Most BMW enthusiasts consider the E38 to be the best generation of 7 Series. It’s the best looking and the best driving 7 Series of all time. Additionally, most BMW fans absolutely adore ALPINA. So when you combine the two, you get a very, very desirable car. Especially when it’s as rare as this one that’s currently for sale and is part of Brunei royalty.
Prince Jefri Bolkiah of the Brunei Royal Family owned this E38 ALPINA B12 for 25 years. Since it lived in the dry, hot Brunei for 25 years, and only covered 26,000 miles during that span, it’s in remarkably good condition. Now, it’s in the UK and the current owner is asking £69,995 for it.
This specific ALPINA B12 is absolutely gorgeous, with its black on black color scheme. Typically, I prefer ALPINAs in their classic green or blue colors but a blacked out E38 B12 looks incredible. Especially with the gold pinstriping on the outside and green/blue stitching inside. It’s breathtaking. In fact, it might be the best looking sedan I’ve ever seen. Maybe.
Being a B12, this ALPINA uses a 5.7-liter modified BMW V12 engine, which makes 385 horsepower and can hit a top speed of 174 mph. It pairs with a five-speed “Steptronic” automatic transmission and it even has shift buttons on the steering wheel. I’m sure automatic transmissions from 1998 don’t exactly shift quickly while using shift buttons but it’s nice that the option is there.
This car’s also very rare. Only nine right-hand drive models were ever made and this is the only known one for sale. So if you’re in the UK, or any right-hand drive market, and you want a special piece of ALPINA history, this car should be on your radar. Plus, it’s probably the best looking luxury sedan to ever wear a blue and white Roundel and is worth buying just for that.
[Source: Car and Classic]
