1997 ALPINA B10 V8

Welcome to our latest listing, an Alpina B10 V8. Number 71 in the production run, it is finished in Alpina Blue, which we think is one of the finest colours the company offered.

In the care of the owner for the past nine years, he has found it to be very reliable, using it as his day-to-day car as well as to tour Europe with his family. In order to minimise his running costs, he had the B10’s V8 engine fitted with a top-of-the-range LPG system, something it does admirably as you’ll see later.

Meticulously maintained and currently showing just over 150,000 miles, it is only being offered for sale to make way for his new car. In need of nothing, this is your opportunity to buy a wonderfully fettled Alpina B10 that costs as little to run as a family hatchback.

The Alpina Blue II metallic coachwork, which is wonderfully complemented by the Shadowline dechromed option, is in a lovely condition and wears its age lightly. The panel gaps are as tight and consistent as you’d expect of a car like this and say only good things about the car’s use over the years.

As do the ripple-free flanks and absence of the sort of car-park dinks and scrapes a London-based car is prone to. Sure, there’s the odd mark here and there but this only means that the car is one you can use, something you can schlep around Europe in and, should you chose, do the odd trackday with a clear conscience.

The genuine OE alloy wheels are in an excellent condition, having been refurbished only last year. They are free of kerbing and other damage, and the tyres are matching Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric all round. The rear tyres were fitted about 4000 miles, and the fronts were changed in October 2019 and around 500 miles ago. As such, they all still have plenty of tread.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The electric sunroof opens and closes as it should, and seals tightly. The rear screen has a roller sunblind, and the standard Alpina B10 rear wing was removed and replaced with an M5 spoiler earlier in the car’s life; the owner prefers this arrangement and has never bothered changing it back.

Problems? Well, there’s the odd touched-in stonechip and mark, and the odd scuff on the car’s corners but it’s all eminently manageable and if it were ours we’d leave well alone as it’s an honest example of a much-loved and hugely desirable super-saloon and doesn’t need gilding.

Apart from the ‘B10 WTF’ private plate and genuine Hella facelift headlights and tail lights, obvs. 

The extended grey Nappa leather interior, which is piped in Tobago Blue and trimmed with Vavona wood veneer, looks splendid and very of-the-period.

The Comfort grey leather seats are heated, electrically adjustable and wear a patina that is entirely consistent with the car’s age and mileage. There are no holes, rips or tears and while the driver’s seat control works, it sometimes needs to be lifted up a little before pressing the buttons. This is a common fault and is caused by portly mechanics sitting side-saddle on the driver’s seat and straining the control’s housing.

It’s the same story with the carpets, door cards, headlining and dashboard; all are clean and very presentable and testament to the car’s careful curation over the years.

The boot is very clean and neatly arranged, albeit with the odd stain on the carpet. It is home to the complete OE toolkit, as well as a genuine BMW fire extinguisher and first aid kit. The owner is also throwing in an OBD connector and USB adaptor, plus all software for a Windows laptop to be able to plug in and diagnose faults, including IMPA etc.

The owner says that all electrical items work (including the seat control, heated seats, electric windows and electric sunroof) except the electric rear sunblind. He points out that the door mirrors stopped folding recently too, but they do still adjust electrically and dip when the car is put into reverse gear. 

A ‘Dice Silverline’ iPod/iPhone interface has been fitted in place of the CD autochanger. This gives full control of the iPod/iPhone from the factory-fit stereo, and even the steering wheel buttons still work and the track name and artist are shown in the driver’s instrument display.

The BMW also has a professionally fitted Nokia Bluetooth hands-free kit.

A Tracker is also fitted but is not currently activated.

The owner tells us that “the engine pulls like a big 4.6 V8 should and sounds glorious. I took it to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground as part a legal Vmax200 event but only reached 160mph. In the rain, where it felt rock-solid all the way.”

He also tells us that the head gasket was replaced just over four years ago at around £2000, and that the gearbox “shifts smoothly, does not slip and goes into reverse with no delays.” A new gearbox heat exchanger was installed five years ago along with the gearbox oil.

The suspension is fully sorted and now sports Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs. Only fitted around 15,000 miles ago, the Eibach kit came with all four springs but as the front ones were fine the owner left them as they were. However, the car comes with the new replacements for the winning bidder to fit as and when they like.

The work was done by CPC, Amersham and Power Developments, Basildon and the owner reports that the “ride is taut but never crashy or uncomfortable and for such a large car it corners beautifully with minimal body roll.”

The LPG conversion was fitted to allow the owner to run a 340bhp V8 super-saloon with sensible fuel costs; with LPG currently around half the price of petrol, it gives the equivalent of between 30 and 35mpg. The Prins VSI LPG system that is fitted to the car is one of the very best on the market, albeit one that carried a hefty £2300.

But, the owner tells us that the car always moves seamlessly between petrol and LPG even on the move, and goes on to say that the car’s performance is identical whether on LPG or to petrol. Always serviced on time, the next service is due at 164,000 miles.

The engine bay is clean and well presented, and the underside is solid and neatly undersealed. Purposeful and well-maintained, in fact, just like everything else.

The MOT expires in October 2020 and was gained without a single advisory, something it has been doing since 2014. This means that the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s mileage.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a huge sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it. This work is comprehensive, and includes:

• 09/01/20 and 153,525 miles: Power Developments, Basildon fitted new bonnet cables and latches, a new heater valve and an auxilliary pump unit at a cost of £793.

• 12 25/08/18 and 148,411 miles: CPC Auto, Amersham fitted a new front tie rod, a rear link, and set the suspension geometry for £278.90

• 18/08/18 and 148,320 miles: CPC Auto carried out an inspection service and fitted a new rear link at £560

• 24 08/03/18 and 148,211 miles: welding repairs to the inner and outer sills cost £750

• 01/08/17: George Frewing & Sons, South London made a repair to the coolant system at a cost of £105

• 14/10/16 and 142,869 miles: Euro Car Centre, South London carried out some welding work for £358

• 16/09/16 and 142,869 miles: Euro Car Centre, South London fitted new rear suspension parts at a total cost of £1038.34

• 01/07/16 and 141,015 miles: A M Motors, South London fitted a new rear control arm for £170.39

• 23/12/15 and 140,048 miles: CPC Auto, Amersham fitted new head gaskets, closure plate, cross pipe seal rings and a general clean-up for £1927.52

• 24/09/15 and 139,438 miles: A M Motors, South London fitted new rear Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs for £996

• 21/01/15 and 137,717 miles: A M Motors, South London fitted a new gearbox oil cooler/heat exchange and filled the ‘box with fresh oil for oil £547.02

• 07/10/14 and 136,418 miles: Battersea Autogas, London carried out a service to the LPG system plus carried out some repairs to the pipework at a cost of £215

There is much, much more to the car’s history but it’s too detailed to itemise here. Why not contact the owner and ask him to email it all to you? He’s a lovely chap, and only too keen to pass on his experiences with the car.

It also comes with two remote keys and one grey valet key, and the Alpina owner’s manual and wallet, which contains the usual bumf.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give the owner a call and ask if he can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like him to concentrate on.

The Alpina B10 is a much rarer, and some say better, car than the BMW M5  the sheeple bought. As such, it is a much sought after modern classic and one that will always find a ready buyer among those who prefer to tread the path less trodden. 

And we think the price of good ones should do well in the medium to long-term, too. While the price of M5s has rocketed in recent years, the Alpina is still a bit of a slow-burner, which means they’re spectacular value at the moment and should be a safe place to put your money, which makes the guide price of £7,000 to £10,000 look like spectacular value to us.

Please don’t forget this one’s LPG system, either. Offering the equivalent of 30-35mpg running costs, another little known benefit is an engine and fuel system that runs much cleaner than it does on petrol, which should bode well for the car’s long-term longevity.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the owner in South London; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.