Noticias y novedades para coleccionistas

Herpa Alpina B12 vs. B5 Touring: Choosing a 1:87 BMW Model

Published September 23, 2026 by Muncle Mikes

White Herpa BMW Alpina B5 Touring wagon with dark wheels, shown loose and in its clear presentation case, 1:87 item 421072W

The white Herpa Alpina B12 is a sedan; the white B5 Touring is a wagon. That body shape is the main reason to choose one over the other. Both are small plastic 1:87 models with closed panels, suited to an HO scene or a compact car display.

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B12 421201W: the sedan choice

The white Alpina B12, 421201W has a four-door body and a separate trunk. It gives you the sedan shape if that is the gap in your Alpina collection.

Keep the full item code when comparing B12 listings. This particular model is the sedan shown in the gallery; a B12 coupe from another range is a different purchase.

At an approximate listed length of 2.25 inches, it takes up little shelf space. Check the scale before ordering if you are used to larger desktop models.

B5 Touring 421072W: the wagon alternative

The white B5 Touring, 421072W has the long roof and rear cargo area of a wagon. Dark wheels and side detailing stand out against its white body in the product photo.

It makes sense for a Touring collection or a street scene that needs something besides sedans. The wagon body gives it a different profile even though both models are white.

Herpa lists its length at approximately 2.125 inches. For a tight parking bay, check the available space around the model as well as its length.

Plastic construction is part of the purchase decision

Both models have plastic construction, cabin and exterior detail, and no opening panels. Those are the specifications to use even if you found them through a collection labeled diecast.

Look elsewhere if a metal body or opening hood is essential to your collection. These two put the emphasis on the car’s shape and detail at a small scale.

The gallery shows the car loose and in a clear presentation case. Those are two views of one included model. UV filtering is not documented for the case.

Match the surrounding scene to 1:87

Here, HO means 1:87. Use scenery in that scale if you want the cars to look in proportion; 1:64 cars and 1:200 airport pieces belong to different-sized displays.

The orange mobile-office set, 053600-004OR is also 1:87 and could form part of a site-office scene. It is sold separately from either car.

When laying out parking spaces, leave room for mirrors and a gap between vehicles. Measure the usable bay rather than relying on the outside dimensions of a nearby building.

Choose the missing body style

Choose the B12 if you want the sedan or the B5 Touring if you want the wagon. Displayed together, they make a simple comparison of two Alpina body styles at the same scale.

For a gift, check the recipient’s item codes as well as the model names. Two white Alpinas can look similar at a glance while filling quite different gaps in a collection.

Choose a Herpa car that belongs in your HO collection