Estimated Price: £45,000 - £50,000
Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG, or simply Alpina - BMW's official tuning partner - has had a long and celebrated association with the Munich car maker, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Credited with re-engineering some very special cars over the years, Alpina's approach is to refine and build on the latent driving and styling characteristics of a standard car, adding a certain Alpina 'magic' that only they can bestow. Their reputation and following are very strong, appealing to discerning buyers who want a special, rare and characterful car. Such are their credentials, that Alpina was recognised by the German Ministry of Transport in 1983 as an 'Automobile Manufacturer' in its own right.
In 1985, Alpina formed a partnership with Frank Sytner to establish a UK outlet for Alpina models at the Sytner Nottingham BMW dealership which had been awarded its initial BMW franchise in 1970. The first seven UK Alpina B10 3.5 E28s, were, according to online sources, based on the 528i, with a further 25 cars based on the 535i. The 'Sytner Alpinas', as they became known, were sent the 3.5-litre engine, suspension, trim, badging and the all important dashboard plaque from the Alpina factory, for assembly in the UK.
Based on a 1985 535iA and finished in timeless Diamond Schwarz Metallic, this particular example is build number 5,537 and is understood to be the fourth of the 25 Sytner-built, right-hand drive B10s. In 2001 it was purchased by an Alpina enthusiast who carried out a partial restoration/refresh before selling it some time later to a good friend of his who decided that he loved the car so much that he would take the restorative works to the next level including a glass-out respray by Spectrum of Loughborough.
Once they returned the freshly painted Alpina to him, he refitted the glass, using new seals and brightwork where available, including new front and rear bumpers, door handles and Alpina badges. The original, pre-respray, gold Alpina stripes were replaced with blue and green ones to match the interior seat striping and these were sourced from Simon Alcorn of the Alpina Register. The interior benefitted from a replacement dashboard, Alpina steering wheel, retrimmed rear door cards, new front door cards, a new headlining, and a glass 'moon roof' with the correct sliding panel. He also poly-bushed all the chassis components to sharpen up the handling, fitted new front calipers, brake lines, discs and pads and went on to detail the engine bay with a powder-coated rocker cover, repainted airbox and numerous other new parts (washer bottles, stickers, trim, fuse box lid etc.)
The current custodian has enjoyed the car for the last eight years, during which time it has continued to be maintained and cherished and has passed every MOT test during his ownership without advisory items. The history file contains a wealth of invoices documenting maintenance, servicing and ongoing expenditure over many years. Pleasingly, the file also includes the car's original Bill of Sale dated 27th March 1985, an increasingly desirable and rarely encountered piece of provenance that further enhances the car's appeal.
Recent expenditure has been significant and includes an ABS sensor in September 2020, a new battery in October 2023, new lower coolant hose and drive belts in April 2024, replacement rear suspension mounts in May 2024, a bespoke stainless steel exhaust (£2,500) in November 2024 and a full service in November 2025 incorporating valve clearance adjustment, replacement cam cover gaskets and gearbox fluid renewal.
Further underlining this example's quality and standing within enthusiast circles, it has featured on the front cover of Total BMW magazine and has also appeared in Modern Classics magazine. Significantly, B10 ALP was the vehicle's original registration number when first supplied and it will remain with the car as part of the sale.
Indicating 102,852 miles at the time of cataloguing and offered with a fresh MOT prior to the sale, this rare and highly collectible Alpina offers an increasingly scarce opportunity to acquire one of the definitive European sports saloons of the 1980s. With its exceptionally limited production, documented Sytner provenance, desirable Diamond Schwarz Metallic finish and a detailed history file, it would make a compelling addition to any serious Alpina or BMW collection.
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