► Alpina is now officially under BMW’s control
► What comes next for the BMW finishing school?
► It may end up being a win-win deal…
Alpina is now finally under BMW’s full control as the famed tuner’s trademark rights have been handed over to Munich.
It was first announced in March 2022 that the BMW Group had bought the Alpina brand, aiming to bring the long-standing tuning firm and its established branding in-house after more than 50 years of separation. However, it was only on January 1, 2026 that Alpina’s full rights transferred to BMW as the two firms had to wait for an existing five-year ‘cooperation agreement’ to expire at the end of 2025.
The purchase of Alpina by BMW makes sense, too. After all, Mercedes bought AMG and revived Maybach and Audi bought Lamborghini.
Alpina continued with its existing business of producing and modifying its BMW models until the end of 2025, signing off the Buchloe era with limited-run specials such as the B3 GT, B5 GT and its final car, the B8 GT. Last year the Bovensiepen family, founders of Alpina, founded their own coachbuilding business, with its first model, based on the M4, called the Bovensiepen Zagato after the Italian design house who styled it.
Production of ‘old’ Alpinas has now ended as we know it, and BMW Alpina, as it will now be known, says its first steps will be ‘brand activation’. It also still describes itself as an ‘exclusive standalone brand’.
In a statement, BMW said it is ‘aware of its tremendous responsibility’ and meeting the ‘highest expectations’. It also says future models will have Alpina positioned spelt out across the rear of the car.
Though the confirmation of the transfer of Alpina was accompanied by limited details, rumours are circulating that the first new-era Alpina will be a new B7 based on the 7 Series. The flagship limo will get a facelift in mid-2026 and it’s expected an Alpina iteration could follow shortly after. Alpina is likely to focus on more luxurious 7 Series and X7-based models in its new era than the less-expensive 3 Series-based B3.
New Alpinas will also be produced fully in-house, rather than being transferred to Buchloe for styling, interior and engineering fine-tuning as they were under previous Bovensiepen ownership.
However, the BMW Group says that the service, parts and accessories side of the business ‘will continue at the Buchloe location in the long term’, adding that ‘there will be no changes to the existing aftersales cooperation.’ According to Andreas Bovensiepen, co-MD of Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH, the company founded by his father will in the future concentrate on restoring and dealing with classic Alpinas.
Well, for a kick-off, Alpina was doing rather well for itself. Prior to the purchase announcement, 2021 was the brand’s best-ever year, and almost the entire output scheduled for 2022 was already spoken for, too. That will have been an attractive proposition to BMW.
The new arrangement may not be an instant licence to print money for either side, but it may evolve into win-win deal. Alpina should win because it cannot fund the transformation from combustion engine to electric out of its own pocket. BMW should win because there is a big gap between the highest-end 7- and 8-series and the no-longer-entry-level Rolls-Royce Ghost.
‘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,’ said Bovensiepen, in a statement in 2022 regarding the announced deal; ‘this marks the beginning of a new chapter.’
New cars editor, car reviewer, news hound, avid car detailer
With contributions from
Georg Kacher
By Ted Welford and Georg Kacher