BMW 1500
(1962 - 1964)
Car articles about BMW 1500 by year
With the BMW 1500, the Bavarian car company introduced the "new class" in 1961 and hit the bull's eye. This can already be seen in the first press reports, such as this presentation in the trade magazine 'hobby'. The original report is reproduced here 1:1, supplemented by additional factory photos and an original brochure.
At the end of 1962, the magazine 'hobby' carried out a major comparative test with eleven saloons from Germany, France, England and Italy. In a tough competition, hot-blooded family sports cars had to be compared with utility saloons designed for comfort. The fact that a German representative won was not a matter of course, as places 2 to 4 went to "foreign countries". This article reproduces the original wording of the report at the time and shows all eleven sedans compared in many archive photos.
At the end of the 1950s and beginning of the 1960s, the future of Bayerische Motoren-Werke looked anything but rosy. The product range included small models such as the Isetta, the 600 and the 700, as well as the elegant "Baroque Angel" and the two sports cars 503 and 507. There was a yawning void between these two extremes, resulting in figures deep in the red. The launch of the "New Class" in between therefore decided the survival or decline of the brand. This vehicle report tells the story of the "Neue Klasse" and shows it in old and new images.
In 1963, the magazine 'hobby' undertook a monumental long-distance test with two purchased mid-range saloons, the BMW 1500 and the Peugeot 404. On a long-distance drive over 4500 km, a mountain test on the passes of the Pyrenees and 100 laps on the Solitude-Ring, the two cars were given nothing in return and at the end they were partially dismantled to measure the signs of wear and tear. Both cars offered strengths and weaknesses, but in the end only one could win, as the carefully restored 15-page original report, which was supplemented with historical archive illustrations, impressively shows.
Anyone considering buying an upper mid-range saloon in 1963 had several cars to choose from. Ford 17 M and 12 M TS or even an Opel Rekord would have been an option. However, there was also the BMW 1500, which cost a good DM 1500 and offered typical BMW features such as good driving performance and a high level of driving safety, and of course enjoyed a certain degree of superiority due to its name. This article reproduces the wording of the test conducted by Automobil-Illustrierte magazine at the time and shows the car in historical photographs.
Premium
BMW 1800 - Just before five
The "New Class" from BMW was the five before the five. More than any other German mid-size sedan, it placed particular emphasis on sportiness even in the early sixties. Towards the end of the decade, it may have aged a little visually - but in terms of driving dynamics, hardly any other German brand had anything to offer.
Current market prices for BMW 1500
4-Door Sedan, 80 PS, 1499 cm3
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