Burkard Bovensiepen, the founding father of German efficiency marque Alpina, handed away final week on the age of 87.
Alpina continues to be not extensively recognized within the U.S., however for BMW diehards the model is synonymous with efficiency, luxurious and craftsmanship.
Primarily based within the state of Bavaria, the identical as BMW, Alpina was based in 1965 as a tuner of BMW vehicles, making it older than BMW’s personal M division which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary final yr.
Bovensiepen was concerned within the manufacturing of typewriters early in his profession, however he had a ardour for quick vehicles and within the early Sixties began tinkering with carbs and revising cylinder heads of a BMW 1500 he owned. It rapidly became a enterprise, and that enterprise rapidly produced autos that had been profitable on race tracks.
2023 BMW Alpina B5 GT
By 1983, Alpina turned an formally acknowledged producer of vehicles and each BMW and Alpina have loved an enduring relationship centered on the creation of potent machines.
That relationship turn out to be a lot nearer final yr when BMW acquired the rights to the Alpina identify. The deal places BMW answerable for Alpina car manufacturing starting in 2025, whereas Alpina itself, immediately run by Bovensiepen’s son Andreas, will concentrate on car improvement in addition to the service, elements, and equipment aspect of the enterprise.
Alpina autos are extremely wanted, however the firm’s restricted capability means it solely builds a couple of thousand autos yearly. In consequence, its merchandise are likely to promote out rapidly. With BMW set to take over manufacturing, it is possible volumes will enhance and probably extra fashions launched.