BMW introduced the 1500 saloon at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show, beginning its modern model range.
The BMW 1500 was the first member of the New Class, a family of compact four-door cars built from 1962. It used a new four-cylinder engine and helped move BMW away from the larger, less successful cars that had strained the company financially during the late 1950s.
The New Class became important because it established BMW's reputation for sporty sedans. Later versions included the 1800, 2000 and the two-door 02 Series. The 1500 itself was not BMW's first automobile, but it was a crucial turning point for the manufacturer. It is sometimes confused with the later BMW 2002, which belonged to the related two-door range rather than being the original New Class sedan.