BMW's legendary "bubble car" had a front door, a fabric roof that could be opened and a bench where two people could sit quite comfortably. If you were to bring luggage with you, you attached it to an external luggage rack. With a length of only 2,3 metres, what you can take with you is limited, but still impressively well packed - and very stylish.
BMW's roots
The Isetta was developed and put into production by the Italian company ISO Rivolta, which later built large, beautiful sports cars such as Iso Rivolta and Iso Grifo and more. One would think that the Isetta would be successful on the Italian market in the early 50s, but it didn't happen. Iso therefore offered license production with other car manufacturers. One of several companies that started license production of the ingenious car concept was BMW. In the 50s, the BMW plant made a loss. The large models 501, 502, 503 and 507 were great cars, but expensive to produce, and priced far too high for the market. The Isetta saved BMW from bankruptcy. It also paved the way for models that many still remember and associate with BMW.
Got a BMW touch
When BMW took on the license production of the Iso Isetta, they made several moves in the powertrain. They put in a new 250 engine from their own motorcycle production and redesigned the transmission/cardan. The result was less internal noise and less vibration. The three-wheeled BMW Isetta 250 was a success on the domestic market. One factor that contributed to the success was that the cars could be registered as motorcycles and driven without a driving licence.
Isetta 300
The car in the pictures is a 1961 BMW Isetta 300. It was recently spotted in Fulham, London. What we know about the car is that it was sold at auction in 2017 through Classic Car Auctions - a place for the sale of finer classic cars. The car has been completely rebuilt with a top score for condition. The Isetta 300 got a 300 cubic meter engine with slightly more horses - but with the same top speed as the Isetta 250. We are talking about 13 HP and a top speed of 85 km/h. The car pictured has the steering wheel on the left. BMW had its own assembly plant in England where they produced right-hand drive cars. On these cars, the door opens to the right, instead of the left. The disadvantage of right-hand drive cars was that the driver then sat on the same side as the engine. When the car weighs only 340 kg and has 3 wheels, weight distribution is important for stability. The Isetta 300 could also be delivered in a 4-wheel version. In later models – 400 and 600 – 4-wheel drive became standard. Note that the rear windows on the Isetta 300 are shaped like a normal car, not as extremely "bubble car" shaped as its predecessors.
Expensive fun
When you study the beautiful BMW Isetta in the pictures, you might think that it would be cool to have one like that in the garage. These cars are ideal for passionate DIY mechanics. All of the parts (apart from the interior) can be bought new. The problem is the price. There are currently 23 cars for sale in German mobile.de. The prices are from NOK 350 to just under half a million for polished copies. Cars that are fully drivable, but not polished, are sold for just under NOK 000. The asking price for the car in the pictures was NOK 200 plus fees and costs in 000. From what we can see, this must have been a bargain.
Isetta in modern cars
The Isetta became the salvation for BMW in 1955. They continued to develop the model, including the Isetta 600, which was a 4-seater version with a front door and a rear door on the right side. A quasi-concept that was neither a bubble car nor a car. Far more successful was the BMW 700 – a car with technology from the Isetta, but in a shape that was continued in modern BMWs – the "Neue Klasse" and -02 series. In today's model range, there is little from BMW that reminds of the light constructions from the 50s. The BMW i3 is probably the model that has garnered the most recognition from BMW nostalgics - not least among BMW's own employees.
Isetta Microlino – Isetta year 2022
A new car brand with modern battery technology inspired by the legendary BMW Isetta. The car has been fully developed in Küsnacht, Switzerland and exists today as prototypes. Work is now underway to establish production in northern Italy. The Microlino is a 2-seater with a 220-litre boot, or in the Microlino people's own words: Space for 3 beer cases! The car is equipped with a 15 HP electric motor and can reach 90 km/h and is registered as a 4-wheel motorcycle (L7E). With the largest battery pack, the stated range is 200 km. Estimated price is 12 euros. Advance sales have begun, and interest in the Isetta successor is high. A year ago, the factory had received 500 reservations.
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