What the car is and where it came from
The BMW 1500 was the first car of the New Class, a four-door compact executive saloon with the new M10 overhead-cam four-cylinder engine. The prototype appeared in September 1961 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, next to the BMW 3200 CS, the last BMW with the OHV V8. It entered regular production in October 1962 and was built until December 1964.
During the 1950s BMW sold luxury cars of two litres or more, economy cars powered by motorcycle engines, and motorcycles. The luxury cars were growing outdated and unprofitable. BMW needed a car in the 1.5 to 2 litre class, and prototypes with a 1.6 L engine based on one bank of the OHV V8 gave no convincing result. In 1960 Herbert and Harald Quandt invested heavily and took a controlling interest, and the Neue Klasse project began.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
The 1500 is a three-box four-door saloon on a unitary structure. It has MacPherson strut front suspension and an independent rear suspension, with coil springs and semi-trailing wishbones pivoted from a stout cross beam that also carries the differential housing. Front disc brakes were fitted to all New Class cars.
The M10 engine had to displace 1.5 L at first, with room to grow to 1.8 L. Alex von Falkenhausen started from an engine prototype he had drawn for the BMW 700. It leans 30 degrees to the right of vertical so the bonnet line can sit low, which also shaped the styling. In the 1500 it has an 82 mm bore and 71 mm stroke and makes 60 kW (80 hp).
What it gets right
The project team was led by Fritz Fiedler, with Eberhard Wolff on chassis design, Wilhelm Hofmeister on styling and body engineering, and von Falkenhausen on the engine. Contemporary reports praised the all-round visibility, the commanding driving position and the large 40 cm tall luggage compartment. The car reached 100 km/h in about 15 seconds, which was considered lively for the engine size, and the engine ran smoothly even above 6,000 rpm.
What it does not
The firm suspension and harsh ride surprised drivers expecting the comfort of the BMW 501. The long gear lever travel meant leaning forward a little to engage first and third. Early problems included semi-trailing arm mounts separating from the body, rear axle failure and gearbox trouble, all resolved in later New Class sedans.
What it changed
BMW had recorded many operating losses before the New Class arrived in 1962. That year the company broke even on a turnover of DM 294 million, and in 1963 sales rose 47% to DM 433 million and BMW paid its shareholders a dividend for the first time in 20 years. These are company-wide figures, and the 1800 joined the 1500 in September 1963. The 1500 also benefited from demand left by the Borgward Isabella, as Borgward had gone into liquidation the year before. The line it started ran to 1972 and again set BMW’s identity as a maker of luxury sports sedans.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for readers interested in how BMW’s recovery from its 1950s crisis began with a new car and a new engine. It is not for anyone who wants a soft ride or a car free of early faults.
Is it worth your time
Yes, if you want to see the car that opened the New Class, a new engine in a body that was in many ways conventional, and that arrived as BMW’s finances turned. The 1500 was built for about two years before the 1600 replaced it in 1964, though it stayed on sale in markets that taxed engines above 1500 cc more heavily.
