If you thought that you were looking at a 2002, that would not be an unusual mistake. Announced in 1961, the BMW 1500 was the first of the New Class generation. The 1500 was the first modern BMW with a four-cylinder engine.

The responsive, overhead-camshaft 4-cylinder engine had a displacement of 1499 cc and produced 80 bhp at 5700 rpm. Weighing only 1060 kg, the 1500's top speed was 148 km/h. The 1500 also featured front disc brakes and 4-wheel independent suspension. The BMW 1500 was only available as a four-door sedan.

Car magazines and the public were enthusiastic in their praise for the modern engineering in the 1500. BMW manufacturing plants couldn't keep up with the demand, and only 23,807 vehicles were made between 1962 and 1964.

The 1500 was a middle-class family sedan, but the German market demanded a car with higher performance. They did not have to wait long, for BMW's engineers subjected the 1500 to further development, evolving into the classic BMW 2002.

The BMW New Class was a line of compact sedans produced by the German automaker BMW and launched with the 1962 1500. The four-cylinder BMW M10 engine used in these cars grew over the years from 1.5 to 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 L with the names changing to reflect this.

The New Class models featured a fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts in front and front disc brakes. This was the model that took BMW to a new level. The 1500 thus began BMW's modern sports-sedan tradition; a tradition that, more than any other, means "BMW" to enthusiastic drivers the world over.