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The BMW 501 was launched on the market with a 6-cylinder engine in 1952 as the first post-war model (also known as the "Baroque Angel") followed by the even more luxurious BMW 502 version. The world's
first all-alloy V8 engine for volume production was installed in this car with an output of 100 hp.
The BMW 507 and BMW 503 from the pen of Albrecht Graf Götz were produced in parallel from 1956. Many
aficionados today regard the BMW 507 sports car in particular as the most beautiful BMW ever built. Although these luxury models are an integral part of BMW history and the image of the brand, they were in fact a
failure from a commercial perspective.
By contrast, the company produced a real winner with the construction of the BMW Isetta. In the period from 1955 to 1962, BMW produced a total of more than 160,000
units and launched an extended four-seater version with the BMW 600. However, this success was unable to solve the deep-seated financial crisis besetting the Group. The support from Herbert Quandt and a new product
concept enabled BMW to chart a roadmap to profitability with the advanced small car BMW 700. The new design and technical developments had a distinct profile compared with all its predecessors. The final
breakthrough came from 1961 with the "New Class". The long-awaited mid-range BMW 1500 was an impressive car with straightforward design, sporty handling and numerous engine versions. The cars in the "New Class" were
among the first BMW models to feature BMW's signature "Hofmeister kink" in the C-pillar. While these automobiles are regarded as the forebears of the BMW 5 Series, the BMW 02 Series models laid the ground for the
subsequent BMW 3 Series.
A total of more than 800,000 of the sleek BMW 02 Series cars were sold. They were both eminently suitable for families and defined the sporty image of BMW over the long term. BMW
returned to the luxury automobile class in 1968 with the large saloons and coupés and again renewed its successful tradition of 6-cylinder inline engines.
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