ALPINA News

03.09.2019

ALPINA craftsmanship

An exclusive portrait of the ALPINA leather workshop.

When you enter the ALPINA leather workshop, you immediately notice a fascinating hustle and bustle. Sewing machines whirr, leather hides are spread out on a table, smoothed out and held against the light for quality inspection, a special machine reduces the thickness of leather down to 0,5 mm for special applications. The entire production process in the leather workshop is a mixture of traditional methods and high-tech processes. The air is filled with the unmistakable smell of natural LAVALINA leather. If you look at the details - and this seems to be the credo of the ALPINA saddlery - you can literally grasp the tense concentration of the employees. Is this really an automobile production plant? Yes, to be more precise, an automobile manufactory where craftsmanship has been upheld for decades.

In the middle of the picture is Ulrich Zecke, master saddler at ALPINA in the second generation. He has been part of the ALPINA family for 28 years and has trained the majority of the specialist staff himself. "At ALPINA, the saddler's craft is truly artisan. Those who learn the craft with us become not only automotive saddlers, but ALPINA saddlers", so Zecke proudly. The decisive difference: "We always think of each automobile as a total work of art. The ALPINA philosophy is reflected in every single production step, in every detail. This is what makes our work here so special," says the master saddler.

This attention to detail is clearly evident in all the interior or upholstery parts that stem from the leather workshop in Buchloe. Almost any wishes can be fulfilled: liners, seams, applications, stitching and embossments, often made to customer specifications, give the ALPINA interior design its very own individual touch. The materials used are among the highest quality in the industry. The LAVALINA leather is very special in the automotive industry, peerless in terms of feel, climate comfort and appearance. The leather is entirely natural, which provides outstanding temperature balancing, humidity control and breathability. This difference becomes tangible the first time you touch it. The natural grain is preserved and gives the leather an unmistakable characteristic that is appreciated by connoisseurs worldwide.

Upon watching the different work steps and how the craftsmen and craftswomen handle each hide, it becomes clear how much appreciation this precious raw material deserves. Each hide is tested with remarkable dedication and highly professional precision, centimetre by centimetre. "For me, this material is synonymous for ALPINA. No hide is like another, they are each as individual as our automobiles and our customers. It takes a lot of time and dedication for the natural tanning of the initially raw hides, which are then after hundreds of hours finished to perfection in our leather workshop. The result: a real little ALPINA masterpiece," says Zecke.

Do you want to get your own impression of our leather workshop? Then visit our team at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main in Hall 11, Stand C 25. From 12th to the 22nd of September you can experience live how ALPINA upholsteries are made by master craftsmen and craftswomen. We look forward to your visit!