Alpina confirmed

BMW Australia has officially welcomed the Alpina brand of modified BMWs Down Under. But as previously reported, the mothership will not handle the importation – instead The In Motion Group, trading as Alpina Automobiles Australia will be the official distributor.

The In Motion Group runs BMW dealerships at Doncaster and Bundoora in Melbourne’s north east. Alpina cars will initially be offered via those dealerships. Later, the cars are expected to be offered via selected BMW dealers across the country.

The Alpina B4 Bi-Turbo Coupe is the first model to be homologated and will be available from November 2016. B4 Bi-Turbo Convertible, and B3 Bi-Turbo Sedan and Touring (wagon) are currently undergoing homologation, BMW Australia says. The first examples of these are also expected here in November.

All customer cars will be built to order, BMW Australia says.

Alpina has a long association with the BMW brand but remains independent. It started modifying mainstream BMW models in the mid-1960s and has also been a prominent partner especially in motorsport.

BMW Australia boss Marc Werner said he welcomed the arrival of Alpina.

“Alpina has a long history of producing tailored cars based on BMW models and we welcome its presence in the Australian market,” he stated.

The modifications carried out by Alpina include drivetrain, chassis and suspension, as well as exhaust and other components. The company also offers myriad interior customisation options. Bespoke body kits are also featured.

The Alpina story has been somewhat on-again off-again Down Under. BMW Australia would not comment on the details of the deal, however, motoring.com.au understands that under the current agreement, BMW Australia will handle the homologation of Alpina models on behalf of the new importer.

Alpina was founded by Burkard Bovensiepen in 1965. Together with sons Andreas and Florian, he still heads the family-run business. Alpina produces around 1700 cars each year.

Alpina is perhaps most famous for its development of the BMW 3.0 CSL (Lightweight) Coupe on behalf of BMW. That car went on to win the 1973 European Touring Car Championship and is now one of the most collectable BMW models.