BMW buys Alpina. These are phrases that don’t appear all that shocking but really feel surprising on the similar time. For many years the legendary BMW tuner has been producing a number of the greatest merchandise to put on the roundel typically eclipsing BMW’s personal fashions. However BMW has had M and now M Efficiency to fulfill the lovers – why would they want Alpina?
The reply is difficult however we think about it comes right down to income (and extra vital) revenue margins. Larger priced autos merely demand more cash and make extra revenue. And with that market exploding over the past decade BMW has made a play to regulate much more of the high-end BMW market.
“We acknowledged the challenges dealing with the automotive trade early on and at the moment are setting the suitable course for ALPINA and for our household agency, BOVENSIEPEN.
Andreas Bovensiepen, co-managing director of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG
For the lovers who’ve cherished Alpinas for years there’s each celebration and pause. Celebration as a result of this implies Alpina as an entity is safe in funding and even higher built-in into the BMW product technique. Pause as a result of that Alpina magic is commonly about doing issues barely completely different than BMW and BMW M. In actual fact that’s why their vehicles are so revered.
The person himself, Andreas Bovensiepen, co-managing director of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, made the case fairly clear. “We acknowledged the challenges dealing with the automotive trade early on and at the moment are setting the suitable course for ALPINA and for our household agency, BOVENSIEPEN. This marks the start of a brand new chapter. Each the ALPINA model and our firm are extraordinarily fascinating. We made a aware determination to not promote ALPINA to only any producer, as a result of BMW and ALPINA have labored collectively and trusted each other for many years. That’s the reason it’s the proper determination strategically for the ALPINA model to be managed by the BMW Group sooner or later.”
The following steps will see Alpina working as they’ve till 2025. That embody merchandise on sale now and merchandise within the pipeline. From there it’s assumed BMW will take over product technique and engineering.
Why now? In accordance with BMW and Alpina this transfer was closely influenced by the transformation in direction of electromobility and rising regulation worldwide – significantly emissions laws, software program validation and necessities for driver help and monitoring methods. These all lead to considerably larger dangers for small-series producers. In making this transfer the administration of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG is securing the long-term viability of the Buchloe operations and the Alpina model.
OFFICIAL RELEASE: BMW Buys Alpina – Legendary BMW Tuner
The BMW Group welcomes a brand new addition to its portfolio, because the ALPINA model turns into a part of the corporate. The BMW Group will safe the rights to the ALPINA model – bringing even better variety to its personal luxury-car vary. BMW AG and ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG have reached an settlement to this impact that may safe the long-term way forward for the ALPINA model in addition to the Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH und Co. KG.
The conclusion of the transaction continues to be topic to varied suspensive situations – specifically, approval by the accountable antitrust authorities. The long-standing cooperation settlement, which was prolonged for one more 5 years in late 2020, will expire on 31 Dec. 2025. Each events have agreed to not disclose any monetary particulars. No shares within the firm might be acquired.
Over half a century, BMW and the small-series producer from Buchloe, exterior of Munich, have cast a detailed cooperation constructed on the very best degree of belief. Now, the transformation of the automotive trade enters a brand new chapter.
“The automotive trade is within the midst of a far-reaching transformation in direction of sustainable mobility. For that motive, present enterprise fashions have to be re-examined regularly. For over fifty years, the Buchloe agency has demonstrated the right way to ship top-quality automobile cachet via meticulous consideration to element. The BMW Group can also be pushed by this similar ardour for vehicles that seize the creativeness. That’s the reason we at the moment are embarking on a brand new chapter in our long-standing partnership. Buying the trademark rights will permit us to form the long-term course of this model steeped in custom. We’re delighted to welcome the ALPINA model to the BMW household,” mentioned Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Administration answerable for Buyer, Manufacturers and Gross sales.
The cooperation will proceed – however in a distinct type: The corporate owned by the Bovensiepen household will proceed to make use of its engineering experience in creating, manufacturing, and promoting BMW ALPINA autos inside the present cooperation till the tip of 2025. This ends in base BMW vehicles receiving intensive modification by the ALPINA crew – together with the engine and transmission, in addition to the chassis, aerodynamics, and inside tools. BMW ALPINA autos are pre-assembled on BMW manufacturing strains earlier than closing meeting of the autos going down in workshops in Buchloe, additionally comprising particular person interiors constructed to buyer specs.
The service, components and equipment enterprise for the present and legacy BMW ALPINA car portfolio will proceed on the Buchloe location in the long run. There might be no modifications to the present aftersales cooperation. As a part of a strategic cooperation between the 2 firms, there might be an extra growth of the present growth providers enterprise for BMW out of Buchloe. The wine enterprise that additionally kinds a part of the household agency might be unaffected.
“BMW and ALPINA are an ideal match! The ALPINA model has matured alongside BMW over the previous 50 years and has every part it takes to make the center of an automotive connoisseur beat sooner everywhere in the world. It finds the suitable steadiness between cultivated sportiness, luxurious, and exclusivity. We’re delighted to amass the trademark rights to ALPINA and add new car capturing DNA to the BMW portfolio,” mentioned Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Buyer and Model BMW.
2021 was probably the most profitable yr within the historical past of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG. Constructing on this robust basis, the household enterprise will strategically realign going forwards with a view to tackle regulatory challenges and technological change within the trade. This can safe the placement of Buchloe for the long run.
“We are going to proceed our father’s life’s work and spend money on the equally well-known identify of BOVENSIEPEN. With our experience and excessive requirements of high quality, we are going to carry different convincing cellular choices to the market sooner or later,” explains co-managing director Florian Bovensiepen: “With out our artistic, extremely succesful, and constant workers, ALPINA’s success story wouldn’t have been potential. We’re counting on the energy of our firm, our crew, and our households to pivot on the proper time. On the similar time, we acknowledge, with the BMW Group, our social accountability in direction of our workforce and can do our greatest to cushion the potential affect ensuing from this reorganisation.”
The sale of trademark rights to BMW and the ensuing discontinuation of the present ALPINA car programme on the finish of 2025 may have implications for present jobs on the Buchloe web site. BMW will help ALPINA with the mandatory changes to the workforce on the Buchloe location over the approaching years. Up till the tip of 2025, BMW will work with ALPINA to supply these workers who won’t be able to proceed working on the Buchloe web site a brand new place with the BMW Group and likewise assist them discover new jobs with suppliers and growth companions.
ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, a German car producer based mostly in Buchloe, was formally based on 1 January 1965. ALPINA was lively in BMW tuning and motorsports from the Sixties onwards and commenced manufacturing passenger vehicles based mostly on BMW AG merchandise in 1978. Since 1983, the corporate based mostly in Buchloe within the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria has been registered as an official automotive producer with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg and employs round 300 folks. Round 2,000 autos have been produced in Buchloe in 2021. Along with Germany and Europe, Japan, the US, and the Center East are additionally vital markets for ALPINA. The household firm’s second important space of exercise is the ALPINA wine enterprise.
