kees

Sooner or later I was bound to bump into this issue...so I'd appreciate some views on how to address this issue in the Alpina-Archive (Alpina-Archive — The Unofficial BMW Alpina homepage - since 1998 — Latest Additions).

There's lots of variants of what can happen to a car over time.
I'm thinking of history such as fitting non-original parts.

In each of the following scenarios when do you consider that an Alpina has stopped being an Alpina?
1. Car with no 'history'
2. Car with engine rebuild by Alpina using original Alpina replacement engine block (but not the original engine block)
3. Car with engine rebuild by an independent using original Alpina replacement engine block (but not the original engine block)
4. Car with engine replaced with replacement engine sourced from another Alpina of the same model
5. Car with engine replaced with replacement engine sourced from another Alpina of a different model
6. Car with engine replaced with BMW engine complimented with Alpina parts from the original engine
7. Car with heavy crash damage - large part of the chassis replaced by new BMW parts
8. Car with heavy crash damage - all Alpina parts moved from original chassis to brand-new chassis
9. Same as 8 but with a used BMW chassis
10. Car is stripped of Alpina parts during theft and rebuilt
11. Car is stripped of Alpina parts and the Alpina papers are sold on. This is used to build an Alpina 'from scratch'.
12. Car is imported to a country with enormous import taxes. The Alpina chassis number is removed and replaced with a BMW chassis number of an already registered local car.
13. Same as 12 but moving all the parts from the original undamaged car to a locally registered BMW.

Danish

I consider the Alpina identity lost in the following cases:
1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13.

__________________
Michael aka B8 Guru
2003 BMW M5
1998 BMW ALPINA B8 4.6 Cabrio
1995 BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 Coupe
=== A L P I N A B125.7 C L U B ===

Bruce M

Agree with above.

except perhaps, if someone rebuilt the engine in a B8 to B10 V8s spec
Then I'd still consider it exceptable in my garage!!

IAS

Agree with above, plus #7 if Alpina parts are replaced with BMW parts.

Mike323i

Only one I would disagree with is 12, unless I misunderstand it or am missing an implication. Why would registering it under a different VIN for a time un-Alpina it?

Danish

In my opinion - because "Alpina chassis number is removed" and this changes the identity, i.e. physically removing the VINs around the body of the car and welding in body parts with another VIN from a BMW. The car assumes the identity of another BMW that may have been parted out or scrapped, thus no longer being identifiable as a factory Alpina. It is not only paperwork, we are talking grinding, cutting and welding.

But then again, people are different and I have seen some resto-mods of older BMWs where an E9 BMW would get an engine from an E34 Alpina and other bits and pieces from yet other Alpinas, and the owner/seller claiming that "this is a true Alpina". The individual/personal definition of Alpina authenticity varies a lot, undoubtedly partly due to the non-availability of Alpina factory cars in some parts of the world.

__________________
Michael aka B8 Guru
2003 BMW M5
1998 BMW ALPINA B8 4.6 Cabrio
1995 BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 Coupe
=== A L P I N A B125.7 C L U B ===

MEnthusiast

I agree with you and Danish.

__________________
All the best,
Jerry
00 Z8 Jet Black/Red Sport / some others