The BMW New Class (German: Neue Klasse) was a line of compact sedans and coupes produced by German automaker BMW between 1962 and 1977. The New Class ensured BMW's solvency after the company's financial crises of the 1950s and established the identity of BMW automobiles as sports sedans. The term New Class referred to the 1.5–2–liter class of automobiles from which BMW had been absent since World War II.The New Class began in 1962 with the 1500, a new automobile with a new engine.