Vehicle Description
The origins of the Isetta began with the Italian firm Iso SpA who
in the early 1950s were building refrigerators, motor scooters, and
small three-wheeled trucks. The owner of the company Renzo Rivolta
made up his mind to focus efforts on building a small car for mass
distribution. In 1952 his dream began to take form with a small car
that used the existing engine of a motorbike they built called the
Iso Motto 200 and with that the Isetta was born. The first microcar
prototypes had only one rear wheel but later changed because the
3-wheel design was more prone to rolling over. With its bubble-like
windows and overall egg shape it became known as a bubble car, a
name also given to other similar vehicles. Rivolta understood the
need for a cheap compact town car and with the introduction of his
Isetta he began selling the licensing to several different
countries including Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Belgium, France,
Germany, and the United Kingdom. Renzo was proud of what he helped
create and in 1954 he entered several Isettas into the legendary
Mille Miglia where they all were awarded the top three spots in the
economy classification.
BMW took notice of this microcar and began talks soon after in
mid-1954 and bought not just a license to manufacture but the
complete Isetta body tooling as well. The first BMW Isetta came to
life in April 1955 and was the world's first mass produced car to
achieve a fuel consumption of 78 MPG. 1956 was the first full year
of production and BMW sold 22,000 Isettas, and as the microcar
caught on with popularity, BMW saw the opportunity to improve upon
its design. The engine was upgraded to a 298-cc four-stroke single
cylinder capable of 13hp and 50 mpg at 50 mph. BMW continued their
design improvements in late-1956 and the Isetta saw its bubble
windows replaced with longer, sliding side windows to help reduce
the fishbowl effect of sun shining on the windows. By 1962, BMW had
built 161,728 Isettas making it the top-selling, single-cylinder
vehicle in the world!
We are excited to offer our 1958 BMW Isetta 300 with its original
298-cc four stroke engine that produces 13hp to the rear wheels and
is paired with a 4-speed manual transmission with reverse. Features
a unique Dynastart system which incorporated a compact starter and
generator into one unit. A rare microcar with its iconic hinged
center front door with connected steering wheel that leads to the
single seat large enough for 2 and with a cargo area that also
holds the spare tire. A left-hand drive with the gear shifter,
choke controls, and emergency brake all located on the left side
for easy access. The sunroof can be retracted and provides a more
spacious, convertible-like feel when out on the road on summer
days! And the Isetta's easy sliding windows provide some fresh air
in the cabin, and a heater/defrost system allow for cooler weather
enjoyment as well.
This Isetta was refinished in a period correct Red and White color
combination with a two-tone red and black vinyl interior. Featuring
a black cloth sunroof, heater, windshield defroster, 10" steel
wheels with chrome hubcaps wrapped in BF Goodrich Silvertown tires.
Since its arrival at our museum, we have replaced the battery,
rubber shift boot, upper & lower engine mounts and changed the
engine oil, transmission fluid, and chain case oil. One of only
3,925 U.S. models produced for 1958 and we are very pleased to
showcase this BMW Isetta 300 that is sure to be the star of any
show and grab attention anytime it is out. Thank you for your
interest and please feel free to contact us regarding this rare
piece of BMW microcar history!
