2008 ALPINA D3

One of only 614 ever produced, this lovely Alpina D3 was first registered on the 7th of February 2008. With just three previous owners and 111,690 miles on the clock, the D3 is finished in Sparkling Graphite Metallic.

Sporting a brand-new set of 18-inch alloy wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, the D3 has been owned and maintained by a friend of the vendor, who says of him: “his meticulous attention to detail in caring for his cars – both classic and everyday – mean that I don’t think you will find an Alpina D3 better cared for anywhere!”

He goes on to say that having been serviced in February 2019 and professionally detailed, there is little to detract from this lovely Alpina D3 and it’s hard to believe that it is 12 years old.

With a very good service history file, the D3 offers an intriguing mix of space, power and economy, making it ideal for the family enthusiast looking for an affordable - and rare - everyday sports saloon.

The Sparkling Graphite Metallic (yes, that is its name) coachwork is in a very good condition, and not just for the year and mileage. One of the joys of buying secondhand performance cars is that they tend to be owned, almost by definition, by folks who are prepared to pay a bit extra for a nice car and appreciate the value in maintaining them properly.

The panel alignment is good, the flanks are straight and free of ripples, and there are no dents, dinks or scrapes, much less rust or corrosion. It’s a testament to both the car’s initial build quality and the care it has received over the years, as well as a recent minor paint correction.

The Alpina front and rear spoilers are present and correct, as are the badges and exhaust. It still wears its supplying dealer number plates too. The glass is all good – it’s had a recent windscreen - as are the light lenses.

Sure, there is the odd stonechip and minor scratch (most notably on the nearside lower edge of the front air dam), but none of it would concern us in the least and we’d just concentrate on with enjoying driving one of the very best sporting saloons of the noughties.

Interestingly, the car now sits on 18-inch, rather than 19-inch alloy wheels. The previous, Alpina-fit 19-inch wheels were destroyed by the potholes that are ubiquitous in post-austerity Britain, and Alpina advised the car’s owner not to use them again on our roads because of the ultra-low sidewalls. They recommended, and supplied, a brand new set of 18-inch wheels and tyres instead.

The tyres are the correct Michelin Pilot Sport 255/35ZR18 on the rear and 225/40ZR18 on the front. All are, like the wheels, still near new and in a very good condition.

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.  

Work to do? Well, a fastidious owner might like to invest a couple of hundred pounds in a three-stage machine polish but we suspect most won’t bother and will use its light patina as an excuse to use it carefree and without the sort of nagging doubts that would preclude its use for the weekly shopping run.

The half-leather interior is in great shape, wearing its years and mileage very lightly. The seats are a real feature, showing only very gentle creasing and no serious wear at all.

The Alpina steering wheel and gearknob are lightly patinated but still look fabulous, and adds to the car’s understated sporting demeanour. The Alpina-labelled gauges look terrific, and we are told that everything works as it should.

The boot carpet is in good shape but does have the odd mark. The boot contains the (optional extra) space-saver spare wheel in its protective case, and the whole ensemble looks to have only been lightly used, if that. It is also home to the first aid kit, tool kit, air compressor and a warning triangle.

There is the odd small mark on the rear offside door card, a very minor scuff to the leather on the rear seat in one small area, and a slight loss of colour to one part of the upper outside bolster on the driver’s seat. These are, however, extremely minor and of no concern at all.

Recent work includes having the gearbox and differential flushed and refilled with fresh oil in February 2019 at 109,000 miles. Previous recent significant work includes new front and rear dampers in 2016 at 94,863 miles, and a new dual-mass flywheel and clutch kit in 2018 at around 104,000 miles.

It has been serviced religiously over the years, and the engine bay is clean and tidy. The vendor also assures us that the D3 drives as it should – and hidden within that understatement is the implied assurance that anyone more used to driving a standard BMW 320d is going to be very pleasantly surprised…

The underside is very clean and straight, but it does look like the new owner could profitably spend an hour or so with a brush and a tin of underseal touching it up here and there.

The BMW’s MOT certificate expires on the 14th of August 2020, and was gained with a single advisory - noting the presence of plastic covers…

The previous MOT history shows nothing of concern either, and confirms the car’s mileage. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a folder full of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it since 2014.

It also comes with two keys, the full BMW wallet and handbook set, the D3 Supplementary Owner’s Handbook, its Alpina Service Booklet, and a service/invoice folder including the D3 technical specifications. It will also be supplied with a copy of OAL-BB 50 ‘The Alpina Book’.

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 D3 makes a very convincing case for itself; no, it doesn’t have a snarling, hand-fettling petrol engine but then it doesn’t gulp fuel like a second-time-round hen party bride, either.

And, despite its parsimony, it’s still as fast as anyone can really use on today’s roads, and its massive mid-range punch will allow effortless overtaking no matter how small the gap. As Evo magazine put it: “After a slight pause while the turbo fills its cheeks, a sizeable slug of turbocharged torque gets things moving. In fact you have to be pretty quick with the gearstick before the engine races right through its powerband and stumbles on the other side. Keep it between 2000 and 4500rpm, however, and it thumps along ... and it even makes a decent noise.”

It handles too, and stops and steers as an Alpina should. And, possibly best of all, it could be yours for peanuts; we estimate it’ll sell for somewhere between £4,000 and £6,000 but, more importantly, it is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid!

And this is, you’ll remember, an impeccably maintained example that has been owned for the past half-dozen years by an unusually meticulous and fastidious owner; they simply don’t come any better than this.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor near Tewkesbury; 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.