Alpina
Founded by Burkard Bovensiepen in Buchloe in 1965, Alpina occupied a unique position for six decades: not a tuner but a registered manufacturer in its own right, building complete cars on BMW foundations with a philosophy of effortless, long-legged speed rather than outright aggression. Its B-series saloons and coupés — hand-finished, plaque-numbered, and built in the hundreds rather than thousands — have moved decisively from insider secret to blue-chip collectable. With the Alpina name passing to BMW ownership from 2026 and independent Buchloe production ended, the back catalogue is now a closed book, which rarely hurts values.
Alpina B7 Turbo Coupé (E24)
Alpina's turbocharged 6-Series — 153 pre-facelift B7 Turbo Coupés, then the facelifted B7 Turbo Coupé/1 (130 built, of which 20 were Katalysator) — the fastest 6-Series of its era and the connoisseur's alternative to the M635CSi.
Alpina B6 (E30)
The six-cylinder M3 BMW never built.
Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo
The fastest production sedan in the world at its 1989 Geneva launch — Alpina's twin-turbo E34, 507 units built at Buchloe on the base BMW 535i chassis.
Alpina Roadster V8
Alpina's grand-touring reworking of the BMW Z8 — 555 built, 450 to the US, 8 to the UK — the final and only Alpina-badged car ever sold through BMW's US dealer network.