Home | 1982 BMW/Alpina C1 2.3

This blog details the restoration of my extremely rare 1982 BMW/Alpina C1 2.3.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Alpina was coming into it's own, not just offering parts and kits but building their own cars from stock BMWs. For the first 3-series BMW (the E21 chassis), Alpina offered conversion kits to dealers and tuners for the C1 2.3 and built their own B6 2.8. The former was based on the "baby six" motor, the M20 (later found in the E30 325i) and the latter used the big six M30 motor from the 5- and 6-series BMWs. But a handful of C1 2.3s were actually built by Alpina in their factory in Buchloe--not converted by dealers or tuners. These Buchloe-built C1 2.3s are very rare, with numbers estimated to be under 25. This car is authenticated by Alpina as one of these extremely rare Buchloe-built C1 2.3s.

I found the car on Bring-a-Trailer in late 2016. After the auction ended with the car not meeting reserve, I did some more due diligence, including contacting Alpina who verified it was built by them in Buchloe. With this information and a PPI, the owner and I came to a deal a few weeks later.

When I finally saw the car it was rougher than I expected, needing paint and a mechanical rebuild. And here is the story of that restoration. To read the about the triumphs and travails, click on "blog" above.

Enjoy! And feel free to email me at info@alpinac1.com with you comments and suggestions.