The BMW Group has announced that Alpina is now part of the company, having acquired the storied Buchloe-based outfit (unlike other tuners, Alpina is actually classified as a car manufacturer) from the founding Bovensiepen family. Alpina’s roots goes back to 1965 and it has always focused on BMW tuning and motorsports.
BMW says that it will secure the rights to the Alpina brand, “bringing even greater diversity to its own luxury-car range”. The deal also secures the long-term future of the Alpina brand and company, Munich says. The long-standing cooperation agreement between BMW and Alpina, which was extended for another five years in late 2020, will expire on December 31, 2025. Both parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details.
“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, the Buchloe firm has demonstrated how to deliver top-quality car cachet through meticulous attention to detail. The BMW Group is also driven by this same passion for cars that capture the imagination. That is why we are now embarking on a new chapter in our long-standing partnership,” said Pieter Nota, member of the BMW board responsible for customer, brands and sales.
“Acquiring the trademark rights will allow us to shape the long-term course of this brand steeped in tradition. We are delighted to welcome the Alpina brand to the BMW family,” he added.
Munich says that the transformation towards electromobility and increasing regulation worldwide – particularly emissions legislation, software validation and requirements for driver assistance and monitoring systems – result in significantly higher risks for small-series manufacturers. Thus, the management of Alpina is addressing this with a “strategic realignment that will secure the long-term viability” of its operations.
Andreas Bovensiepen, co-MD of Alpina explains. “We recognised the challenges facing the automotive industry early on and are now setting the right course for Alpina and for our family firm, Bovensiepen. This marks the beginning of a new chapter.
“Both the Alpina brand and our company are extremely desirable. We made a conscious decision not to sell Alpina to just any manufacturer, because BMW and Alpina have worked together and trusted one another for decades. That is why it is the right decision strategically for the Alpina brand to be managed by the BMW Group in the future,” he said.
Here’s how it’ll work from now. The cooperation between BMW and Alpina will continue, but in a different form. The family-owned company will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW Alpina vehicles as the existing cooperation agreement is until the end of 2025.
This means that it’s status quo for now, with regards to Alpina models. If you’re new to the brand, Alpina sells BMW cars with extensive modifications, including to the engine and transmission, as well as the chassis, aerodynamics, and interior. Alpina vehicles are pre-assembled on BMW production lines before final assembly of the vehicles taking place in workshops in nearby Buchloe, also comprising individual interiors built to customer personalisation.
The service, parts and accessories business for existing BMW Alpina vehicles will continue at the Buchloe location in the long term. There will be no changes to the existing after-sales arrangement. As part of a strategic cooperation between the two companies, there will be a further expansion of the existing development services business for BMW out of Buchloe. The Alpina wine business is not included in this deal with BMW.
What’s next for the Bovensiepen family? Its own brand. “We will continue our father’s life’s work and invest in the equally well-known name of Bovensiepen. With our expertise and high standards of quality, we will bring other convincing mobile offerings to the market in the future,” said co-MD Florian Bovensiepen.
“Without our creative, highly capable, and loyal employees, Alpina’s success story would not have been possible. We are relying on the strength of our company, our team, and our families to pivot at the right time. At the same time, we acknowledge, with the BMW Group, our social responsibility towards our workforce and will do our best to cushion the potential impact resulting from this reorganisation,” he added.
Alpina cars are super desirable, and outright to-die-for if you’re a BMW guy (even just a set of their trademark wheels is like gold). I wonder how the brand will be used by the mothership post-2025, and how “BMW era Alpinas” will be like. Beemer fans, what do you think?
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The founding father must be spinning in his grave for his son to easily sell off his hardwork.
Who cares… No alpina here…
That will mean all pre 2025 alpinas are gold.
post 2025? it would probably look like an amg or maybach rebadge of the mercedes.
goodbye. another one bites the dust.
Alpina was the only independent manufacturer recognised by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, unlike ABT, Brabus, and the likes which are considered aftermarket tuners. I’m not sure that this is a good direction…
BMW had the money and the corporate might to force thru such buyouts, furthermore cars are too complex with so many electronics that independent tuning is no longer easy or doable soon their systems might be so interlinked that tuning is no longer possible.
Brabus is recognised as a manufacturer by the German Federal Ministry of Transport too. It’s KBA code is 7780…
there is RUF