It was six decades since the late Burkard Bovensiepen has set up a business in the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria in Bavaria. Alpina was originally a tuner and was officially recognized in 1983 by the German Federal Ministry of Transport Ministry as an automobile manufacturer. From the beginning, the brand has specialized in subtle refinement of BMWs from the start. They focused more on luxury grand tours than on the first approach of the M Division.
To celebrate the milestone, an anniversary event took place this month at the Penzing Air Base in Bavaria. It is not surprising that it was a great success. More than 2,000 people took part in over 650 cars and did what the company believes that it was probably the largest assembly in Alpina in history. The most distant visitors traveled from Estonia, Finland and Sweden.
It was probably the last official event before BMW took over full control. The existing partnership between the two companies ends on December 31, 2025. As a reminder, Alpina became part of the BMW Group in March 2022, and from 2026 the parent company plans to “introduce more automotive offers in the luxury car range”.
Alpina has always been a niche brand for connoisseurs. The best year took place in 2021 when global sales exceeded 2,000 cars. The planned portfolio extension provides the stage for a promising future, especially when rumors apply to the return of the 7 SERE. The next X7 is also planned for Alpina treatment in Buchloe. Electrical versions of both the sedan and the SUV could follow.
BMW is expected to position its latest brand higher in the luxury hierarchy and bridge the gap between the 7 Series and the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Alpina’s interpretation of the X7 will also be more luxurious than Munich’s own SUV, while it still stays away from the Cullinan territory. However, increasing the brand will probably lead to more accessible models. As a result, B3 and B4 are not long for this world.
The Bovensiepen family will continue the alpina heir under her name. You have already presented a Coupé, which is newly designed by Zagato, based on the M4 convertible. The Grand Tourer has a completely new body, more strength and an interior wrapped in fine leather and stands out with its typical double bubble roof. However, it is not cheap. We have heard that it will cost between € 400,000 and € 500,000 somewhere. It is made in limited numbers, each example is required for over 250 hours.
