Only 74 of these Alpine C2s were made by hand. It has more power than a current 325i, but the real story is how the engine was built and how well every detail was thought out. On the Bring a Trailer auction site, the current price is $81,500, and the sale ends on May 12. If the 1980s were a good time for BMW, Alpine was determined to turn that gold into something that would make people want to buy it. Bring a Trailer is a magazine like Car and Driver published by Hearst Autos. One of the oldest 3-series BMWs ever made is being auctioned off this week. It’s number 002 out of 74 made, so it’s a collector’s car, but it also needs to be driven. In 1962, Alpine started racing as an expert in tuning BMWs with cars like the 3.0CSL “Batmobile.” Even though current Alpines are more stylish and have better technology, the company crest still shows a carburetor and a crankshaft in a prominent place. If you are interested in the current B7, you want a more luxurious, high-performance corporate tourer than a BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. But if you got an Alpine in 1986, you almost certainly had a pair of leather driving gloves. This C2 was different from the buzzy homologation-special M3 that also came out in 1986. An Alpine is unique. It’s important to remember that Alpena was a respected maker in its own right and didn’t just work on BMWs. Even though the C2’s 2.5-liter inline-six engine has more horsepower and speed than the current 325i, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. An Alpena is a high-quality piece of art made with the same precision and care as a Swiss watch and then given special touches. Even though the bands are ugly, they look great next to the rich Lapis Blue color—the original 16-inch Alina wheels with 20 spokes. Unlike the crowded touchscreens of current cars, the cloth seats and well-designed interiors are all business. Although it appears “correctly European,” it was actually manufactured in Japan. Even though it drives on the left side of the road, this one was initially sold to Japan. This was a common feature of German speed cars in Japan at the time because Japanese people wanted their cars to look “correctly European,” even though they drove on the left. Almost every BMW M, AMG, and Audi RS sold in Japan before the middle of the 2000s was a left-hand drive model. Both young and old car fans like the E30 BMW 3-series because it is easy to drive, has a lot of power, and stays true to BMW’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” name. This 3-series car is the best one ever made. It would still be the most popular weekend trip car even if you put it in a garage with Ferraris and Alfa Romeos. With 43,000 kilometers’ on the odometer, the collecting value will be the same. The latest bid is $81,500, and only four days are left. For a BMW 3-series from the 1980s, that’s a lot of money. This is not a BMW, though. Alpine makes it.
