Another Alpina Alumnus: 1989 Alpina B10 3.5/1

Update 2/18/18 – the Buy It Now option dropped from $28,500 to $18,000. What a deal!

Lucky for us, we get to continue the string of great-to-see Alpina E34s today with this B10 3.5/1. Unlike the BiTurbo from last week, the 3.5/1 made due with a naturally aspirated form of the M30. Still, head and software changes netted over 250 horsepower, and with the suspension and aerodynamic tweaks you’ve come to expect from Buchloe these were anything but pokey. Best of all, because they’re not the more extoic twin-turbo version pricing is a lot more manageable in general.

But several of the last Alpinas I’ve written up have also had major credential problems. So is this one to consider collectable, or is it another clever copy?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Alpina B10 3.5/1 on eBay

Year: 1989
Model: B10 3.5/1
Engine: 3.5 liter inline-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 115,500 mi
Price: $28,500 Buy It Now

Honest Alpina B10 3,Alpina production number 051.I have documentation from Alpina verifying the authenticity of the Alpina production on this example.The Alpina vin number is WAPBA35018BB30051,this number is stamped on the shock tower.The production date was October 1988 with engine number 7601.Review the pictures posted,the car is as clean as the pictures reflect.The paint is near perfection,the interior is clean,crisp,and void of stains and soilage.The car was built as an automatic ,it has been converted to a manual transmission(the original transmission comes with the car).The wheels are without flaw and the tires are deep in tread.The car drives as one would expect,extremely fast and tight! The car just received a clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder.The car does not have rust or indication of accident history.
Review the pictures posted on the slideshow,if the car holds interest,contact me at 615-971-4409.
The car is located in our showroom 25 minutes east of downtown Nashville Tn.
Independent inspections are welcomed and encouraged.
There will be an additional $299 dealer doc fee with final transaction price
This and other European collectibles may be reviewed at JPFRAZIER.com

1213 symbols

The ad reads pretty well overall and the pictures paint good condition example. It’s got a proper Alpina VIN. The documentation is claimed to be in order and there are no glaring problems – at least, at first. Problem one is that the car was converted from an automatic to a manual. But, I’d guess that most would prefer the manual, and if you really want an original example, the seller is including the automatic. Is there anything else? Yeah, if you noticed the last photo above, you may have picked a big omission up; it’s not it’s original color, either, as witnessed by the black shock towers. The Alpina Archives do like chassis 051; it confirms that the car was an automatic, but also notes the car was a respray from Diamond Black to Alpina Blue. It also has some pretty outrageous interior shots of the seats in the car right now, but with bright blue leather from the looks. So on top of a transmission and color change, it appears that the original interior pattern was also changed out at some point.

Now, what does that do to value? Great question. From a collector standpoint, these changes probably hurt the absolute value of the car were it pristine. But with over 100,000 miles, the changes have netted a better example that still retains the Alpina characteristics most sought by enthusiasts. But does that equate to nearly $30,000? That’s seems a bit of a reach. We’ve seen them for sale for much less, albeit not in this condition. But perhaps the best comp is this car itself, which sold three years ago for $25,000. As the market has moved ahead on these cars since then, perhaps it’s not all that outrageous an ask after all?

-Carter