Hi all. I have just bought a 635 in Paris from a Japanese diplomat and there are a couple of things about the car which are a puzzle. Can anyone help?

The car is originally badged as an ///M but it is an automatic. The puzzle deepends since it is a Japanese model which has been re-imported into Europe from Japan. All of the compliance plates are in Japanese - which I can't read - except that the model is denoted as E635 with a BMW Japan Model Number of 0765510 and a few other numbers scattered around. But even though it is a Japanese model it is a left hand drive car - odd since they drive on the other side of the road in Japan. The registration papers give a first date of registration as Nov 86 but I don't know if that is when first registered in Japan (if it ever was) or a subsequent "first" registration in Europe.

So, I have a few questions.

Can anyone tell what the model year of the car is from the model number - is it 1996 or earlier?
What sort of fuel should it have - the seller said unleaded, but the tank cap doesn't look like an unleaded set up?
Can anyone from this part of the world recommend a mechanic that can give the car the sort of care that it deserves - I mean the car is "as new", with the body and interior in perfect condition, the engine purs and pulls beautifully and it has only 70,000kms (40,000 miles).

David Parker

The BMW HTK lists this car as a 1985 635csi Jap Edition with Auto tranny. Manufacture date is 12/85. It does also confirm the car as a left hand drive.