63年式、BMW1500（Germany/BMW）

◎撮影場所　トヨタ博物館

“高級車とコンパクトカーの両極端なラインアップを持つBMWにとって初のミドル・クラス新型車開発は、社内では「ノイエ・クラッセ（ニュークラス）」と呼ばれ、その第1弾として1961年にフランクフルト・ショーにてお披露目となった。
エンジン、シャシー、サスペンション、スタイリングなど全てが新コンセプトに基づく設計であり、同クラスの水準をはるかに上回る高性能スポーティセダンとして好評を博し、大ヒットとなった。その後も排気量を拡大しながら1972年まで生産され、多くのスポーティセダンに影響を与えた。”
◎引用：トヨタ博物館表示

BMW once possessed an extremely bifurcated line-up of vehicles that included just luxury cars and compact cars, so the 1500 model was their first new model developed specifically as a mid-class automobile. Within the company at that time the vehicle was referred to as the “Neue Klasse” (new class) and the prototype was introduced in 1961 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the BMW 1500.
The engine, chassis, suspension, and styling were all designed according to the new concept and the vehicle became a hit thanks to its excellent reputation as a high-performance sporty sedan that far exceeded the level of other vehicles in the same class. Afterward, other “new class” sedans were introduced that had larger engine displacements up until the end of production in 1972, but this vehicle had a major impact on many other sporty sedans.