- Japanese designer Joji Nagashima was the man behind the finest 5-Series generation to date.
- One of these early sketches is from 1989 and shows a very different take on the E39 5-Series.
- Rolls-Royce’s design boss has also shared some early designs of the original E31 8-Series coupe.
BMW’s design history is a mixed bag of icons and eyesores, and few model lines illustrate that better than the 5-Series. It’s been sleek, it’s been strange, and it’s occasionally looked like it was styled in the dark. While beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, some generations were easier on the eyes than others.
For example, the Chris Bangle-era E60 and, arguably, the current G60 model, both drew their share of design complaints. On the other hand, one model stands out as a fan favorite: the E39. Loved for its balanced proportions and understated presence, the E39 is often considered a high point in BMW’s design legacy. Thing is, it almost looked completely different.
Read: Low-Mileage E39 M5 Is BMW M At Its Finest
The E39 was penned by designed Joji Nagashima in 1992, but earlier sketches reveal just how much the concept evolved before reaching production. One of the earliest drawings, a white sedan from 1989, shows a design that barely resembles the eventual E39 we know today.
In fact, it bears a much stronger resemblance to the original E31 8-Series (which we’ll get to shortly), and that tracks, considering the 8-Series made its debut that same year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Some might even say it looked like a sedan version of the E31, for all intents and purposes.
A Very Different Face
Like the eventual production model, the sedan was designed with relatively small kidney grilles, but they are slightly wider than the finished E39. The Japanese designer also crafted a set of oddly-shaped headlights for the 5-Series with curved outer edges and sharply angled inner corners. Down below, triangular turn signals were mounted low on the bumper, adding to the unconventional look.
More: The Curious Case Of The Brand New 1990 BMW Z1 With 999,997 KM
The design of the car’s sides and rear is also vastly different than the E39 we all know. It includes sharp creases and lines stretching from the front to the back, and also has very thin B-pillars. Out back, triangular taillights were connected by a thick red reflector bar, a look that’s more concept car than executive sedan.
Taken together, these styling elements clearly reflect BMW’s late ’80s and early ’90s design language, seen in production models like the E31 8-Series and Z1 roadster, as well as experimental concepts like the Z1 Coupe and E1.
A second early sketch from Nagashima was also shared online. It’s unclear when it was crafted, but it bears a much more striking resemblance to the finalized design. The headlights are similar, as are the kidney grilles with a chrome surround. We can also see the basis for the E39’s front bumper, as well as the strip of black plastic that ran across the bumper.
The E31 8-Series Coupe Designs
In a related bit of design archaeology, a set of early E31 8-Series sketches from 1984 was recently shared by Domagoj Dukec, currently the head of design at Rolls-Royce. These concepts show five very different interpretations of what the original luxury coupe could have been. Frankly, most of them look better than whatever is currently rolling off BMW’s production lines. Each one offered a unique vision for a grand touring coupe, making the modern crop of bloated grilles and confused proportions feel even more frustrating.
Photos domagoj.dukec/BMW
