I'm sorry I didn't know about this, because I'd have added an extra Alpina to the turnout! We'll have to get up to see the exhibit before it goes away.
Photography courtesy BMW Car Club of America Foundation
There’s something magnetic about an Alpina. The restrained styling. The hand-finished details. The quiet confidence of 600-plus horsepower wrapped in understated elegance. It’s a car you appreciate more the closer you get–literally and philosophically.
Recently, Alpina diehards from across the country (and a few from outside it) converged in Greer, South Carolina, for what became the largest gathering of Alpinas ever held outside Germany or Japan.
The occasion? A double-barreled milestone celebration. First, to honor 60 years of Alpina Automobiles–BMW’s most discreetly powerful sub-brand. Second, to celebrate the 7 millionth vehicle produced at BMW’s Spartanburg plant. Fittingly, that milestone car was a brand-new Alpina XB7, in Alpina Green II Metallic, built right there in South Carolina. If that’s not poetic, we don’t know what is.
Hosted by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation at its Ultimate Driving Museum, the event was part family reunion, part museum piece, and part rare-spec safari. More than 40 Alpina cars made the trip, from E28 B7 Turbos to modern B8 Gran Coupes, many sporting those unmistakable deco pinstripes and turbine-style wheels. And they weren’t just parked like show ponies. They were driven, hard in some cases, by owners who understand that these cars were made to do more than look good.
Unlike most enthusiast events, which tend to lean chaotic and overly caffeinated, the Alpina gathering felt, well, refined. The vibe was exactly what you’d expect from a group of people who bought the weirder, more expensive BMW instead of the regular M-car. There was an unspoken understanding among attendees: This wasn’t about flash or flexing. It was about taste, history and rare machinery that punches way above its weight class.
The cars were diverse. There were gray-market imports, U.S.-legal examples post-2003 (when Alpina started officially selling here), and even a few unicorns like the short-run B6 xDrive Gran Coupe. Someone brought a B7 sporting more than 100,000 miles and casually mentioned that it was their daily.
And then there was the Foundation’s rotating exhibit inside, curated specifically for the occasion: “BMW and Alpina: 60 Years of Performance & Passion.”
Think of it as a visual history lesson, but instead of dusty books, the shelves were full of cars you’d mortgage your house for. The star? A 1987 Alpina M3 DTM Group A car, featuring the renowned S14 engine–the high-revving, naturally aspirated, 2.3-liter inline-four with 315 horsepower developed for touring car racing.
There’s something deeply satisfying about the fact that the 7 millionth BMW built in Spartanburg was an Alpina. Not just any car, but an XB7, the 612-horsepower, three-row luxury hammer that represents Alpina’s most American product yet. It’s big, it’s fast and it’s subtle enough that your neighbors won’t hate you until they ride in it.
During a short ceremony at the museum, BMW and Alpina representatives spoke about the milestone. There was the usual talk of partnership, innovation and mutual respect, but what stood out was just how involved Alpina remains in each vehicle.
These aren’t simple trim packages or badge swaps. Alpina reengineers engines, reprograms transmissions and tunes suspensions with a completely different philosophy than the M division. Where M-cars shout, Alpinas speak in low, deliberate tones. Think espresso instead of an energy drink.
And while the Spartanburg plant is known for high-volume output–it churns out X5s and X6s by the tens of thousands–it was refreshing to see something hand-finished and limited roll off the same line.
What made this gathering special wasn’t just the cars, it was the people. Alpina owners are a different breed. Most of them could’ve bought an M5 or an S-Class or any number of fast German machines, but they didn’t. They chose the path less traveled, the badge most people mistake for aftermarket, and they’re deeply proud of it.
One owner summed it up perfectly while polishing his B10 V8 Touring (yes, one of those rare E39 wagons): “I like fast cars, but I also like reading books. This car is both.” There’s a poetry to that. Alpinas are machines for people who understand nuance–who want to drive something fast but don’t need a loud exhaust or bright-red brake calipers to prove it.
Even the conversations were different. At your typical enthusiast meet, someone’s always bench racing or arguing about dyno sheets. Here, people were swapping chassis codes, discussing rare options and sharing tips on how to import a B3 Biturbo from Japan. It felt more like a jazz club than a car meet.
As BMW integrates Alpina more fully into its brand portfolio (following the acquisition of the company in 2022), the future is both exciting and a little uncertain. Will Alpina keep its quirky, independent spirit? Will we still get hand-stitched interiors and unique engine tunes? No one has publicly stated that yet.
But if this event proved anything, it’s that there’s a dedicated community ready to keep the flame alive. Whether they own a vintage B7 or a fresh-off-the-line XB7, Alpina fans are passionate, informed and just a little bit obsessive–in the best way possible.
The 7 millionth car out of Spartanburg wasn’t just a production number. It was a symbol, a celebration of craftsmanship in an era of mass production. And the fact that it was an Alpina made it feel like we’re still doing something right in the world of cars.
Here’s to 60 years of driving perfection–with just a little extra polish.
I'm sorry I didn't know about this, because I'd have added an extra Alpina to the turnout! We'll have to get up to see the exhibit before it goes away.
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