The BMW Group is pleased to welcome the ALPINA brand as a new member of its family of brands. The BMW Group will acquire the rights to the ALPINA brand, expanding the variety of its own line of high-end vehicles. ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. and BMW AG
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Alpina Performance Brand Joins the BMW Family
After 57 years, the prestigious tiny tuning company is being acquired by the car company, and after 2025, we can anticipate that all new Alpina models will be produced directly by BMW.
- Alpina, a small but well-known German tuner, has long produced its own versions of BMW vehicles.
- After 57 years of being a separate entity, the company is now being incorporated into the BMW corporate world.
- After 2025, new Alpina variants of BMWs will no longer be developed at the company’s Buchloe, Germany, headquarters. Despite this, the future of the Alpina brand under BMW ownership is still bright.
In contrast to the size and scope of Germany’s leading automakers, Alpina has long been a colorful outlier. The tuner was created as a result of an unusual transition from office supplies to performance components for BMW. With the cooperation of the larger firm, the symbiotic connection developed to the point where Alpina was producing its own variations of BMW models and even receiving early access to upcoming vehicles to help it plan its variations. Alpina distributed popular models like the XB7 through BMW in the United States, while in other nations, the two businesses were at least nominally in direct rivalry.
The 57-year cooperation between the two companies is about to come to an end, and it appears that after 2025, the Buchloe, Germany, factory will no longer be used for the development or production of new variations. This appears to be the result of two factors, the first of which is the increased difficulty of overcoming impossibly high compliance barricades. Alpina stated in its official statement that “the demands and risks for small-series manufacturers are increasing due to the politically motivated shift to electric mobility as well as tightening global regulatory demands, especially on vehicle emissions, software validation, and requirements on safeguarding driver assistant and supervisory systems.”
At the XB7’s 2020 European premiere, Alpina CEO Andeas Bovensiepen acknowledged that electrification was a significant obstacle that the small business would find difficult to overcome.
Paradoxically, Alpina’s rising success is the second factor. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s consequences, 2021 was the business’s most prosperous year to yet, with more than 2000 cars shipped worldwide. BMW obviously sees room for growth in that number and is likely considering how to include Alpina into its larger portfolio in a manner similar to how it has done with its own M division. (Alpina has traditionally mixed speed with increasing luxury; M’s brief is pure performance.)
Up until 2025, Alpina will continue to produce modified versions of current (and upcoming) BMW vehicles in Buchloe, after which the company will fully integrate the brand into the corporate Borg. Then, we assume, BMW’s facilities will handle development and production. The Bovensiepen family will also establish a new business under its own name, which will continue to work with vintage vehicles (presumably still BMWs) and provide engineering consulting services to other automakers in addition to BMW.
We are saddened by the demise of such a fascinating, independent firm, especially one that developed automotive pinstriping into such an art, and we hope that there will be more intriguing Alpina-branded vehicles in the future.
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Manufacture of ALPINA
Burkard, Andreas, and Florian Bovensiepen are the owners of the family-owned, medium-sized business ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, which was established in 1965.
The foundation of our business is the engineering and production of high-end vehicles based on BMW models. Between 1,200 and 1,700 autos leave the factory each year and are sent all over the world. Every single BMW ALPINA is equipped with a unique production plaque and a VIN unique to the ALPINA model in the inside, identifying the vehicle as a creation of an officially recognized automaker.
A seamless material flow for the production process, which is carefully coordinated with BMW, is ensured by daily logistical transports to the BMW factories. Sales are only coordinated through BMW dealerships and importers. This cooperation is exclusive to the automobile sector.
ALPINA currently employs over 290* individuals, and it offers numerous apprenticeships across all disciplines.
The BMW Group has acquired Alpina, but you may still purchase new vehicles from them.
The brand Alpina, which began as a BMW tuner before evolving into a reputable automaker since 1983, has been acquired by the BMW Group. The two parties have come to an agreement on the matter, according to BMW, albeit the arrangement is still subject to a number of restrictions and permissions.
Since Alpina constructed its models based on BMW cars and trucks and avoided tuning anything else, the two companies were almost inseparable. The two organizations’ top executives extended their commitment to work together through December 31, 2025, back in late 2020. No shares will be bought and no financial information will be made public.
As part of the agreement, Alpina will continue to create new models, produce them, and market them through the end of 2025. From that angle, the brand that was created in Buchloe, Germany, won’t alter at all. Additionally, the current after-sales partnership won’t alter, but the company’s Buchloe headquarters will extend its development services division.
Last year, Alpina created roughly 2,000 automobiles, which makes the brand more exclusive than many premium car manufacturers. Although 2021 was Alpina’s most prosperous year ever, this fact shouldn’t deter consumers from sticking with the company’s products to the very end. After all, if the products are stored properly, they will eventually become collectibles.
Regulatory obstacles still exist, which makes the company subject to rising emissions rules, ADAS technology requirements, and other costs that are difficult for a small-series manufacturer to bear. The current Alpina executives describe BMW as the company that best complements the brand.
The wine company under the name ALPINA, owned by the Bovensiepen family, who also owns the Alpina brand, will continue to be managed and run independently from BMW. The Alpina company did not sell its division that managed the family’s wine business.
The present Alpina car program will be stopped at the end of 2025, which will have an impact on the employees of the company’s Buchloe facility in the Ostallgau district of Bavaria.
For every Alpina employee who will be unable to continue working at the Buchloe factory, BMW has promised to offer new roles within the BMW Group. Those who are unable to find employment with the German conglomerate will be helped to find employment with suppliers or development partners.
In other words, even though Alpina won’t be producing any new vehicles after 2026, its 300-person workforce will be given assistance in finding other positions.
Although it may not be the ideal situation for individuals who had hoped to retire from Alpina, we think it is preferable to a severance settlement and a last farewell.
Alpina was formally established on January 1, 1965, and in 1983 it transitioned from being only a BMW tuner to becoming a recognized car manufacturer. Since the German Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg authorized its registration as such in the subsequent year, Alpina cars produced after that date have a different manufacturer code from BMW and BMW M models in their VINs.
The Alpina Advantage
Automotive passion, cutting-edge technical training, ongoing innovation implementation, and a well-rounded staff of passionate “movers” create the distinctive and effective high-performance vehicles created by ALPINA that provide ideal daily usability. -Alpina
Alpina is the master carmaker for BMW. Hand-built engines are available, and Alpina saddlery can be chosen for the interior instead of the standard leather and stitching used by BMW. They are shipped to the BMW facility for final assembly once Alpina completes the construction of their interiors, motors, and parts. The aggressive, track-ready beast that the M’s are known for is not what Alpina aims to be. Instead, they are only strong and opulent. designed for the regular driving that takes place on our roads. In the long run, this mentality results in a car that is more pleasant and useful. Giving the performance while maintaining the comfort and luxury required for daily driving.
BMW owns Alpina, right?
Alpina’s focus today is on BMW customisation. The company operates independently of BMW while remaining a long-term collaborator. It creates high-performance versions of BMW.
Why did BMW purchase Alpina?
After more than 50 years of cooperative separation, BMW Group has acquired the Alpina name in an effort to bring the venerable tuning company and its well-established branding within its umbrella. We already know this because it was revealed in mid-March 2022.
Is the BMW Alpina unique?
I first saw this BMW Alpina at Virginia International Raceway six years ago while attending a race there with a friend. I was a huge fan of BMW M automobiles, the company’s series of high-performance consumer vehicles. I owned four of them, including a 2002 Z3 M coupe that the BMW people refer to as the “clown shoe” because it is shaped like, well, a clown’s shoe, and a 2004 BMW M3 convertible in an unique Laguna Seca blue paint that I love. But when I saw this BMW Alpina, I became immediately intrigued. due to the rarity of an Alpina in the United States. In fact, even in Germany, it’s uncommon to see one.
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What business did BMW acquire?
The major automakers with present presences in the United States are listed below, along with the brands they sell.
BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce are all owned by BMW Group. Smart and Mercedes-Benz are owned by Daimler AG. Lincoln and Ford are owned by Ford Motor Co. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac all belong to General Motors. Hummer is back as a GMC subsidiary brand. In order to co-develop EVs, GM and Honda have an official collaboration. Acura and Honda are owned by Honda Motor Co. It collaborates with GM. Sony Honda Mobility is the name of the electric vehicle firm they founded with Sony. Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia are all owned by Hyundai Motor Group. Mazda is owned by Mazda Motor Corp. Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Infiniti are all owned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot S.A., a new company called Stellantis was created. According to the explanation, the word is derived from the Latin verb “stello,” which means “to dazzle with stars.” Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, and Ram are now under Stellantis and are FCA brands that are offered in the United States. Other Stellantis automobile brands include Citroen, DS Automobiles, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall. Subaru is owned by Subaru Corp. Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors. Owned by Tesla. Lexus and Toyota are owned by Toyota Motor Corp. Additionally, it owns stock in Suzuki and Subaru. The automotive brand VinFast, along with VinHomes, VinBigData, VinBioCare, and VinBrain, are all owned by VinGroup. Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Scout, and Volkswagen are all brands owned by Volkswagen AG. Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus are all brands owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (ZGH).