Joji Nagashima (born 1955; 永島譲二) is a Japanese automobile designer for BMW. He is best known for the exterior designs of the E90 versions of the BMW 3 Series, the E39 version of the BMW 5 Series, and the Z3 Roadster. As of November 2007, he held 22 patents in car design.
Japanese designer Joji Nagashima was the man behind the finest 5. The BMW E39 represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of automotive design, a period when creativity, innovation, and a deep understanding of aesthetics merged to create an icon on wheels. The design journey of the E39 unfolded over years of experimentation and refinement, driven by a passionate team of interior and exterior designers under the strong guidance of BMW's elite design.
A BMW designer penned a vision for the E39 5 Series that is barely recognizable from the iconic sedan we've come to know. Sketches from talented designer Joji Nagashima show he had several ideas for the E39 BMW 5 Series, many of which were less elegant. BMW Classic takes a look back at the 5 Series E39 designs that were left on the cutting room floor in the early 1990s.
The Tokyo-born designer only joined BMW in 1988, but with his vision for the E39 he soon made a lasting impression. In fact, his design for the E39 was met with such approval that it was selected and 'locked in' by BMW's new Design Chief, Chris Bangle. Nagashima would go on to pen the Z3, the E36 and the E90 BMW models.
Back to the E39. The E39 -Hails of a time that many enthusiasts consider the highlight of the BMW design, although opinions can vary. The elegant, reserved lines of this time have largely disappeared and do not even let us begin how much better in interior quality compared to the status 2025 quo.
An Entity of Type: animal, from Named Graph: http://dbpedia.org, within Data Space: dbpedia.org German automobile designer. The E39 could have been different: BMW reveals early design sketches of the 5 Series BMW Classic has shared early design sketches of the fourth-generation 5 Series by Joji Nagashima on Instagram. One of the first sketches from 1989 shows a white sedan, almost unrecognisable compared to the production car that was eventually launched in 1995.