BMW will take over Alpina, the brand's long-time tuner. The companies are not disclosing any financial details about the deal. The agreement still needs to receive antitrust approval to go through.
As part of this deal, Alpina will continue building modified versions of BMW products through the end of 2025. The companies won't say exactly what will happen to Alpina after this date, but the tuner will stop producing vehicles at its Buchloe facility. BMW will offer the people who will lose their jobs a position within the automaker, suppliers, or development partners.
Gallery: 2020 Alpina B7: First Drive
The service, parts, and accessories business for current and legacy Alpina products will remain at the tuner's existing Buchloe facility. There will also be an expansion of the development services business for BMW there.
Alpina will also begin offering restorations of its classic models. This includes the production and distribution of classic parts and classic accessories, in addition to selling the firm's vintage vehicles.
In BMW's announcement of the acquisition, it notes that increasing regulation of emissions and driver safety systems make operating a small-production company like Alpina increasingly difficult. This merger lets the brand remain on the market.
For over fifty years, the Buchloe firm has demonstrated how to deliver top-quality car cachet through meticulous attention to detail. The BMW Group is also driven by this same passion for cars that capture the imagination. That is why we are now embarking on a new chapter in our long-standing partnership. Acquiring the trademark rights will allow us to shape the long-term course of this brand steeped in tradition, said Pieter Nota, member of the BMW Board of Management responsible for Customer, Brands, and Sales.
Alpina started in 1965 with a focus on tuning and racing BMW models. It eventually moved into taking the automaker's models, modifying them, and selling them as a complete vehicle. A few of those came to the US, like the Z8 Alpina and B7. In 2021, Alpina built over 2,000 vehicles in 2021, and the year was the most successful in the company's history, according to the merger announcement.
Spy shots show that Alpina is currently developing refreshed versions of its B3 and XB7 offerings. It also introduced the updated B8 Gran Coupe with expanded customization options.
