Design of the A442 began in 1975, following increasingly close ties between Alpine and Renault since 1971. Renault purchased Alpine outright in early 1976, inheriting the sports prototype program. The A442 was an evolution of the A440 and A441 models, but featured a 2.0L Renault-Gordini engine with a Garrett turbocharger, producing 490 bhp. This power output increased to over 500 bhp in subsequent years, with the A443’s 2.2L unit developing 520 bhp.
The car used a steel spaceframe chassis clothed in fibreglass bodywork. The body was lengthened, particularly in the tail section, to improve aerodynamic efficiency and top speed on the Mulsanne Straight at Circuit de la Sarthe. In 1978, the A442B and A443 were fitted with an acrylic glass “bubble” partial roof, increasing top speed by 8 km/h but reducing visibility and trapping engine heat. Drivers Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jabouille complained of claustrophobia and intolerable heat during practice for the 1978 Le Mans race, and as a result, the bubble was only used in competition by the A442B.
By 1978, Gérard Larrousse managed the Renault Sport team, prioritizing a win at Le Mans before focusing on Formula One. Renault invested heavily in developing the A442 into a Le Mans winner, conducting extensive testing, including using airport runways to simulate the Mulsanne Straight. The engine department increased engine capacity to 2138 cc, just short of the turbocharged car limit.
The A442 debuted in competition at the 1975 Mugello 1000 km, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Gérard Larrousse, achieving a surprise win. At the 1976 Nürburgring 300 km, two Renaults crashed at the start, and subsequent mechanical failures plagued the team, leading to engine failure before the halfway point of the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For the 1977 Le Mans race, Renault entered three works cars and were supported by a privately entered A442, but none of the four cars finished. The 1977 race saw the Porsche 936 and 935 prove more reliable and faster. At the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, the development program paid off. Renault entered three cars: an A442A, the A442B with the bubble roof, and the A443. The A443 qualified with a top speed of 236 mph on the Mulsanne Straight, making it the fastest car Renault had ever produced, a record that remains unbroken even among Renault’s Formula One entries.
During the 1978 race, the A443 initially led, with Jabouille setting a fastest lap of 3:34, six seconds slower than his qualifying time, before the engine failed in the 18th hour. The A442A retired with transmission failure. Pironi and Jaussaud in the A442B inherited the lead, winning the race four laps ahead of the second-placed Porsche. A privateer A442A finished fourth. Following the victory, Pironi was too exhausted to climb the podium, with Jaussaud accepting the trophy alone.
Following the 1978 Le Mans victory, Renault withdrew from sports car racing to concentrate on Formula One.