BMW Group has announced that it has acquired the Alpina brand from the Bovensiepen family, founders of the brand in 1965. Alpina was involved in BMW tuning and motorsports from the 1960s onwards and began manufacturing passenger cars based on BMW’s vehicle lineup in 1978.
Since 1983, the company based in Buchloe, Bavaria in Germany, has been registered as an official automotive manufacturer with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority.
For now, everything remains status quo as the running agreement which was extended for another five years in late 2020, will expire on the 31st of December 2025.
“The automotive industry is in the midst of a far-reaching transformation towards sustainable mobility. For that reason, existing business models need to be re-examined on a regular basis. For over 50 years, Alpina has demonstrated how to deliver top-quality cars through meticulous attention to detail. Acquiring the trademark rights will allow us to shape the long-term course of this brand steeped in tradition,” said the BMW board of management.
The move is made to ensure and secure the long-term future of the Alpina brand as emission regulations, electrification and other modern/costly requirements in vehicle development put small-series car manufacturers such as Alpina at higher risk.
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Alpina, Co-managing Director, Andreas Bovensiepen said, “We recognised the challenges facing the automotive industry early on and are now setting the right course for Alpina. We decided not to sell Alpina to just any manufacturer because BMW and Alpina have worked together for decades.”
The company owned by the Bovensiepen family will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW Alpina vehicles within the existing cooperation until the end of 2025. This results in base BMW cars receiving extensive modification by the Alpina team – including the engine and transmission, as well as the chassis, aerodynamics, and interior equipment.
BMW Alpina vehicles will be pre-assembled on BMW production lines before the final assembly in Alpina workshops in Buchloe. This also includes customising interiors to customer specifications.
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