1957 BMW Isetta

Watch out V-W Beetles… Our Isetta hates competition in the land of “cute cars”.

1957 BMW Isetta

The Isetta was incubated in the post-war economy of Europe. After the World War II, many people did not have the money to afford large automobiles and instead moved about on scooters and motorcycles. Renzo Rivolta, who made Iso S.p.A. refrigeradors in Milan, Italy, entered the market at this time with a line of scooters, motorcycles, and three wheeled trucks. After some success with these vehicles, he decided to move into the automobile business.

Designed and developed during 1952-1953, Iso presented the first Isetta (literally, little Iso) at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. Looking like the result of a high speed collision between a refrigerator, a scooter, and an ovulating chicken, the Isetta was only 4.5 ft wide and 7.5 ft long. The car had a single door at the front, rear wheels that were only 19 inches apart, and gas mileage of over 50 miles per gallon. The two-cylinder twingle, two-stroke, 236 cc engine allowed a top speed of 45 mph and could propell the Isetta to 30 mph in 36 seconds. Iso began production in Italy and in Belgium for domestic sales and limited export.

The Isetta is Italian-designed microcar built in a number of different countries, including Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The egg-shaped Isetta can be said to be the very best microcar of its time. Certainly it is the archetypal “bubble car”, and is today recognized and loved worldwide. The car’s origins were in Milan, Italy at the scooter and refrigerator company of Iso SpA, run by Renzo Rivolta. Called Isetta, or “little Iso”, the car was a startling, totally unconventional design that caused a furor at its introduction in Turin in November 1953. From this influential debut grew a number of licensed branches worldwide, the main one being BMW in Germany. 22,543 examples of the “egg” rolled off the line in this, its biggest year ever. 1957 was the only year in which the colour division on the door had the vee-shape.

Design & Styling

The Egg Shaped BMW

Under license from BMW, Isetta of Great Britain also began producing cars (the sliding-window variety) at Brighton in 1957 with selected British parts. The Isetta was initially not popular in Great Britain until a three-wheeled version was introduced. The three-wheeled version was taxed at a much lower rate than the four-wheeled version. Isetta of Great Britain continued to produce four-wheeled Isettas, but only for export to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. BMW began exporting Isettas to the United States in 1957. However, the car did not sell well among large Chevys and Fords. Overall, the Isetta was successful enough to encourage BMW to produce the 600, which shared the Isetta’s front door and a motorcycle engine (two cylinders, 600 cc) and the more car-like 700 (also powered by a motorcycle engine).

Thanks to BMW, the Isetta was the most successful of the bubble cars. BMW built 136,367 Isettas. Isetta of Britain produced about 30,000 cars. Romi-Isetta manufactured about 3,000 of which an estimated 200 remain. Velam produced about 5,000 cars. Iso itself only made about 1,000 Isettas. Of the cars made by BMW, about 8,500 were exported to the United States of which it is estimated 1,000 still survive.

Interior


Technical Specs

Technical Specifications

It was seen by BMW as filling a gap between their motorcycle range and the luxury 501 models. The car was redesigned to take the 250cc 4-stroke engine from the R-25 motorcycle, and the front suspension was changed. The finished car was announced in April 1955 and went into production shortly after. The quirky little Motocoupe as it was called by BMW, became the dream of the workingman, and by November 1955, ten thousand had been built. In February 1956, came a 300cc motor. In September of that year the redesigned “sliding-window” model made its debut, looking altogether more harmonious.

  • Year:
    1957

  • Color:
    Green

  • Engine
    two-cylinder twingle 236 cc engine

  • Type:
    1957 BMW Isetta

  • 0-30 mph:
    36 seconds

  • Top Speed:
    45 mph

  • Transmission
    Four speed manual

  • Body/Chassis
    Front door

Cool Facts

It was seen by BMW as filling a gap between their motorcycle range and the luxury 501 models. The car was redesigned to take the 250cc 4-stroke engine from the R-25 motorcycle, and the front suspension was changed. The finished car was announced in April 1955 and went into production shortly after. The quirky little Motocoupe as it was called by BMW, became the dream of the workingman, and by November 1955, ten thousand had been built. In February 1956, came a 300cc motor. In September of that year the redesigned “sliding-window” model made its debut, looking altogether more harmonious. 22,543 examples of the “egg” rolled off the line in this, its biggest year ever.