2003 ALPINA D10

Built in 2003, so coming close to the end of manufacture, this D10 Touring is car number 88. With 145 saloons and 94 estates (or Tourings, as the Germans liked to call them) produced, it’s a rare car, even given the scarcity of D10s on the whole. This one was initially sold to a German buyer, but in 2007 was acquired by the current owner - a specialist in modern classics - for one of his customers in France, resulting in a very enjoyable drive from Germany to Paris with it, so it could be passed on. The car spent some years over the other side of the English Channel before coming to Britain and eventually ending up back with the specialist who’d made the trip in it from Germany to France so many years previously - it must have left quite an impression. This time, he bought it for his own use.

While its previous custodian had religiously serviced and mechanically looked after her , the cosmetics left a little to be desired, so it has recently been treated to a thorough interior and exterior tidy-up, including some paintwork, refurbished alloys, a full valet and leather re-conditioning. Since then, it has been professionally stored.

The extensive history testifies to a car that has been mechanically looked after over its 143,000 miles spanning 17 years in three different countries, and still seems as strong and lively as ever. Everything on it works as it should, and the car drives well, as we were able to sample it ourselves, albeit to a limited extent, during our photoshoot. The current MoT is valid until 2 June 2021.  

Alpina Blue Metallic was a popular shade for these cars, as one of the special colours offered by the firm. It suits the car’s purposeful lines very well and truly sparkles in the sunlight. Overall, the paint is very smart, although as you would expect from a car that has done quite a high mileage, there are some stonechips to be found around the nose. Nit pickers will also note a scratch on the plastic casing of the driver’s side mirror (remember, this is a left-hand drive car), some black paint missing from the base of the rear door side window quarterlight pillar on the other side, and a little bit of cloudiness to the driver’s side headlamp glass.

Elsewhere though, the car is in excellent order, the recent paint rectification work having been carried out to a high standard. For example, there’s no signs of any scuffing on the bumpers. Alpina changes to the usual BMW 530d formula include an Alpina-branded front spoiler - usually picked out in a contrasting colour, but body-coloured here - as well as large chrome-tipped twin exhaust pipes and Alpina alloys, as well as a complete absence of BMW insignia in favour of Alpina items. The rear ‘BiTurbo’ badge, which had been missing, was replaced just minutes before our photoshoot and in the high summer temperatures, its adhesive hadn’t had a chance to set properly, so it wasn’t securely affixed. We assume it will be remounted properly again before sale.

The recent refurbishment of the special 18in alloy wheels has left them looking fabulous and utterly unmarked, save for some minor age-related blemishes on the Alpina centre caps. All four wheels are clad in Continental ContiSportContact3 235-40 R18 95W tyres, with those at the front dating from 2017 and the rears from 2013. They’re all in good order, although there’s understandably less tread left on the back ones.  

Inside, this is not a car that looks like it has covered anything like nigh-on 150,000 miles. The black Montana leather of the sports seats has minimal creasing and wear, and is still supple and supportive. Down below, the carpets (protected by over-mats with the blue and green Alpina motif, which are in turn covered by chunky rubber mats at the front) are similarly excellent. Plush-looking walnut runs in a strip from the rear doors through the dashboard and looks beautiful, still retaining a deep shine to its veneer. Only the timber surrounding the automatic gear-shifter has any real scratching, and they’re very light and easily overlooked.

You really need to delve deep to find anything that needs improvement; underneath the dashboard, out of general sight, is some loose-fitting trim that has left some bolts slightly exposed.

The hand-stitched sports steering wheel, equipped with more buttons than we’ve ever seen on any other wheel (there are 12 in total), is remarkably well-preserved, given how many hands it must have seen over the years. These controls include the Switch-Tronic gear selectors, allowing manual up and down shifts of the otherwise automatic ZF five-speed transmission. This was a system pioneered by Alpina, and it’s good to see it in its natural environment, so to speak.

The dashboard instruments are the standard BMW items rather than the optional Alpina ones (which were blue with red needles and a 320kph speedo instead of a 300kph one) but all the gauges function as both Munich and Buchloe intended. The only error messages recorded by the digital readout underneath the dials are that the washer fluid is low and the tyre control - for monitoring pressures - is inactive. We did note one column of pixels missing from the display though, as can be seen in our pictures.

There are plenty of toys to play with, such as electric and heated seats, split air-conditioning - very welcome on the hot day of our shoot and working very effectively - and a central screen menu that includes a still operational sat-nav. A mobile phone holder protrudes from the right-hand centre console, the front mounting of which has been unscrewed, probably because it’s too small for most mobile phones these days.

Overhead, you’ll find the Alpina production number plaque - number 88, as previously stated - set into grey headlining that, aside from a handful of marks, is very clean.

For those who love original touches, the base of the passenger seat incorporates a first aid kit in a plastic case, which looks completely undisturbed. Everything is still in unopened plastic bags.

The rear cargo area is also very tidy, although the retractable plastic cover seems to have lost its tension. Underneath the main floor, you’ll find the factory jack which, like the spare wheel, looks unused. The wheel is a Michelin Pilot HX dated 2002, so is undoubtedly the one the car was sold with in 2003. More bonus points for originality there then.

You need to open the bonnet to find the first significant bit of BMW badging, on the top of the engine. However, it’s complemented by ‘Alpina 3.0 BiTurbo’ lettering on the plastic cover underneath, as if you need further reminding that you’re in something far removed from the BMW norm. The engine bay has been nicely detailed and is very presentable and tidy - It was steam-cleaned just a few months ago. There’s no grime or hint of anything leaking. All vital fluids are where they should be and look healthy enough - but don’t forget that you’ll need to top up the washer fluid if the dash warning is to be believed.

Everything looks standard under the bonnet, with no signs of DIY tinkering. All the wiring is intact and in good condition, with nothing extra looking like it has been plumbed in. It’s particularly pleasing to see so many information and warning stickers still in place and legible; in an engine bay that hasn’t been cared for, these quickly start to look tatty or disappear altogether.

In true Alpina fashion, you’ll find the original BMW VIN stamped on the right-hand side strut top, albeit with a cross through it and the Alpina number added above it. The other strut has the panel listing the paint information.

The insulation underneath the bonnet has a couple of chunks taken out of it, but is otherwise complete and without significant damage, even down to the parts lettering in the centre.

A look underneath the car reveals underpinnings that are solid, with no corrosion or indications of welding having been carried out. The MoT history backs this up.

There’s a full set of original factory documentation included in the Alpina black leather folder, although, naturally, most of it is in German. Also included are the German, French and British registration forms. The history folder also contains stacks of bills from work carried out in all three countries. The service book is stamped up to this year, with an oil service and other work carried out in July at 229,950km.

For those who don’t want to leaf through all the paperwork, there is a handwritten summary sheet that chronicles the service work and where it was carried out - it’s been pretty much annually, and where the occasional year has been skipped, it’s usually due to minimal miles being covered. At 101,400km (in January 2007), two new turbochargers were fitted. The recent paintwork rectification was undertaken in July this year, at a cost of £1320.

Three original BMW keys/remote control fobs are supplied, although one looks to have been repaired with glue, presumably after being dropped or stepped on. It happens, all too easily.

Just 94 of these Alpina D10 BiTurbos were built. That makes this one an immensely rare car by any standards. When you dial in how many are in the UK, you’re in real needle-in-a-haystack territory. Or rather three needles in a haystack for, according to the website Howmanyleft, there were just two licensed examples and one SORN car in the UK at the start of 2020.

With that in mind, an estimate of £11,000 to £20,000 isn’t just realistic but seems very good value for such a specialist - and special - machine that has recently been comprehensively detailed, is all together and looks so impressive. And it’s also very practical too. Buy this and you’ll have a fascinating and unusual German car that represents one of the more significant attempts to make diesel-engined cars a lot more desirable than they had been. Nothing needs to be done - just drive, enjoy and amaze people that you’re in a diesel estate that is certainly a lot more dynamic and exciting than your average Volvo.

Viewing is always encouraged and this particular car is situated near Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, within easy access of the M11; to arrange an appointment, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to to ask any questions or make observations on the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Although this vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, it has been viewed by one of The Market’s representatives, so our write-up is based on personal assessment. But we have also had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.