Having begun with the simple goal of making a better-performing car for himself, it follows that the company Burkard Bovensiepen founded in 1965 as a producer of tuning kits for the BMW 1500 would channel the desires of motoring enthusiasts seeking something beyond Munich’s standard automotive offerings.
The Alpina name transferred from the family’s typewriter-manufacturing business to the new one, which quickly gained BMW approval.
From 165bhp engines for the 1600-2 and further tweaks for the 2002, in 1978 Alpina marketed a comprehensively overhauled range of 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series-based models.
The Alpina B3 GT’s Tartufo leather-lined cabin provides a touch more grandeur than its BMW equivalent
In 1983 it was registered as a manufacturer in its own right, building around 600 cars every year, including those assembled in the UK by racer Frank Sytner’s Nottingham dealership.
Few could afford the premium over standard BMWs – a 210bhp C2 cost £7000 more than the £16,685 1987 325i Sport on which it was based – but the combination of exclusivity, M-car-rivalling performance and class-above luxury gained both loyal customers and cognoscenti reverence.
For them, Alpina’s delicate blend is the absolute peak of BMW desirability.
