Just as Mercedes-Benz bought the high-performance AMG brand and integrated it into its operation, BMW is acquiring the trademark rights to the Bovensiepen family-owned Alpina manufacturing operation which will become a group-owned brand from late 2025.
Based in Buchloe, Bavaria, Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, was officially founded on January 1, 1965, and provided tuning and motorsport preparation for BMW cars.
ASG Melbourne Pty Ltd – trading as Alpina Automobiles – Australia is the sole official importer of Alpina vehicles (to customer order) and Alpina accessories, alloy wheels and bodykits, through the Doncaster and Melbourne BMW dealerships.
Alpina began making high-performance BMW vehicles based on the 3, 5, and 7-series model lines with the Groups permission from 1978.
Since 1983, Alpina has been registered as an official automotive manufacturer with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority and it employs around 300 people. It’s cooperation agreement with the BMW Group was extended for another five years in 2020 and will expire on December 31, 2025.
Around 2,000 vehicles were produced in Buchloe in 2021. In addition to Germany and Europe, Japan, the US, and the Middle East are also important markets for Alpina. The family company’s second main area of activity is the Alpina wine business which is unaffected by the transaction.
The company will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW Alpina vehicles until the end of 2025. This results in base BMW cars receiving extensive modification by the Alpina team – including the engine and transmission, as well as the chassis, aerodynamics, and interior equipment.
BMW Alpina vehicles are pre-assembled on BMW production lines before final assembly of the vehicles taking place in workshops in Buchloe, also comprising individual interiors built to customer specifications.
The service, parts and accessories business for the entire BMW Alpina vehicle portfolio will continue at the Buchloe location in the long term. There will be no changes to the existing aftersales cooperation. 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.
“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,” BMW management board member Pieter Nota says.
The sale of trademark rights to BMW and the resulting discontinuation of the current Alpina vehicle programme at the end of 2025 will have implications for existing jobs at the Buchloe site.
Up until the end of 2025, BMW will work with Alpina to offer those employees who will not be able to continue working at the Buchloe site a new position with the BMW Group and also help them find new jobs with suppliers and development partners.
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