What’s wrong with the above Alpina? Very little, if you ask me. Alpina makes beautiful stuff and in the case of this ‘F31’ B3 the execution is also very good. The typical ‘Alpina blue’, silver-colored wheels, the optional striping package and clear side windows: that’s how I like it.
Yet there is one thing that disturbs me immensely: that plate holder. I just can’t believe that there are people who do have the good taste to drive such a beautiful car, but don’t realize that that horrible piece of plastic draws all the attention to the wrong place.
Now this specific dealer is making it very colorful with his silver-colored lump of misery, but less flashy ‘advertising holders’ can also count on the warm embrace of my intense disapproval. I would therefore like to conclude 2022 with an urgent appeal: remove that piece of text under your license plate as soon as possible. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the greatest services you can do your car, and it’s easy and cheap too.
On the day I buy a different or new car – and that has happened dozens of times – at the local auto parts store they already know what to expect. Jan comes by, for a ‘clean’ plate holder and in most cases also for a set of new license plates. That also refreshes quite a bit, but that plate holder is much more important. An ad-free copy cost less than 2 euros the last time I checked. If even that is too much for you, there are also solutions that do not involve a holder at all. All’s well, as long as those hideous websites, phone numbers, advertising slogans and logos are off the car ass. With two screwdrivers, the job is usually done in ten minutes, even if you take the trouble to immediately clean the piece of sheet metal behind the license plate. So do!
Oh yes: after business has been done, the tailgate must be closed again, but of course not by sitting with your fingers on the sheet metal. Wishing you a happy new year and a prosperous 2023!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl