Alpina becomes a full BMW brand. A new logo attests to this change but what do the purists think?

Since the mid -1960s, Alpina has specialized in the preparation of BMW, in parallel with its production of writing machines and then wine trading. In the automobile, its credo is mechanical performance without sacrificing comfort or elegance. The result is the neat manufacturing which will allow it to be recognized as a manufacturer and to be well seen by the parent company. The two companies will thus collaborate closely for many years. It is therefore quite logical that in 2022, the BMW group fell asleep from Alpina to add it to its brands wallet. All the more logical and pragmatic on the part of the Bavarian, in 2021, Alpina had just achieved his best year since its creation. It is therefore a healthy company that ends up joining Mini and Rolls-Royce.

New badge

This change of status will not be effective until January 1, 2026. From this date, the Bovensiepen family, descendant of the founder Burkard Bovensiepen, will officially pass the torch at the head of the company in BMW. Anyway, to mark the occasion, the newcomer to the group is offered a new logo, which the parent company has just laid. A new badge that abandons the iconic blue and red colors and sees its simplified symbols and the disappearance of colorful coat of arms. The gas butterfly and the crankshaft, which appeared inside, are however always present, but their drawing is now much more stylized. The typography used for “Alpina” is also new. The black strapping disappears. When the old logo wore four colors, the new one is content with black and white. Not sure that this new visual identity is the taste of puristsaccustomed for more than half a century to a more variegated badge …

A new identity for new activities?

Furthermore, remember that One of the conditions set by the family The Bovensiepen family during the buyout of the Alpina brand was that no post was deleted. Several possibilities are now available to staff depending on the situations: continue working on the historic Buchloe site, potentially at a different position as for example in the restoration of vintage cars. Or to become an employee for BMW or for one of its subcontractors is also envisaged, because the company seems to be intended to see its activities evolve, which already confirmed in 2022 Florian Bovensiepen, co-director of Alpina and son of the founder:

“We rely on the strength of our company, our team and our families to rotate at the right time. At the same time, with the BMW group, we recognize our social responsibility towards our employees and we will do our best to deal with the possible consequences of this reorganization.”