BMW Classic - Our Brands. Our Stories. Japan – Masakuni Hosobuchi's BMW M Collection

[Law]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Masakuni Hosobuchi is the Chairman of BMW Club Japan and a well-known BMW collector.
According to BMW Group Classic, Mr. Hosibuchi is the owner of the largest privately-held collection of BMW M cars in the world.









Some of you may remember the time when Hosobuchi went to the BMW Welt to pick up a BMW M1 Procar.
He was already known to have owned every single model of BMW M cars up to that point.












Of course, his collection is not limited to just BMW M cars.
Worth noting among his collection is a one-off BMW "M7", which was produced by BMW Individual specifically for Hosobuchi, and a BMW Z1.



















In this latest video of BMW Classic's Youtube series "Our Brands. Our Stories.", Hosobuchi shares his story on camera.

Originally Posted by BMW

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

BMW Classic goes East.

All around the world there are people who have a great passion for BMW Classic cars. From all over Europe, the Americas in the West and to Asia in the East there are a great number of enthusiasts who have a strong relationship with BMW Group Classic.

Definitely among the most loyal customers is Masakuni Hosobuchi, or “Buchi” as he prefers to be called, who lives just outside Tokyo in Japan. His history with the Bavarian automaker goes all the way back to 1976, when his father purchased a BMW 320i. Just two years later, Buchi got his driver’s license so this 320i essentially became the first car he got to drive. He has continued to buy many more BMW cars since then, and today he is the proud owner of one of the largest privately held collections of BMW M cars.

A Lifelong Impression.

Buchi is a man of many accomplishments, from participating in the 1981 World Rowing Championship in Munich, Germany, to later becoming a highly successful businessman in his home country of Japan.

It was his time in Munich though, in 1981, that left a lasting impression on him. He stayed in the city for three months and had a chance to really experience Bavarian culture. Many things were rather foreign to him, but he quickly learned to appreciate them. And of course BMW was a big part of the city experience as well. Buchi saw the cylinder-shaped headquarters for the first time, and close to the rowing canal where he was training with his Japanese team there was a BMW test track. He already had a liking for the brand before, but his stay in Munich certainly created an even stronger bond with BMW; one that would last to this very day.

The Past, Present, and Future.

Tradition is very important to Buchi and his family. They have been living in his hometown for 500 years, with Buchi being the 25th generation to carry on the family affairs. The house he lives in with his family is registered as a cultural asset and it truly is a very special setting.

Tucked away behind the large modern structures where Buchi operates his business, this traditional house with an original Japanese garden seems like it has been transported via time machine from hundreds of years ago. Around this spacious compound, Buchi keeps some of the many BMW cars he owns, with quite a few of them being among the rarest and most collectible models.

Just like he embraces his own family tradition, Buchi appreciates the BMW brand with its long history and constant care for the brand tradition.

BMW Club Japan.

Buchi has a very strong relationship with BMW Group Classic, since many of his cars have been transported all the way to Munich in case when there was a need for major services. He takes very good care of his extensive collection and BMW Group Classic is the perfect partner to provide all the assistance he needs.

Buchi is also very involved with BMW Club Japan, which is a home for all Japanese fans of the brand. He wants to help expand BMW’s brand recognition in Japan and communicate the long history behind it. The way Buchi sees it, BMW has a rich history of more than a hundred years which is the foundation for many hundreds of years of history to come. He wants to do everything he can to help build this future while he takes care of his current collection, which is always growing with any new exciting BMW model becoming available.

Looking Ahead.

BMW is always looking to improve itself, both as a company and as a brand, since there are constantly new technologies and challenges for any major car manufacturer.

Buchi agrees with the course the Bavarians are on, a course that sets them up for sustainability and success. He hopes that BMW will continue to forge strong bonds with future generations of car enthusiasts, the same way he became a passionate fan of the brand when he was a young man years ago.

The feel-good machine in Nightfire Red. The open-top Mini claimed the title of the world’s smallest convertible four-seater.
play

More in this series:
Jason Cammisa and his 325i (E30)

[EatMoreLobsters]

Incredible

[nmehta211]

This guy gets it. Make him lead bmw!

[GOLFFRR]

super cool

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by nmehta211

This guy gets it. Make him lead bmw!

He has much better things to do with his time.

Great collection.

[cncmastr]

Liking the red E38

[.BMW.]

Very nice collection!

[Aubie4Pres]

The M1 Procar makes it move...

[Noir]

omg...

[Brake_Late]

Those seats and sills 🚆☄️🚀🚆🔰✨
#purist

[SCOTT26]

And the mythical one-off M7 no longer is a myth.

[hok020]

Cool dude! Very nice...
Love the japanese!

[///Cardia]

Originally Posted by nmehta211

This guy gets it. Make him lead bmw!

Facts!

[einscot]

i don't see a coffee can on the back on any of these

traitor

[lemetier]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

And the mythical one-off M7 no longer is a myth.

They haven't been a myth for quite some time now. The pair of E66 are more impressive personally since they're both skunkworks M7's but totally different from each other.

[SickFinga]

The red E38 was built for the 1996 Tokyo Motor Show and the interior pattern is done by the Japanese designer Hanae Mori.

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

And the mythical one-off M7 no longer is a myth.

I always wondered about this car. Does it have anything under the hood besides the original N73? I hope E60 M5 grills, exposed exhaust tips and some BMW M GmbH badging doesn't make it a "one-off M7"

[SickFinga]

Originally Posted by lemetier

They haven't been a myth for quite some time now. The pair of E66 are more impressive personally since they're both skunkworks M7's but totally different from each other.

Which one is the other one?

[lemetier]

Originally Posted by SickFinga

Which one is the other one?

Buchi has both E66's. The white one is RHD, 4.8TT V8 with 406kw, and no visual clues as to what's underneath. Black one is LHD, E61 M5 Touring underpinnings and has the exterior mods.

[SickFinga]

Originally Posted by lemetier

Buchi has both E66's. The white one is RHD, 4.8TT V8 with 406kw, and no visual clues as to what's underneath. Black one is LHD, E61 M5 Touring underpinnings and has the exterior mods.

Is the white one 750Li based? Where can I read more about them? I've seen the original article from where these photos were taken, I've seen the buildsheet for the black E66, but nothing else is known to me about these cars.

[lemetier]

Originally Posted by SickFinga

Is the white one 750Li based? Where can I read more about them? I've seen the original article from where these photos were taken, I've seen the buildsheet for the black E66, but nothing else is known to me about these cars.

They're both 750Li based. Those pics are from 2004 - 2010 IIRC and he did have a 3rd car shortly after (also black but E67 760LiS imported from China) but that one was done by Alpina and Craft JP.

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

And the mythical one-off M7 no longer is a myth.

Yes indeed... ///M Individual !

[SickFinga]

Originally Posted by lemetier

They're both 750Li based. Those pics are from 2004 - 2010 IIRC and he did have a 3rd car shortly after (also black but E67 760LiS imported from China) but that one was done by Alpina and Craft JP.

No, the black one is based on the 760Li, of that I'm sure 100%. The photos can't be from earlier than June 2006, cause that is when the black 760Li was built.