Alpine — Dieppe
Production
Made by hand
Every Spider was built by hand in the Alpine workshops in Dieppe. 56 craftsmen, 90 hours of work, one unique car.
The factory
Alpine
Dieppe
The Spider is built entirely at the Alpine Renault factory in Dieppe. All assembly takes place in a single building — parts arrive at one end, a finished car leaves at the other.
The Spider is entirely handmade. Fitting the various body panels requires the skill and expertise of Alpine's craftsmen. Fifty-six people are involved in the assembly line, and each Spider takes 90 hours to complete — from the first chassis elements to the first road test.
By year
Production
figures
Total: 1,640 road cars + 90 Trophy versions = 1,730 units from the Alpine factory. The difference with the official figure of 1,726 likely corresponds to pre-production models.
Commercial statistics by country Source: Prise Directe magazine, December 2008
Step by step
Building
a Spider
Chassis arrival
The aluminium chassis arrives in three sections from Hydro-Aluminium's Danish factory and is immediately assembled. Meanwhile the bodywork is painted in the adjacent workshop.
Front end & steering
The steering column, front suspension and radiators are fitted to the chassis.
Rear end & engine
The rear suspension is installed and the F7R engine is bolted to the chassis.
Alignment & bodywork prep
Front wheel alignment is set in parallel with the final preparation of the primed bodywork.
Body mounting
The polyester RTM bodywork is fitted to the assembled chassis — the most delicate stage, requiring expert hands.
Fitting & road test
The opening panels (doors, engine cover) are fitted and adjusted. The Spider is then started up and put through its first road test.
