BMW's Legendary Business Partnership Lost the Founder of Alpina

Burkard Bovensiepen, the founder of Alpina, with which BMW has been collaborating for many years, passed away at the age of 82. Bovensiepen was known as an icon who founded Alpina in 1965, making BMW models more performance and luxurious.

History of Alpina

Bovensiepen laid the foundations of Alpina by developing a Weber dual carburettor for the BMW 1962 model in 1500. This carburettor attracted the attention of the then head of BMW sales and proved the high quality of Alpina's products.

In 1964, the German Federal Ministry of Transport recognized Alpina as a full-fledged automobile manufacturer and approved Alpina-modified vehicles to have an Alpina-specific vehicle identification number based on the original BMW VIN. Alpina's modified products aim to avoid conflict with BMW M and generally produce more comfortable and luxurious models rather than strictly sports cars.

The Future of Alpina

Near zamAlpina, which was currently acquired by the BMW Group, announced that this cooperation will end at the end of 2025. However, Alpina's operation will not change until this date. Senior executives from the two companies have suggested that Alpina was designed to bridge the gap between BMW and Rolls-Royce and make them a more premium brand.

Alpina's best-known model, the B7, is said to return with the refreshed 2026 Series, expected to arrive in early 7. However, the future of low-segment models such as the 3 Series-based B3 and D3 does not look bright. Christian Tschurtschenthaler, BMW's Vice President of Luxury Class, said: zam"Does it make sense if someone is buying an Alpina for €250.000 or €300.000 and comes up to a B3 at a traffic light?" he asks.

The death of Alpina's founder, Burkard Bovensiepen, is considered a great loss in the automobile world. Alpina models, which emerged thanks to Bovensiepen's vision and passion, have a special place in the hearts of BMW lovers. We offer our condolences to Bovensiepen's family and loved ones.