Article Summary
- The silver two-door was recovered earlier this week after apparently spending several decades underwater.
- The E21 was discovered at the bottom of a lake in Pfullendorf, after divers stumbled upon it during a missing-person search.
- The vehicle had no license plates, and investigators haven't established its former owner or how it ended up in the lake.
Finding a forgotten classic car in a barn is one thing. Discovering a vintage BMW at the bottom of a lake is quite another. That’s exactly what happened in Pfullendorf, Germany, where divers stumbled upon an ALPINA that had apparently spent several decades underwater.
The silver two-door was discovered in late October at the Seepark lake in Pfullendorf, a town in the Sigmaringen district of Baden-Württemberg. Interestingly, the divers weren’t looking for a car. They were participating in a missing-person search when they unexpectedly came across the vehicle on the lakebed.
Police initially suspected that a 69-year-old man had gone missing in the water after a hat was found near the shore. However, the man was eventually found safe elsewhere, and the search was called off. The discovery of the BMW was an unexpected development in an otherwise unrelated operation.
How Did It End Up At The Bottom Of The Lake?
The vehicle was eventually brought back to the surface on November 11 in a joint operation involving Germany’s water police and the volunteer fire department. The recovery took several hours, with the car emerging from the water covered in layers of mud accumulated during its lengthy underwater stay. The biggest mystery is how the car ended up at the bottom of the lake in the first place. Investigators believe it had been there for several decades, making any connection with the recent missing-person search extremely unlikely.
The absence of license plates further complicates the investigation. Police have launched inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s disposal and are asking anyone with information about its former owner or how it ended up in the water to come forward. According to local reporting, the investigation also concerns suspected improper waste disposal and water pollution.
ALPINA Made Several Versions Of The Original BMW 3 Series
The engine code should eventually solve the mystery of which version this particular E21 represents. There were actually quite a few possibilities, as ALPINA initially offered four different four-cylinder upgrades for the first-generation 3 Series: the A1/3 with 120 hp, A2/3 with 150 hp, A4/3 with 160 hp, and A4S/3 with 170 hp. These were followed by more substantial six-cylinder conversions, including the B6 2.8 and C1 2.3. Judging by the front badge, it’s likely based on the 320.
For now, the BMW’s past remains a secret. It’s certainly an unusual way for a classic ALPINA to resurface, although its latest trip to dry land is unlikely to be followed by a quick return to the road. After spending decades underwater, this particular 3 Series has considerably bigger problems than a routine restoration.
The ALPINA 3 Series Isn’t Coming Back
The E21’s connection to ALPINA also serves as a reminder of a lineage that has now ended. The B3 GT wrote the last chapter, with production of the final example ending in November 2025. It was a fitting send-off, but don’t expect BMW to revive the formula anytime soon.
Now that it owns the ALPINA brand name and has relaunched it as a separate, more exclusive marque, the focus is shifting toward the company’s most expensive models. BMW has made it clear that ALPINA will sit above its own flagship products but below Rolls-Royce. It effectively rules out smaller offerings such as a new B3. The upcoming 7 Series-based G72 flagship and next-generation X7 derivative (G69) better illustrate where the brand is heading.
