The rights to the Alpina brand have been secured by the BMW Group, though exactly how the name will be used – and particularly how it will be positioned with regards to the M division – remains unclear…

The BMW Group has announced that it has acquired the rights to the Alpina brand in an attempt to “secure the future” of the small-series manufacturer as the industry continues its rapid shift towards electromobility.

While the particulars of the deal – which we should point out is subject to various suspensive conditions – remain under wraps with both parties agreeing not to disclose any financial details, we do know the existing long-standing co-operation agreement will run until the end of 2025, with Alpina likely to retainits focus on combustion-engined BMW models until then. Thereafter, BMW rather cryptically says the co-operation will continue “but in a different form”.

The German giant says the acquisition of the 57-year-old Buchloe-based firm will bring “even greater diversity to its own luxury-car range”, though points out the transfer of trademark rights and the resulting discontinuation of the current Alpina vehicle programme at the end of 2025 will “have implications for existing jobs” at the Buchloe facility.

Still, BMW says it plans to support Alpina with the “necessary adjustments to the workforce” over the coming years, before offering any employees not able to continue working at the Buchloe site at the end of 2025 a new position with the BMW Group, suppliers or development partners.

“The automotive industry is in the midst of a far-reaching transformation towards sustainable mobility. For that reason, existing business models need to be re-examined on a regular basis,” said Pieter Nota, member of the BMWBoard of Management responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.

“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. We are delighted to welcome the Alpina brand to the BMW family,” Nota added.

BMW points out that “transformation towards electromobility and increasing regulation worldwide – particularly emissions legislation, software validation and requirements for driver assistance and monitoring systems – [will] result in significantly higher risks for small-series manufacturers”, despite the fact 2021 was the most successful year in the history of Alpina.

Andreas Bovensiepen, Alpina’s co-managing director, says the company “recognised the challenges facing the automotive industry early on and are now setting the right course for Alpina”, adding this “marks the beginning of a new chapter”.

“We made a conscious decision not to sell Alpina to just any manufacturer, because BMW and Alpina have worked together and trusted one another for decades. That is why it is the right decision strategically for the Alpina brand to be managed by the BMW Group in the future,” said Bovensiepen.

It’s not yet clear how BMW plans to differentiate the Alpina division from its existing high-performance M sub-brand. Still, one possible upside for South Africans is the fact this move could increasethe likelihood of Alpina products eventually being officially offered on local shores. After all, the only thing better than one performance division from BMW is two…