What BMW Neue Klasse means the second time around

BMW’s decision to revive the Neue Klasse name for its next generation of cars might suggest a desire to go retro, but it actually serves notice of its radical intent.

The original Neue Klasse models, produced from 1962 until 1977, set many of the design trends that BMW still follows today: Hofmeister kinks, the classic three-box shape and so on. But the real success of the Neue Klasse era was how it repositioned BMW through a new design and engineering direction. BMW models became less stodgy and more dynamic, repositioning and reviving the brand and setting the course for everything that has come ever since.

In the 1960s, that brand shift was sparked by BMW’s financial difficulties, but that’s not an issue in 2021. Instead, BMW is reacting to the dramatic shifts in the car industry that go far beyond simply electrification.

So new Neue Klasse models will focus on not just electrification but also sustainability and digitisation – topics that will necessitate new types of cars built on new platforms. Like the first Neue Klasse cars, they will look different from their predecessors – because they will be different. And don’t fret, the Hofmeister kink will survive.

1960s Neue Klasse cars made BMW a dynamic brand