The end of an era: Farewell from the BMW plant in Munich
The end of production for the BMW ALPINA B3 GT and B4 GT: A turning point. We are not only saying goodbye to the most successful derivatives family in ALPINA’s 60-year company history but also to the BMW production site in Munich. Over decades, the foundation for exceptional BMW ALPINA models has been built there. The last automobile to roll off the line is a BMW ALPINA B3 GT Touring in the exclusive paintwork ALPINA Green. The sons of ALPINA founder Burkard Bovensiepen personally took delivery of this extraordinary automobile in Munich.
The production cooperation between BMW and ALPINA
Over the decades, around 12,000 BMW ALPINAs have started life at the Munich plant as part of the collaboration that existed between BMW and ALPINA. Most of those were based on the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series, but also the BMW ALPINA Roadster V8 was built there before being completed in Buchloe. The cooperative production model between ALPINA and BMW was unique in the automotive industry. ALPINA specific components were delivered directly to the BMW plant and used in the manufacturing of the base vehicles before they were transferred to the automobile manufactory in Buchloe, where they were completed by hand.
Andreas Bovensiepen emphasised the importance of this production cooperation when saying goodbye to the Munich plant: “Our teams have achieved extraordinary results over the past decades! It hasn’t always been easy to balance the demands of low and high-volume production. But we have always found a way – thus creating individual automobiles with exceptional character that excite enthusiasts around the world.”
The „jack of all trades“
Especially the models in the mid-size segment, which were produced in Munich, ALPINA reached a wide range of customers, from Germany to Japan. The 3 Series was regarded as a kind of „jack of all trades“ in the ALPINA portfolio, described by the responsible project manager Tillmann Heinz-Veh: “Over the decades we used a wide variety of engines in the 3 Series – from a four-cylinder diesel to a eight-cylinder petrol. This has made many customers very happy.” Whether it’s an efficient diesel, a powerful petrol engine, Saloon, Touring, Convertible, Coupé, or Gran Coupé: in the 60-year history of BMW ALPINA models, there is a suitable automobile in this class for every taste and every driving situation.
5,500 automobiles
A total of 5,500 BMW ALPINAs have been built on the basis of the most recent BMW 3 Series and BMW 4 Series model generation – in just 5 years! Never before have we produced more vehicles form a single model generation at our manufactory. This makes the so-called G2x derivative family, consisting of the BMW ALPINA B3 and B4 as well as the diesel counterparts BMW ALPINA D3 S and D4 S, the most successful in our entire company history.
The GT models: A fitting final
The last evolutionary stage bears the additional GT badge – an abbreviation that stands for particularly desirable automobiles in the ALPINA nomenclature. Characteristic of the GT models are their explosive power delivery (389 kW / 529 hp), outstanding driving performance (308 km/h top speed for the B3 GT Saloon), and agile driving dynamics paired with distinctive driving comfort.
Since mid-2024, around 1,900 GT models have been produced, including about 500 B3 GT Saloons, nearly 1,000 B3 GT Touring, and just over 400 B4 GT Gran Coupés. 45 % of the GT models remained in their home country of Germany, while about 40 % were shipped to Japan.
Unmistakeable: Almost half of the GT models are adorned with the special paintworks ALPINA Blue and ALPINA Green, which were exclusively reserved for BMW ALPINA automobiles. To match the colour of the 20″ forged wheels, around 80 % of customers chose the ALPINA Deco-Set in the GT design colour Oro Tecnico.
The very last GT, currently being completed in Buchloe, is a BMW ALPINA B3 GT Touring in ALPINA Green, which will remain in the possession of the Bovensiepen family. The production number: 972. Just finished – and already a classic. Born and made in Buchloe.
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