On their own, BMW’s vehicles are known for their performance and their attention to detail. For a next-level experience, however, plenty have gone to Alpina, a company that has established a reputation for itself as a means to turn a luxury car into something truly special. The relationship between the two companies extends back to 1965, and it’s still yielding memorable cars — note InsideHook’s review of the 2022 BMW Alpina B8, for instance.
That relationship just underwent a substantial change, however. As noted by Robb Report, BMW has gone from partnering with Alpina to flat-out acquiring them.
Alpina’s Co-Managing Director, Andreas Bovensiepen, spoke about the acquisition in a recent statement. “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,” Bovensiepen said. “That is why it is the right decision strategically for the Alpina brand to be managed by the BMW Group in the future.”
The existing relationship between the two companies will continue through 2025, at which point the new dynamic will take effect.
A 2015 Road & Track article offers more on the history of Alpina — including the company’s roots in typewriters, and use of a 1963 flyering campaign noting a relatively inexpensive cost for improving the horsepower of BMW’s 1500 in the early 1960s. There’s plenty of history behind this deal — and plenty of speculation as to what might come next.
More Like This
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
