For the truly initiated BMW nerd, there are few cars more special than those built by Alpina. Their own website describes their cars as focused on speed, and not performance. But for those of us who don’t speak press release, they build cars that’ll outperform the average M car, all whilst being far more comfortable.

Alpina’s cars are hand-built, and up until recently, they operated outside of the BMW Group, but always with close contact. Their cars have been sold via BMW’s dealer network and are backed by BMW warranties. That close-knit relationship gave Alpina a pre-warning of the impending cessation of the M30 straight-six engine. The engine that underpinned their 5 Series shaped offerings, the B10 3.5 and the B10 BiTurbo.

The B10 4.0 was launched in 1993, and for the first time, Alpina had fitted a V8. In typical Alpina fashion, production numbers were limited. Just 49 B10 4.0’s are believed to have been built, and of those, just 2 are known to have been delivered in right-hand drive.

This car is one of those two. Supplied new in September 1994 by Sytner Nottingham, the car was optioned in Arctic Silver over a light grey interior. The first owner used and enjoyed this car, surpassing 100,000 miles within the car’s first 4 years.

Throughout the last 10 years and thanks to an estimated £50,000 spent, the car has been expertly restored.

Nearly every removable panel was replaced, rusted sills and floor pans cut out, and the whole car repainted in its original Arctic Silver with Alpina pin-stripes. The original wheels didn’t come with the car, but a set of genuine staggered Alpina hardlines was sourced, with the rears being an especially rare set of 10” wide items. With replacement glass and seals sourced, attention was turned to the interior.

The original light-grey interior was in less than perfect shape. Though it has been retained, instead the interior from an E34 M5 was used, trimmed in red leather, the seats retain the car’s original heated element, but add memory functionality. The rest of the interior was treated the same way, with red leather and red Alcantara. The original wood trims remain, and a period-correct appearing Blaupunkt DAB headunit has been added.

Throughout the restoration, careful attention was paid to the mechanical components. New brakes, bushes, nuts and bolts were fitted alongside a set of Alpina specification Bilstein B12 dampers. The original exhaust had corroded beyond repair, but a stainless steel recreation built from the original patterns was produced by PD Gough, who supplied the original exhausts to Alpina.

This car comes with some of the most extensive service records we’ve seen, on average it visited a BMW dealer 3 times a year for regular maintenance throughout the first 150,000 miles of its life. Alongside the service history are a host of photos of the car throughout its restoration, as well as paperwork showing its attendance at the London Concours.

09/1994 — Pre-delivery inspection — Sytner Nottingham (BMW)

10/1994 — Running in service at 1,234 miles — Sytner Nottingham (BMW)

12/1994 — Oil Service at 6,649 miles — Scothall Cambridge (BMW)

07/1995 — Inspection I service at 13,338 miles — Sytner Nottingham (BMW)

10/1995 — Oil Service at 20,003 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

01/1996 — Inspection II service at 28,772 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

05/1996 — Oil service at 36,363 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

08/1996 — Inspection I service at 44,146 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

12/1996 — Oil service at 53,035 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

03/1997 — Inspection II service at 60,088 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

06/1997 — Oil service at 67,857 miles — Alan Kerr (BMW)

10/1997 — Inspection I service at 72,904 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

03/1998 — Oil service at 82,797 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

05/1998 — Inspection II service at 87,260 miles — Sytner Warick (BMW)

08/1998 — Oil service at 94,543 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

12/1998 — Inspection I service at 102,746 — Sytner Warick (BMW)

04/1999 — Oil service at 109,347 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

09/1999 — Inspection II service 117,068 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

02/2000 — Oil service at 124,116 miles — Sytner Warwick (BMW)

07/2000 — Inspection I service at 130,908 miles — Damon Hill (BMW)

04/2001 — Oil service at 140,238 miles — Damon Hill (BMW)

12/2001 — Inspection II service at 149,848 miles — Damon Hill (BMW)

01/2003 — Servicing and recommissioning — Classic Racing Cars Ltd

09/2005 — Inspection I service at 175,748 miles — Dowleys MOT and Service Centre

12/2007 — Inspection II service at 189,221 miles

You might think your car is special; it might even be rare. But it’s unlikely to be quite as special and quite as rare as this. Fewer than 50 were ever built, of which just two are right-hand drive makes it rare, but what makes it special is the time that has been spent restoring it, and the story its history tells. Alpina’s first foray into V8 power is now ready for its next owner.

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London

Duke of London