What is ALPINA?
ALPINA is officially registered as a self contained automobile manufacturer by the Federal Motor Transport Office in Flensburg/Germany, the Kraftfahrtbundesamt.
The company produces exclusive limited lot productions based on BMW automobiles. It fabricates between 700 and 900 automobiles yearly. Thus, one should not at all mistake ALPINA for a mere tuning company and put it in the same place. ALPINA constructs cars for a very small circle of people, who have the enthusiasm to drive automobiles at the newest level with excellent driving performance accompanied by best handlings and comfort features.
Mr. Bovensiepen lives and produces according to a statement by Oscar Wilde: “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best!“*
The vehicles are produced in collaboration with BMW. ALPINA purchases a bodyshell at BMW and partially resorts to the standard and extra equipment of BMW. However, ALPINA develops its own engines, but based on a series block of BMW. Such an engine then is completed overworked; pistons and cylinders will be polished (hand work). They are provided with different camshafts, fuel-injection systems, self-developed absorbers, partially with turbochargers and centrifugal compressor etc.
The engine itself is assembled from various pieces by one single assembler in each case in two or three work days. There are no fixed times given for this workings. Here, only the quality of the product is important. The respective assembler is later also responsible for the engines built by him.
The engine used in the B7 and B5 is composed of around 1200 components.
Gearbox, undercarriage, exhaust pipe system and brakes are also proprietary developments. Gearboxes are set up in collaboration with famous manufacturers especially for each vehicle type. The same is valid for the wheel rims, tyres and exhaust. Concerning the wheel rims, ALPINA has developed its own distinctive design.
In general, the wheel rims have 20 spokes; either evenly distributed or in 5 blocks with 4 spokes each.
The design of the interior is adjusted with the customer preferences. Either the car is equipped as BMW series - production vehicle or a modification is made following the individual preferences of the client. ALPINA is disposed of an own saddlery. It is taking care lovingly of the design of the seats and the interior, in case a special leather interior and an individual design have been ordered by the client.
In addition to that, there is an own type label in the interior of the vehicle in the range of the rear-view mirror or, at older classes, at the centre console as well as next to the glove box at the kerbside.
There, the production number and the type of the vehicle are annotated. With this information it can be noticed, who for example set up the engine.
Due to the close collaboration with BMW, ALPINA was able to calculate the costs for the vehicles advantageously. The components developed and constructed by ALPINA are delivered to the production plants of BMW and there set up in the assembly lines. This saves considerable costs as there are no components of the vehicle left.
Furthermore, the company has a second main pillar.
In addition to cars it also disperses excellent wines.
Among the customers are ca. 1000 Restaurants and catering businesses and merchants as well as around 6000 private customers. In 2004, the business volumes of the company was ca. 60 million Euro.
History (origin/foundation)
The company´s founder, Burkard Bovensiepen, was born in 1936 in Chemnitz, Germany. His father was, a jurist, worked as businessman in the Ruhr District and in the Allgaeu.
When he was three years old, the company´s owner of today got tuberculous osteitis. Thus, he passed eight years in hospitals. A stiffened hip remained from this illness.
Without having learnt to write properly, it was a hard task to catch up on missing learning. Finally, he did his Abitur in 1955. After that, he served an apprenticeship as toolmaker. After he had finished that, Bovensiepen studied mechanical engineering and business management.
Already in 1957/1958 he tried to earn his own money by exporting VW beetles to the USA. Profits were invested in shares. However, this went wrong and in 1959 he went bankrupt.
However, the car was still its greatest love. In 1961 he developed a precision engineering factory for calculators, typewriters and sewing machines in the Alpina factory of his father as well as precision engineering units for the textile industry; a multiple carburettor increasing the efficiency.
The fact, that his car, a Fiat 1500 by the company Nardi, increased its performance from 67 Hp to 75 Hp through a different camshaft and a Weber – dual carburettor was decisive for that. However, the pleasure he took in that lasted not for long. Already after 50 km the car was worn out. He now planned to make this in a better way.
Bovensiepen, as a fan of motor racing, decided to carry out his plan with BMW engines. At that time, these were the most modern engines and they were very suitable for his plan.
A multiple carburettor was developed for the BMW 1500 which came out recently. The product got the name ALPINA plant and was reviewed benevolently by the specialist publications. The first marketing he made himself. At the International Motor Show he personally put test reports under the windscreen wipers of each BMW 1500.
The mass-production cars by BMW had a performance of 50 Hp with this engine. The prototype developed by Bovensiepen initially had 75 Hp. But the mass-production had already 80 Hp.
Since autumn 1963 there was a rebuilding set for 980 German Mark an inclusive installation which got more than 90 Hp out of the engine.
A very considerate and friendly relationship developed between BMW and the tuning company that it was at that time. Finally the plant was unblocked by BMW and thus paved the way for the getting in into the BMW dealer network and due to that the costly setting up of an own distributing agency was spared.
In the end of 1964, his father retired from the Alpina factory. He was not interested in developments in the sphere of motor cars. So, at the January 1, 1965 Burkard Bovensiepen founded the ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen limited partnership in Kaufbeuren.
The company began to work with 8 employees. At this time, people gave the young company a chance of survival of six month at the best. However, already in the first year a small profit was made.
The name ALPINA is an invention of his mother. She wanted to document with this her closeness to the nearby alpine region.
In 1967 the company logo was newly-created as trademark and seal of quality in one.
It shows a pair of intake trumpets and a crankshaft. The crankshaft should be a symbol of the cubic capacity and the torque and the pair of intake trumpets stand for a double carburettor plant with long intake funnels.
The first development made by Alpina. Mr. Bovensiepen was angry that the BMW 1500 with its 75 Hp could not even, in his own words “pull a sausage from the plate”**. The double carburettor plant was designed for this engine.
Further development of the company
From 1968 to 1977 ALPINA was active in motor sport having great success, as it will be told below. This was followed by a 10-years break and thereafter again a guest performance in the “German touring car championship” followed in 1987.
In 1970, the company moved from Kaufbeuren to Buchloe due to space reasons.
In 1975, ALPINA began in collaboration with selected BMW dealers to set up a German dealers´ network.
Foreign offices were opened also in the UK and Switzerland.
In 1978, ALPINA presented three fantastic, completely self-developed, presentations at the Lake Garda.
The B6, based on the BMW 6 series, equipped with a 2.8 litre six-cylinder engine. It is the first six-cylinder-engine at a BMW 3 series. The basic model is produced by BMW only with four-cylinder-engines. This increase of the cubic capacity constitutes a considerable increase of the drive comfort in this automobile class.
At the same time, the BMW ALPINA B7 Turbo, based on the BMW 5 series line, has been presented. The vehicle was at that time the fastest saloon in the world. The B7 Turbo Coupé was presented with the same 300 Hp strong engine variant.
Each of this new-generation ALPINA engines have a fully-electronic computer ignition, unique at the time in the automotive world.
One year later, which means in 1979, Burkard Bovensiepen incorporated a new branch of the business, a second main pillar of the ALPINA Company; the wine importership.
In an impressively-short span of time they won many wine connoisseur and nearly all of the top restauranteurs in Germany as clients.
In the same year, an ALPINA branch was opened in Japan.
In 1981 -1982 ALPINA created again milestones; the B7/S limousine and Coupé with 330 Hp. These cars got special colours for the first time. The limousine was presented in ALPINA blue. The B7/S Coupé got a special colour also; ALPINA green.
The Federal Motor Transport Officein Flensburg/Germany registered ALPINA in 1983 officially as car manufacturer and it got its own key number.
In 1985, the conversion of the entire automotive production to engines with catalytic converters took place. Instead of installing ceramic catalytic converters, exclusively metal catalytic converters were installed, using Emitec technology. Not until years later this concept has been found in other high-technology automobiles
The B 10 Bi-Turbo has been presented in 1989. It is a highlight. The well-known journalist and racing driver Paul Frere wrote: For „me this is the car ... I think this is the best 4door in the world.“ *** The car has a 3.5 litre six-cylinder-engine with two turbochargers. It develops 360 Hp and a maximum speed of 280km/h.
ALPINA continued to expand. Due to the increasing demand, the number of employees has grown in the meantime to 120 persons. In this year, a new, generously-dimensioned building for administration and production was built.
In 1992, ALPINA is the first automobile manufacturer to realise an electronic clutch management system.
In 1995, Alpina came up again with a self-development as the first automotive manufacturer, In the B12 5.7 E-CAT; the SUPER-CAT was used for the first time. This is an electrically-heated metal catalyst, which is a joint project with the firma Emitec.
The catalytic converter gets its necessary operating-temperature considerably earlier and thus it starts earlier with the emission control. At the same time, it was succeeded with this technology to undercut the 1996 emission standard by 80%.
Since 1999, Alpina dared also diesel engines. In cooperation with BMW a super-diesel was developed.
The ALPINA D 10 BITURBO came on the market. It was presented at the Geneva Salon d´Automobile. At that time, this automobile was the most powerful diesel saloon in the world. It got good critics and test reports. Merely, a small starting weakness was reported; but later on the car produced its performance of 254km/h powerful and reached a maximum speed of 254km/h. Despite of the enormous power, its diesel fuel economy at an average is only 7.5 litres per 100km.
In 2002, ALPINA also had an automobile for friends of “open motoring” on offer. The luxurious and comfortable BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 with SWITCH-TRONIC, based on the BMW Z8 was built. However, only a limited series of 555 automobiles world-wide exists. With this model ALPINA conquered the North American market. 450 Roadsters were exported to the USA.
The remaining 105 cars were sold in Japan and Germany. Today, this vehicle is traded at a high price at the second-hand car market, as it is a very exclusive and rarely existing Roadster.
The car has and an eight-cylinder engine and a cubic capacity of 4.8 litre. It produces 381 Hp and the engine speed is not regulated before the maximum speed of 260km/h.
However, this is an exception at ALPINA, because normally the other cars are not limited in their maximum speed.
Since 2004, the company has the ALPINA B7, based on the BMW 7 series on offer. This car has an engine with a mechanically-driven radial compressor – combining for the first time ever charging and VALVETRONIC – this leading to a considerable reduce of petrol consumption of the strong engine. The average fuel consumption on this 500-horsepower limousine is 12.8 litres super plus per 100km.
To explain the difference between turbochargers and mechanically-driven radial compressors, another, technically top quality lecture is required.
We want to mention only one difference. The turbocharger is driven by the exhaust gases of the car and thus is dependent on the rotation speed of the engine; therefore it starts to work only at a certain level of performance/rotation speed of the engine. The mechanically-driven radial compressor used here is driven constantly by a belt of the crankshaft. The so-called “turbo lag” does not exist here. The mode of operation of the supercharger is very similar to the one of a compressor.
Only one year after, which is to say in 2005, ALPINA presented the B5. This car is based on the BMW 5 series. The engine is taken from the just presented B7. At the moment of the presentation, the car was the fastest saloon in the world with a stated top speed of 314km/h
At the same year, the ALPINA D3 was presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany. This was another diesel-engine vehicle based on the BMW 320d.
The car produces 200 Hp with a maximum speed of 238km/h at an average fuel economy of 5.8 litres per 100km/h.
At the same motor show also the ALPINA B6 was presented. A car based on the BMW 6 series Coupés and Convertible. The motorization was taken from the B7.
At the Geneva Salon d´Automobile in 2007, finally the long expected B3 Bi-Turbo was presented. With this car, the tradition of the Bi-Turbos was continued. It is about a car on the basis of the BMW "3-series" with a 3.0-litre engine.
Through the installation of two turbochargers the engine achieves a performance of 360 Hp and a torque of 500 Nm. By this performance, a Vmax of 285km/h is reached. The car has a performance of 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds and thus it only needs 1/10s more than the B5 with 500 Hp.
In September 2007, the “S” versions of the B5 and the B6 were presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. They have an increased efficiency of 30 Hp compared with the basic versions. The increased performance results mainly from the installation of a differently straddled camshaft. However, the improvement of the driving performance does not exceed a certain level; now it takes a 1/10s less from 0-100km/h and the Vmax increased by 3km/h.
Outstanding successes
Since 1968 it truly began. ALPINA engaged in Touring Car Motorsport. Very famous and still today well-known pilots were on ALPINA’s payroll. The most outstanding ones among others were Derek Bell, Harald Ertl, James Hunt, Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Brian Muir and Hans Stuck.
In 1970, ALPINA won the European Touring Car Championship, the classic 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, as well as all major German Championships: Road Course, Hill-Climb and Rallye.
In 1971, Bovensiepen convinces BMW that a lightweight version of the BMW 3.0 CS is needed. This was urgently needed to continue to be successful in Touring Car racing. ALPINA got the task of this project. Here, the wheels in 20-spoke design in the classic ALPINA design appeared at the piece of sport equipment officially offered by BMW.
Derek Bell, Harald Ertl, Niki Lauda and Brian Muir won with the ALPINA the European Touring Car Championship. Niki Lauda sets an absolute Touring Car record for the six-hour race on the Nurburgring, driving the Lightweight Coupé.
Due to the flexible reaction, ALPINA overcame the oil crisis of 1973/74 without layoffs. ALPINA developed at that time engines that run on regular petrol – engines that are at once frugal and powerful
In 1977, ALPINA won with Dieter Quester again the European Touring Car champion against the Jaguar Coupé being far superior to it at least on paper. Thereafter, ALPINA steps out of Touring Car racing for a period of ten years, to dedicate all efforts to the development of fascinating road-going automobiles.
The magazine “Auto Motor Sport” organizes a Shell Kilometer marathon. There, one was also successful with a BMW ALPINA 318i. The 3.0-litre car was still not in discussion at that time. Thanks to various aerodynamic changes in the car body and a revision of the engine, this vehicle won in its class. The fuel economy was 2.672 per 100km/.
In 1987, ALPINA engaged again in motor racing. Ellen Lohr, Christian Danner, Fabièn Giroix, Peter Oberndorfer and Andy Bovensiepen, the son of the company´s founder, driving the BMW ALPINA M3 Gruppe A, earn multiple victories, along with many good placings.
ALPINA developed the metal catalyst for this car. Hereupon, it became standard equipment for every DTM race car.
One year later, which is to say in 1988, ALPINA completely withdrew from racing. Due to capacity constraints, priorities had to be drawn. The decision had to be taken between motor sports and the development and production of road vehicles.
ALPINA „today“
Today, ALPINA is a sound positioned company. Its legal form is limited partnership with alimited liability company as generalpartner. Mr. Burkard Bovensiepen is the owner and managing director of the LLC.
The shares of the business in respect of the liable equity of 2 million of Euro are divided among the members of family as following:
Burkard Bovensiepen has 70 % and his children Andy, Angela and Florian in equal shares 10 % each.
In general, the incubation period for a new car by ALPINA comes to two years. This fact also shows that it takes it time in order to be able to present a car as perfect as possible.
The number of employees increased within the last years. At the moment, about 170 people have a job at ALPINA.
In 2006, ALPINA produced in total 808 cars.
The amount of the wine trade was 10% of the total turnover. However, it was not possible to learn the turnover figures
Besides many Alpina dealers in Germany, it is possible to purchase an ALPINA car via any BMW dealer in Germany. The same is also valid for maintenance and repair, also due to the close cooperation with BMW.
Moreover, there are importers in many countries such as Belgium, UK, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, United Arabic Emirates, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.