Alpina Gave the 1983 BMW E21 Extra Flair, Want One?
The BMW 3-Series, particularly the older models, never needed any help showing out. Some people might forget, however, that the M versions didn’t start until 1985. In the ’70s and early ’80s, without the performance M models out yet, Alpina (aka Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG) saw BMWs and thought, “hmm, these could be a little bit better.” So, Alpina, which is now a BMW mainstay, built their own versions.
Dug up by our homie Zach Doell, this is an excellent example of Alpina’s early craftsmanship: a 1983 BMW Alpina E21 C1 2.3. It’s based on the 323i, and uses the 2.3-liter 6-cyclinder engine that put out 170 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque.
The extra oomf comes from Mahle pistons, a performance exhaust, and dry-sump lubrication. Extra modifications include Bilstein shocks, bigger brakes, alloy wheels, a splitter, a spoiler, and stripes. They were built from 1980 through 1983, and some estimates say only 35 were ever made. And now there’s one for sale on eBay with a “buy it now” price of $33,500.
