PRICE WHEN NEW: 68.900 MARK
NUMBER BUILT: 414
COLOR: DIAMOND BLACK
OWNER: TIM WING
OWNED SINCE: 2004
LOCATION: CRESCENT CITY, FLORIDA
Tim Wing, a connoisseur of high-performance BMWs, harbored a vision of a trifecta. His garage already housed the sharp-edged E30 M3 and the sleek European M6, but the yearning for a potent 5 Series model lingered. The obvious choice, the M5, danced in his thoughts, yet a seasoned friend from the BMW Car Club of America steered him toward a different legend: the ALPINA B9. In those days of searching, the ALPINA carried a considerably more approachable price tag than its M-badged cousin, a serendipitous discovery.
The turning point arrived with the crisp pages of the November 2005 Roundel issue. An advertisement, a beacon in the classifieds, announced the availability of a 1985 ALPINA B9 3.5 (E28) nestled in Oklahoma. On November 9th, 2005, the deal was sealed, and the ALPINA became Wing's. This particular B9, bearing ALPINA’s production number 554, had emerged from the workshops in Buchloe, Germany. It was one of a rare pair, twins that had journeyed across the Atlantic to Bavarian Motors in Cincinnati, Ohio. The dealership owner himself became the first custodian of Wing’s prize, while its identical twin found its way to Mike Valentine, the ingenious mind behind the Valentine One radar detector.
Intriguingly, the second owner orchestrated a complete engine rebuild using all ALPINA parts. Wing became the fifth link in this car's ownership chain, a lineage he diligently traced, even managing to speak with all but one of the previous keepers, the third having since relocated overseas. Remarkably, this B9 remained largely untouched by modifications beyond an aftermarket radio, preserving its original ALPINA essence. Wing noted an unusual detail: the luxurious full leather seats, a departure from the more common cloth inserts of the era. This car also boasted a limited-slip differential, heated mirrors, and the subtle convenience of headlamp leveling.