1800

STORY

The Neue Klasse (New Class) saved BMW. In the late 1950s the company was nearly bankrupt, its range split awkwardly between the tiny Isetta and expensive V8 luxury cars with nothing in between. The 1500, unveiled in 1961 and on sale from 1962, filled that gap with a modern, sporty mid-size sedan.

Technically it set the pattern for every BMW that followed: a new overhead-cam four-cylinder engine (the M10, which would later spawn the F1-winning M12/13 turbo), MacPherson-strut front and semi-trailing-arm rear suspension, and crisp, upright styling. The New Class range grew into the 1600 and 2000 and directly seeded the 02 Series and the first 5 Series. Financially and philosophically, it is the foundation the modern BMW was built on.