Scooter manufacturer Iso busily produced the Isetta (literally, “little Iso”). The Isetta was determinedly unconventional. Small and egg-shaped, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry, and in the event of a crash, the driver and passenger were expected to escape through the canvas sunroof. With a pair of closely-spaced rear wheels driven by a tiny 9.5hp motorcycle engine, the Isetta took over 30 seconds to reach 30mph from rest – although in 1955, one managed to finish 267th out of 281 in the punishing Mille Miglia 1,000-mile endurance race.
The peculiar bubble-shaped city car had only been a minor hit since its introduction in 1953, and its days were numbered. Iso wanted to concentrate on mainstream sports cars, and required funding for the forthcoming Rivolta sports coupe. Thus, Iso decided to sell the rights and machinery to produce the Isetta. Along with manufacturers in France and Brazil, BMW acquired a licence, and was to prove most successful in selling the car.Despite a production life of eight years, there were essentially only two different models of BMW Isetta – one with a 247cc engine, and a slightly more powerful version with a 297cc engine (the Isetta 250 and 300 respectively). Mechanically, the car was very reliable – the only weakness being rust, and a “disposable” image which means that examples are quite rare nowadays. Prices range from $3,000 for a very tatty example up to $15,000 or more for a pristine vehicle. Three-wheel British versions are more rare, but their value is offset by the fact that they’re more prone to rolling-over than the four-wheeled examples. There was a rare cabriolet version and an even more rare truck.
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