Highlights
- 168/200 Alpina B3S rare model
- In current ownership for 11 years
- Full leather upholstery
The Background
Respected tuning company Alpina, now owned by BMW upgraded the 3 series cabriolet with enhancements in terms of the engine, handling and suspension making this in to an unofficial M car. With a bespoke cylinder head, new crankshafts and camshafts, upgraded rods and pistons the cars handling was taken to another level.
The exterior details show a discreet Alpina front splitter, Alpina badges on the leather upholstery and the unique multi spoke alloy wheels, with the roof down this is a comfortable yet sports enhanced GT that seats four people comfortably
History & Paperwork
- Comprehensive service history, main dealer and independent stamped in service book.
- MOT valid until November 2022, with some advisories that are shown on documentation in photo gallery
- New battery November 2021
- Mileage shown on MOTs shows very low recent use, May 2017 96506, now 98457
The Interior
- Full leather upholstery with Alpina unique logos on facings
- Walnut burr trim on dashboard and door handles
- BMW navigation with 6 disc CD player
The interior of the Alpina is in excellent condition, highlighting the quality of the BMW brands materials that over the last eighteen years have held up well. The steering wheel as you would expect does show wear on the outer edges, stitching is in good order as are the shift buttons on the spokes for the manual gearbox transmission override.
The navigation, radio and 6 disc multi changer are in working order and all the displays in the instrument clusters are clear and precise. The dashboard plaque confirms this car was number 168/200 UK cars built, and the original Alpina specification is untouched.
The rear seats show very little use along with the footwells and Alpina carpet mats. There is a very small hole in the carpet on the drivers side, only visible when the drivers carpet mat is raised.
All switchers operate perfectly, as does the electric operated roof, this can also be raised by inserting the drivers key in to the door handle.
The Exterior
The Le Mans blue metallic paintwork is in good order, with very little use the car has been garaged over the years and the owner has maintained it to a very good standard. The black fabric roof is in very good shape, it would benefit from a detail to bring it back to life but no wear or marks appear to be present.
All four alloy wheels have marks around the edges of the rims, they would benefit from a refurb to get this car looking perfect. The front splitter has a scuff on the near side, also a crack is visible as well, this would require some cosmetic refurbishment to tidy it up.
A small scratch is visible on the off side rear of the vehicle, just above the light cluster. this is not too deep and could be touched in.
All headlights and glass are in good order throughout, the reversing sensors are
operational and the car still has its original Alpina badging on the vehicle, stating the B3s moniker.
The Mechanics
The car has had extensive service history throughout its life up until May 2014, this is a mixture of main dealer and independent garages. A new battery was fitted in November 2021 and the owner also had the tracking done on the vehicle in June 2020.
All electronics appear to work on the car and the owner mentioned that the car feels just as fast as it did back in 2011 when he purchased it.
The Appeal
The Alpina B3 S Convertible is a subtle and elegant example of a 3 series, with the 3.4 straight six engine it produces 300 bhp and provides an engaging drive along with comfort and grace.
With Alpina’s history and heritage this car has been tuned and modified by the very best in the business and will provide many memories for the next owner.
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