how to tell if it's a real Alpina car?

[2mAn]

my cousin claims to have found an Alpina E30. Guy is asking $8500. Only saw pics on my cell phone, so its hard to see details, but it looks like its got the badge, the wheels, steering wheel and maybe a shift knob. no pin striping and didnt see anything under the hood. Im calling the guy tomorrow and want to know for sure that its a real Alpina.

experts please chime in :)

[Wschnitz]

Depends on model. But look for the alpina seat fabric. 2.8l turbo? And also just look up the vin number at the bmw dealer, just copy it down then call them. If its a real e30 alpina b3 your giving it to me, no questions asked, ive been wanting a b3 2.8l since i was like 12.

[Court M3]

Real Alpina will also have a plaque near cig lighter ashtray.

[2mAn]

Depends on model. But look for the alpina seat fabric. 2.8l turbo? And also just look up the vin number at the bmw dealer, just copy it down then call them. If its a real e30 alpina b3 your giving it to me, no questions asked, ive been wanting a b3 2.8l since i was like 12.

so like, ~5 years! hahahah patience grasshopper. this car is in CA anyways.

Real Alpina will also have a plaque near cig lighter ashtray.

hmm i didnt really see it in the interior pics, but that area was obstructed by the steering wheel. would it be below it or above it?

[LJ851]

A real Alpina will have a serial # plaque on the dash somewhere. It's pretty easy to put a bunch of Alpina shit on a car and say its a real Alpina car, the plaque is difficult.

[nokincy]

Ask for VIN number? Real Alpinas will have an Alpina VIN tag as well

[Wschnitz]

Ask for VIN number? Real Alpinas will have an Alpina VIN tag as well

My thoughts exactly. Bmw dealer can decode them. Write it down and call them is my idea.

[sharky]

All the things you guys are mentioning are all parts you can find or piece together, only true way yo tell if it is a true Alpina car is the VIN, remember Alpina is a manufactuer so they will have a specific vin.

[george graves]

Does it look like this vlad car?

[slammin.e28]

True Alpina car? I generally swish it in the glass a bit, then take a small whiff. Gets the taste buds ready for what they're about to encounter. Once you take a sip, you should notice hints of pine followed by a smooth, cool sensation of fresh Bavarian air. Continue sipping and you'll experience a chilling sensation and goosebumps, similar to that which you get when riding a roller coaster. At this point, a burnt rubber aroma should be present in the back of your sinus. The glass will finish up with you smelling a fuel rich exhausty note and a "pssst" as the last drop is passed from the glass over your lips.

That's how you tell a real Alpina.

[herbivor]

There are only about 30 or so that were brought to the states. I saw my first real one at the Vintage last month. The guy got a ridiculously good deal on for around $10k I think. If that car is a true Alpina, it's already been sold by the time you are reading this. An Alpina should bring in at least as much as a well sorted low mileage M3 IMO, if not more.

[flyboyx]

Ask for VIN number? Real Alpinas will have an Alpina VIN tag as well

A real Alpina will have a serial # plaque on the dash somewhere. It's pretty easy to put a bunch of Alpina shit on a car and say its a real Alpina car, the plaque is difficult.

All the things you guys are mentioning are all parts you can find or piece together, only true way yo tell if it is a true Alpina car is the VIN, remember Alpina is a manufactuer so they will have a specific vin.

huh. you mean like these tags?:



don't count on this. this photo above is from my collection. these are very very hard to find but certainly not impossible as you can see.

real alpina's have the original bmw vin number crossed out and a proprietary alpina vin number stamped beside the factory bmw number. look for that. also as mentioned above, call the dealer with the crossed out number and the alpina number. with the crossed out number, they should have no record and will look at you like you smoke crack for a hobby. the alpina vin should come up as an alpina vin.


now that i think of it, here is another good thing to look for:



this was factory in the b6 models and an option on the others. also not impossible to find, but if the car has this, it is a good indication that it could be real.


i will say from experience that anything is possible, but don't put much hope in the notion that you are intending to look at a factory original car. 90% are fakes whether the owner knows it or not. 8500.00 is pretty cheap for an original car. if its a fake, that figure is likely more than its really worth. generally i see nice examples of c2's and c3's in the price range from about 10k to 14k in us dollars. sometimes more, sometimes less depending on condition.

[sharky]

+1 to above, I think my car is a exeption considering it has just about every Alpina part available and it still a tribute/rep. There is great value even in parts so dont turn your nose too soon as just the sum of parts if it has alot of alpina parts eclipses the asking price