The BMW New Class (German: Neue Klasse) were produced from 1962 until 1977, as a coupé or a sedan.
They were powered by BMW's celebrated four-cylinder M10 engine, and featured a fully independent suspension and front disc brakes. Initially a family of four-door sedans and two-door coupes, the New Class line was broadened to two-door sports sedans with the addition of the 02 (2 doors) Series 1600 and 2002 in 1966. Sharing little in common with the rest the line beyond power train, the sporty siblings caught auto enthusiasts' attention and established BMW as an international brand. Precursors to the famed BMW 3 Series, the two-doors' success cemented the firm's future as an upper tier performance car maker.
The 02 Series made made its debut at the Geneva auto show in 1966 and was sold through 1975. Within two years the magazine Road and Track was sufficiently impressed to call it "a great automobile at the price".