Official: BMW has bought Alpina

The BMW Group has announced it has acquired the rights to Alpina. Which means one of the coolest tuners on Planet Earth will officially become part of BMW.

Of course, Alpina and BMW have worked closely together for over half a century, and Alpina models are currently pre-assembled on BMW production lines before being sent to the tuner's Buchloe workshops for engine, chassis and interior modifications.

This process will continue until 31 December 2025 (both BMW and Alpina extended their cooperation agreement late in 2020). After 2025 however, the current Alpina line-up will be discontinued and a new strategy mapped out hand-in-hand with the BMW mothership.

“We recognised the challenges facing the automotive industry early on and are now setting the right course for Alpina and for our family firm,” explains Alpina co-director Andreas Bovensiepen. “This marks the beginning of a new chapter. Both the Alpina brand and our company are extremely desirable.

“We made a conscious decision not to sell Alpina to just any manufacturer, because BMW and Alpina have worked together and trusted one another for decades. That is why it is the right decision strategically for the Alpina brand to be managed by the BMW Group in the future,” he added.

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Even after the current agreement ends, Alpina’s Buchloe site will still offer servicing, parts and accessories support for existing and legacy cars, and there won’t be any disruption to the existing aftersales cooperation.

Redundancies will be likely, and BMW has committed to offering Alpina employees no longer able to work at Buchloe new roles within the Group, or help them find jobs with suppliers and development partners.

“BMW and Alpina are a perfect fit,” said senior BMW VP Jens Thiemer. “The Alpina brand has matured alongside BMW over the past 50 years and has everything it takes to make the heart of an automotive connoisseur beat faster all over the world. It finds the right balance between cultivated sportiness, luxury and exclusivity.”

He’s not wrong about that last point: the F30/F31 generation of Alpina D3 sold just 373 cars in the UK and in 2021, Alpina sold around 2,000 cars globally. You’re more likely to see a Lamborghini than one of these… one of the reasons why they’re such fan favourites.

“With our creative, highly capable and loyal employees, Alpina’s success story would not have been possible,” co-director Florian Bovensiepen (Andreas’s brother) said. “We are relying on the strength of our company, our team, and our families to pivot at the right time.”

So, what do you reckon Alpina will look like post-2025? Answers below…

Here are some glorious pictures of classic Alpina models