you see it right here.
If you’ve been reading my posts on Speedhunters you may remember that this isn’t quite the first rarity that I’ve found in Tokyo. Around four years ago, I grabbed a quick set of pictures of a white Ford RS200 that looked like it had been forgotten about for well over a decade, and not surprisingly, that car is still in the exact same position as it was in 2010.
So after seeing the pair of beautifully-cared-for Alpines at the Cars & Coffee meeting in T-site a few Sundays back, the image of the dusty, abandoned example I knew about instantly popped into my head and I decided it was the right time to stop by and finally grab some pictures of it on my way back home.
I’ll tell you the truth: I don’t really like taking pics of these sort of cars. It really is painful seeing such beautiful, sought-after historics left to rot away in this manner. I in no way blame the owners; you can’t make assumptions – you never know what situation that particular person is in that has left him/her or his/her family to allow these cars to be forgotten about.
Who are we to judge, right? Still, for how much it hurts, there is an element of excitement that comes into play with the discovery of something so special in such an unbelievable state.
The A110 Berlinette sits semi-covered under an open car port, dwarfed by the massive Toyota Crown in the next space over. It may be out of the rain – most of it at least – but there’s no way to protect it from wind, dust and the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.
Every single tire is completely flat or close to it, with an accumulation of dry leaves and miscellaneous debris almost acting as stoppers, making sure it doesn’t roll back!
Weathering has hit every single surface and the Alpine logoed aluminum wheels are badly oxidized and pitted.
With the engine mounted at the rear – and the flat rear tires – most of the weight has shifted towards the back, causing the front to rise up, creating an enormous fender gap.
The exposed metal hinges of the front trunk are one of those features that, like the frog-eye-like headlights, have always been unmistakable details of this little French rally special.
Like the hinges, bumpers, headlight bezels and every other chromed metal highlight have all suffered the same fate; their once shiny surface corroded and losing the fight against the elements.
The heart suffers
The driver’s side door-mounted and fender-mounted mirrors were nowhere to be seen, broken away at some point and ether lost or (hopefully) kept by the owner with the idea to get them fixed.
Same thing with the wipers: they were at some point removed and unbolted off their mounts, almost as if not to be left sitting on the windscreen for a long time. I thought it was a little strange and curious at the same time – maybe they knew it would sit for a long time. It also looked like the Alpine had maybe been spotted by an enthusiast who left his business card inside the front trunk panel gap. The card looked pretty old; who knows how long ago it was left there.
On the top of the windscreen the last shaken sticker read “8” which in Japanese Heisei years equates to 1996. From this, it’s possible to tell that its last shaken test was in 1994 (they are valid for two years – three if it’s a brand new car then two years thereafter) so the car has been off the road for at least 18 years, and possibly one or even two years more than that.
Further ‘investigation’ on my part – yes, I was getting excited attempting to piece together the clues – revealed the obvious fact that this car was/is owned by someone who at some point really cared for it. The interior’s in really great condition, considering, and I spotted nice touches like the Momo aftermarket steering wheel with a proper Alpine horn button. Attention to detail means the owner was as otaku as you and me.
I thought part of the interior had been used as storage space but most of the things inside are car-related: boxes of miscellaneous parts, cleaning products, even a can of motor oil behind the driver’s seat.
I moved over onto the passenger side to get a look around that side of the exterior and noticed the fender mirror was still intact.
On the passenger side seat I spotted yet more parts, including an old boxed battery with a few NGK spark plug boxes and headlight bulbs on top of it. If I had to make a wild guess, it’s old or current owner was/is a car guy; a guy that used to do basic maintenance on the car himself and maybe at one point since 1994-1996 has attempted to put the car back on the road.
This little French lightweight may look like it’s in a bit of a dire state, but standing there, it was hard not to look past the sun-damaged paint, the flat tires and the layers of dust, envisioning it being brought back to its former glory.
In fact, since shooting these few images, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I have actually returned to it and left a little message in there, just to maybe see if whoever is entrusted to care for it may be willing to part with it. Hell, you never know right? I’ll give it some time. If I don’t hear back, I might take a more active approach and start ringing doorbells! I don’t know, maybe I just have a weakness for blue cars…
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Its almost like something out of Anime or manga... Cars is waiting for someone to bring it back to its former glory or be turned into a rally machine
Also Dino the skyline link is pulling up a black page
fairlady432 You sure? Works fine for me
speedhunters_dinofairlady432Yeah the "Abandoned Skylines" link at the end of the story isn't working properly. The other two there work fine.
Interesting story, even though a beautiful example of automotive history is being neglected. Good Luck with the hunt for it's owner.
I like blue cars too! lol
to answer that.
Seriously, this is a bit odd, as obviously there are a few years in shaken and road tax missing. We may need a lawyer
At this moment though, I am only wondering who and where the hell the owners are, as well as what could the restoration masters that you covered do to fix this...
my bleeding heart! such a great find. maybe the owner of the crown is the owner of the abandoned car? It would make for an interesting restoration car! is it rude to leave a note on the car in japan???
Great story!
I´d love to hear some more information on both the RS200 and this Alpine..
It´d be great to hear the story behind these and why they were left standing.
Hope you can reach the owner of the Alpine, looking forward to more info! =)
Dino,your arcticless are THE BEST !
Thanks for this one !
BTW,I like the ringing doorbels part...
fairlady432 yea would be sick to see one of these in a studio ghibli flick like the A4 in the beginnning of spirited away !
Hurts to see good cars sit and await their fate like that. Hopefully it sees asphalt again in the near future. At the same time it gives people hope to buy a rarity like that without an obscene asking price
Oh, this is just some 4 cylinder banger.
Detective Dino at work ;)!
I think you may have found your new project car. Since you travel to Europe regularly and are well connected (car wise) you are able to fetch parts in France at a reasonable price. So in a few years you can attend the classic car rallies and coffee meetings in this beauty.
BrockHarvison speedhunters_dino fairlady432 Checked again and it's fine for me. Anyone else having issues?
TokyoCarGuy Must investigate...
d_rav Don't think it's rude. They can always ignore it
DanielPavunchev Thanks Daniel
@960 Uh? Why only V8 powered cars are worthy of attention?
Gianluca FairladyZ hehe
koko san Haha let's not get ahead of ourselves quite yet
Good luck Dino! Don't let it be the one that slipped through your fingers. They can only say no. Seeing it gone one day (will happen) and knowing that you do not pursue would hurt. I know...
speedhunters_dino Well, I were kidding, but Dino, please, go and ring doorbells around, such car needs saved!
Heartbreaking to see such a classic rusting away. Save it Dino, and save that RS200 whilst you're at it!
In France, a A110 1300 in good shape costs around 60 000€. And this car, due to his fiber body and his really particularly shaped chassis is over expensive and complicated to renew.
But hey, what an amazing car.
speedhunters_dino BrockHarvison fairlady432 Same here, page comes up blank.
Had the same with your R34 story just after the site maintenance, maybe the story was moved to a different location and the website can't find the story that belongs to the URL?
speedhunters_dinoBrockHarvisonfairlady432 Yep blank here too. Other links work fine
I don't usually comment on the articles here (in fact I only ever registered to answer a question Taryn C. asked some time ago), but this one hit close to home.
I've been in a similar situation, only in my case there were two classics parked together. The first was a C1 Corvette, the second was an Alfa Romeo Spider. Both were red, and when I first discovered them they were parked together, covered and beneath a metal canopy. I've been the unfortunate witness to their slow degradation, having worked nearby for the last six years.
First they were moved from the protection of the canopy, to the corner of a dusty unpaved section of the lot. Their covers eventually torn apart by the combined efforts of the sun and wind, exposed to they elements the soft tops soon followed suit. Chrome and paint that was initially bright and vibrant soon turned dull and speckled with the inevitable rust.
I tried to make contact with the owner numerous times throughout the years, only to be met with what would eventually be a full, and apparently unchecked voicemail account. I eventually made contact with the owner of the lot, who informed me that the owner had moved out of the country and had been sending checks to pay for their storage with increasing infrequency. All I could do was give the man my number and express my interest should the owner ever return or show any interest in selling them.
Only last month, both cars, having sat for 6 months unpaid for were towed away. When I contacted the lot owner he said he had lost my number and sold the cars for scrap. I can't fathom the type of person who could do this, anymore than I could fathom the person who would use a Botticelli as handkerchief.
Don't make the same mistake I did Dino, be persistent and save this one.
I don't usually comment on the articles here (in fact I only ever registered to answer a question Taryn C. asked some time ago), but this one hit close to home Dino.
I've been in a similar situation, only in my case there were two classics parked together. The first was a C1 Corvette, the second was an Alfa Romeo Spider. Both were red, and when I first discovered them they were parked together, covered and beneath a metal canopy. I've been the unfortunate witness to their slow degradation, having worked nearby for the last six years.
First they were moved from the protection of the canopy, to the corner of a dusty unpaved section of the lot. Their covers eventually torn apart by the combined efforts of the sun and wind, exposed to they elements the soft tops soon followed suit. Chrome and paint that was initially bright and vibrant soon turned dull and speckled with the inevitable rust.
I tried to make contact with the owner numerous times throughout the years, only to be met with what would eventually be a full, and apparently unchecked voicemail account. I eventually made contact with the owner of the lot, who informed me that the owner had moved out of the country and had been sending checks to pay for their storage with increasing infrequency. All I could do was give the man my number and express my interest should the owner ever return or show any interest in selling them.
Only last month, both cars, having sat for 6 months unpaid for were towed away. When I contacted the lot owner he said he had lost my number and sold the cars for scrap. I can't fathom the type of person who could do this, anymore than I could fathom the person who would use a Botticelli as handkerchief.
Don't make the same mistake I did Dino, be persistent and save this one.
japan pls
Ring some doorbells! I found a Countach under a "blue sheet" here in Osaka with all its original tires rotting away. I don't want to say too much because I hope it will make a good story some day, but with some perseverance I found the owner. You can too and hopefully save it! You never know...
Seeing classics and even modern cars just sit and rot away really hurts. Go ring some doorbells and save this little sports car!
Buy it, ship it to Italy and let some masters restore it. Costs to restore and register cars such as this one is completely outrageously stupid expensive in Japan. You should know, Dino.
Dino, nice find. Hope you will have luck and contact the owner, it is definitely worth saving this berlinette. Nice natural photos. I enjoed reading and looking, thanks!
Boggles my mind. Please do a follow up if you decide to investigate further. This thing oozes potential!
westhave@2bAUS speedhunters_dino BrockHarvison fairlady432 Thanks for pointing that out guys - I'll investigate and try to get it fixed ASAP.
Makes me sad.
LanceVance Hi Lance, thanks for taking the time to tell your story. Sad to head those tho classics went like that! I'll take your advice and investigate further. Hopefully this one can be saved!
roryfjohnston So you bought the car?
guReMcO Will do!
Paweł Skrzypczyński Thanks!
TomKimmell Will do
It seems like the owner might have passed away Dino. This car tells a story and I think it is saying my owner passed away before he or she got the chance to finish what work needed to be done. Good luck on finding out the true of this car Dino
It seems like the owner might have passed away Dino. This car tells a story and I think it is saying my owner passed away before he or she got the chance to finish what work needed to be done. Good luck on finding out the true of this car Dino
I have to say Dino, this story hits home and reminded me of how I found my MA70. Another great find and article.
If That car could talk !!
Oh putain!
What an unbelievable article. Brilliantly written, the tour of the car was perfect. I hope you hear back someday!!!
Leave a speedhunters sticker on it! Not stick on (obviously), but it might prompt them to check out the website and read these comments!
hi i a have one R8 gordini and we must be save this berlinette ... please contact this driver killers of Berlinette.
Routhi in Marseille
Dino, while I hope and pray that you and Speedhunters never part ways, I would love to read a more in-depth journal or blog by you, complete with your photography. I think many would echo this statement
Just put a hi vis on and take a tow truck, everyone trusts a person in a hi vis
MidshipR On what subject?
ER8P
I will try!
MilesHayler If I had to take a wild guess I don't think the people who own this car know what the internet is
MartinBrandan Thanks! I see it at least once a week as it's pretty close to my place, so I can keep an eye on it
Fabrice Carpentier Quite!
demzo_BRG Thanks man!
@james Sadly all things point to that don't they
ever thought of leaving you name and number anyway? even if you are not interested a "save this car article would get it sold" just a thought.
Why does even have a plate to be blurred?
@driveCircles It has a plate, yes
JohnnyWobblesauceWorden I did leave that info...
ChelseaRoper What is a hi vis?
speedhunters_dino ChelseaRoper high visibility, traffic safety vests haha
I'm japanese but i didn't know japan has rare some abandoned cars like this and RS200.
So, i live in hokkaido. Hokkaido has some abandoned sport cars.
I have seen MG Midget, Camaro Z28, Corvette C4, E30 M3, and some japanese sportcars.
Hey speedhunters_dino could you maybe talk to the other editors about this as a future #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTERS theme? abandoned or non used performance cars. it is a very interesting topic and would allow for a fairly creative way of featuring special older cars you just don't see.
Cars like this always make me wonder. I'm an enthusiast, and I'd never let my car sit for 20 years. And this owner was definitely an enthusiast as well seeing as how he owned a LHD French car in Japan. Makes me think this particular owner may very well be in another world by now.
LanceVancewow, this is heartbreaking!
@Pooft Lee Supposed to be on gravel champ =)
Dino, go for it! Buy the car. If it's asking price is less than 10.000 dollars, you can think about it. A restored one will cost you well over 40.000$ in Europe. If you have the 1300 VC model, I can help you with engine parts almost for free. We did make that engine in Romania for almost 50 years :)))
speedhunters_dinororyfjohnstonMy dream of buying a Lambo for pennies off an old widow didn't come true
Great find Dino! Keep us posted, hopefully you are able to contact the owner and possibly buy it. I love finds like these, I would be driving myself crazy thinking about a car like this and all the possibilities with trying to get it back on the road.
JasonTsay speedhunters_dino ChelseaRoper Haha yeah its those lovely orange road cone vests.
greenroadster Good to hear! Thanks for the support:)
terroristteddy Unfortunately all things point to that
bigeastbay speedhunters_dino That is an awesome idea!
subiemassuu That's pretty cool! Grab some pictures, might be coo to have a #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER feature on this as bigeastbay suggested
ChelseaRoper JasonTsay speedhunters_dino Ahhh, yeah they have them here too but a bit different depending on the type of worker/job
roryfjohnston speedhunters_dino Too bad
jah1mon Will do
speedhunters_dino MidshipR I had that thought too, just kept forgetting to comment.. Maybe something similar to noriyaro/Alexi? Doesn't have to be a blog with professional grade pictures and articles, just quick snaps and random personal thoughts and experiences :p
Seeing abandoned cars like this is so depressing, it makes me want to start an orphanage for cars.
save the car!
Hope you left a speedhunters sticker too.
speedhunters_dino subiemassuuI can do the same thing in Berlin. Could be in fact interesting, making a abandoned cars feature
this is so sad! im sure there must be a way to locate the registered owner thru the traffic agency? to think that perhaps no one is left alive in line to take ownership of this gem,
Boost it
is there ways of finding the owner through government bodies? we have the DVLA here who hold details on who a car is registered to etc, dont know how it works in Japan though. Seems to be a lot of seriously desirable cars just left abandoned that many people would kill for there!
It is sad that the car made it to the condition that it's in but it's really not a bad car. Things could be so much worse, at least it was under that overhang.
I think that this is just parking for sale. there are many cars as like this in Japan.
buongusto What do you mean?
waynardmane Yup precisely!
LouisSoon Now now lol
LamesIngram Yes there is, very easy actually
@chrisgotta86 gambarimasu!
FeelXtra speedhunters_dino subiemassuu Yeah I'm liking this a lot!
@diddler_pnr72 It wouldn't stick, too much dust hahaha
clevernamehere speedhunters_dino MidshipR Ah, I guess what I used to do with my old blog 12 years ago
Definitely want to do more lifestyle oriented stuff this year, except there are just way too many feature cars and events to shoot. If I skip those people complain...lol
speedhunters_dino clevernamehere MidshipR People complain no matter what lol. Just taking quick snaps of random things from strange accessories to cool old school wheels and a sentence or two would be sick. Your articles and pictures on DPA are a very large part of what got me into cars a year ago and those weren't super in-depth technical or crazy bazillion horsepower builds. There's a lot to be said for just documenting the car culture and it's changes, especially in Japan where all the best and sometimes quirkiest cars originate. Hell, you could do a feature on JDMasf*ck taxis and tractors and I'm sure people would be over it like a warehouse full of free tires
Awesome find! I love the Alpine A110! Hopefully you are able to buy it and put it back on the road. It is one of the most beautiful and amazing cars ever built.
A good friend of mine spotted a lovely one in France: http://www.drivebysnapshots.com/alpine-a110-a-andelot-blancheville/
speedhunters_dino FeelXtra subiemassuu In fact, could be a website all in itself: pout abandoned cars & their owners in touch with enthusiasts who would take them on.
Good luck Mr D C
speedhunters_dino the owner parked the car there waiting to be bought by somebody, same here in Indonesia..
where do you find these cars? i have been in japan for a year and i have not seen gems in this caliber, granted there are plenty of neglected and tired cars that i have thought about bringing home, however most of them have been too deep to recover from the rust graveyard. I'm hoping this blue guy pulls through, i can give it the garage space and driving it deserves.
Definately start ringing bells, this car can't stay like that any longer
A year has passed, what happened to this beautiful car?
I ones found a wide body Gr2 Alpine 1600 not so far from where i lived in 90th's in Belgium it stands on the side of an old Renault garage... Me and my mate played sometimes rally in the car... Dont know where it is know... Would love to know if it was restored, it was stil in a good komplete condition