German luxury vehicle manufacturer BMW Group has launched BMW Alpina as a standalone, exclusive brand following the transfer of the Alpina trademark rights.
The transfer, which took effect on 1 January 2026, formally completes the integration of Alpina into the BMW Group portfolio.
BMW Group and Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen announced in March 2022 that they had reached an agreement to “secure the long-term future of the [Alpina] brand”.
At the time, Pieter Nota, BMW head of customer, brands and sales, said: “Acquiring the trademark rights will allow us to shape the long-term course of this brand steeped in tradition.”
Their long running co-operation deal, which had been renewed for an additional five years in late 2020, expired on 31 December 2025.
Newly launched BMW Alpina is positioned as an independent marque operating under the BMW Group umbrella.
According to the BMW and Rolls Royce brand owner, the initial phase of the transition will concentrate on brand activation.
The new brand will also provide a range of bespoke options, including custom materials and design features, intended to address individual customer requirements, it added.
BMW Alpina vehicles are initially preassembled on BMW production lines before undergoing final completion in the company’s Buchloe workshops.
As per the initial announcement, the service, parts and accessories business will continue at the Buchloe location in the long term. There will be no changes to the existing aftersales cooperation.
As part of the launch, BMW Alpina has introduced a new wordmark.
Placed centrally at the rear of vehicles, the wordmark is designed to underline the brand’s standalone identity within BMW Group.
The design takes inspiration from Alpina’s asymmetrical wordmark used during the 1970s.
Customers will be able to specify from a wide selection of bespoke options to differentiate individual vehicles.
BMW Group said: “Given the storied history of the brand, the BMW Group is aware of its tremendous responsibility and committed to making the new BMW Alpina chapter one that meets the highest expectations”.
In December last year, BMW Group officially commissioned its new Cell Recycling Competence Centre in Salching, Lower Bavaria, marking progress in what the company described as an innovative direct recycling joint project with Encory.
During the same month, BMW named Milan Nedeljković as its next CEO, set to succeed Oliver Zipse with the handover scheduled for May this year.
Nedeljković, who currently leads the company’s production division, has been appointed under a contract running through 2031.
