The motocoupe quickly rose to the top of the sales charts. The Isetta was a car that most people could afford, costing only 2,550 German marks (about 1,450 US dollars or 1,300 euros now). And Isetta drivers just required a motorbike license rather than a costly vehicle license.
The Isetta was widely distributed throughout Germany and afterwards in other nations, with 10,000 vehicles sold in the first year. 161,728 Isettas were sold throughout its eight-year production run. It is still one of the most popular one-cylinder automobiles on the market today. The bubble vehicle period came to an end in 1962 when production ceased. At that point, people demanded full-size cars since living conditions had improved.
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The BMW Isetta (Germany)
Isetta became distinctively BMW. A BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine that produced 9 kW was used to redesign the powertrain (12 hp). Despite keeping many of the key components of the Italian design, BMW completely reengineered the vehicle; as a result, no two BMW Isetta Moto Coupe or Iso Isetta parts are interchangeable. In April 1955, the first BMW Isetta made its debut.
BMW stopped making Isettas in May 1962, three years after introducing the typically modern-looking BMW 700. 161,728 units in all had been constructed.
The television series Family Matters, in which one of the main characters, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), drove a 1960 BMW Isetta, was responsible for the BMW Isetta’s 1990s comeback.
“The World’s Most Beautiful Touring Car,” video
Many of BMW’s models have emerged as being incredibly enjoyable to drive in the years after the company started using the slogan “Ultimate Driving Machine,” including the first-generation M3 (E30), different M5s, and the eccentric Z3 M Coupe. Despite its elegant and distinctive athletic good looks and pretensions, the Z1 roadster, my personal favorite BMW of the modern age, was a little disappointing to drive.
But the other day I was driving a BMW that was laughably far from being the Ultimate Driving Machine. Fortunately, the production of the aforementioned BMW model had already ended by the time the “Ultimate” marketing campaign began, as the business may have faced a Trades Descriptions Act lawsuit otherwise. Though unattractive, this model was perhaps one of the most significant in BMW’s history as a manufacturer of automobiles because without it, the Bavarian automotive juggernaut we know today could not have survived its close call with bankruptcy in the 1950s.
The BMW I had the misfortune of driving last week was an Isetta, well known as the little and chubby “bubble vehicle,” and it was produced between 1955 and 1962. The BMW Isetta was the first BMW ever to be constructed in the United Kingdom (in Brighton), and it was the best-selling single-cylinder engined automobile in the world at one point, with 161,728 units sold worldwide.
With the creation and construction of the Isetta between 1953 and 1958, Italian domestic white goods manufacturer Renzo Rivolta’s ISO business (nearly) met a post-World War II demand for simple, economical mobility.
Along with the cheap Isetta bubble car production license being cunningly sold by industrialist Rivolta to companies like Velam in France, De Carlo in Argentina, and Romi-Isetta in Brazil, ISO also sold its largest manufacturing rights agreement for the vehicle to the cash-strapped BMW in Munich.
BMW had not recovered well from the Second World War. In a slumped post-war market, the huge, awkward, and thirsty 501 V8 saloon failed miserably to draw buyers, and much of BMW’s former production facilities were now headquartered in the newly Communist-run DDR (East Germany).
The baroque BMW 501 and attractive but pointless sports BMWs, like the 503 GT coupe and pricey 507 roadster, were out of step with mid-1950s new car customer desires. ISO’s tiny Italian bubble-shaped microcar, on the other hand, was more in line with those demands.
How come BMW stopped producing the Isetta?
Production of motorcycles was decreasing. BMW experienced losses on models like the 503 and 507 because they were so expensive to produce.
Does the Isetta still exist?
Iso Rivolta produced tiny automobiles in addition to refrigerators. It displayed a three-wheeled variant known as the “Iso Isetta,” which featured a sizable sliding door that resembled a refrigerator door in the front. BMW executives bought the Isetta’s production machinery in addition to the licensing rights. It started building the car almost once, and only a year after the auto exhibition, in April 1955, the first BWM Isetta 250s left the factory.
BWM had previously been recognized for its high-performance luxury cars, but this was a completely different kind of car. The company’s R25 motorcycle’s 250 cc four-stroke engine was changed for the first versions. 12 horsepower was the maximum that one cylinder could produce. The German firm preserved the original Italian name but changed the design to include a fourth tire and only space the rear wheels 19 inches apart. This “microcar” had a single door in the front for its two occupants to enter, and it was barely 4.5 feet wide and 7.5 feet long. People just required a motorbike license to operate the vehicle because it was so little.
In its first year of production, BMW sold 10,000 vehicles, which proved to be just what the company needed to avoid bankruptcy. During its eight-year production, a total of 161,728 Isettas were sold, making it the most popular single-cylinder vehicle worldwide.
What is the value of a BMW Isetta?
For an Isetta in great condition, restored to its former grandeur, you would currently need to spend between 45,000 and 55,000 US dollars (34,000 – 42,000 pounds sterling). Depending on the model year, 28,000 dollars (21,000 pounds) is a reasonable price for DIY enthusiasts just starting out and can get you a very well-maintained Isetta. And if you only have roughly 17,000 dollars (12,900 pounds) to pay, you should generally anticipate a bubble car that needs a lot of repair and is in ordinary shape.
Which engine powers a BMW Isetta?
Isetta 600 BMW specs The 600 has a naturally aspirated Boxer 2 cylinder engine and weighs 1124 lbs (510 kg) curb weight. 20 PS (20 bhp – 15 kW) of maximum power and 39.0 Nm (28 lb. ft) of maximum torque are both produced by this engine at 4000 rpm.
The BMW Isetta was it sold in America?
BMW made the decision to introduce a low-cost vehicle to help boost the slow sales of its larger models in the post-war era due to the demand for affordable mobility. BMW purchased the rights to produce this “bubble automobile” in 1955 from ISO, an Italian refrigerator manufacturer. In the United States, 3,925 Isettas were sold in 1958. However, U.S. sales decreased once California decided Isettas couldn’t travel on its state’s highway system. Despite having 10″ tires, weighing less than 800 pounds, and reaching 30 mph in 11 seconds, the Isetta is a fairly dependable vehicle mechanically. You’ll see that this vehicle only has one door and can accommodate two people. Today, several Isettas still exist. The engine of the Isetta you see here has undergone several changes, going from 12 horsepower to 20 horsepower, increasing the top speed from 53 mph to 65 mph. Porsche magenta and Chrysler yellow paint used in the bespoke paint job are eye-catching.
Specifications:
German Origin Manufacturer: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Configuration of the drivetrain: rear-engine, rear-wheel drive 298cc engine, manual 4-speed transmission Maximum Speed: 53 mph Production Years: 1955–1962 Produced Number: 161,360 Initial Price: $1,093
Isettas are still produced?
- Three years ago, we featured the adorable Microlino, a little EV that closely resembled a BMW Isetta.
- At the time, the business declared its intention to sell the Microlino in Europe and secure a production license.
- Microlino 2.0 has now been unveiled by the business, and it will reportedly go into production “sometime this year.”
The Microlino is a miniature electric vehicle (EV) designed to resemble the BMW Isetta. It is being developed by Swiss scooter manufacturer Micro Mobility, which invented the folding scooter in the 1990s. The business says it will begin manufacturing this summer and eventually sell them here, a prospect that was unclear in 2018. We saw the prototype at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
Since 2018, Micro Mobility has undoubtedly been busy. The manufacturer claims to have changed the car’s structure from a tubular one to one made of pressed steel and aluminum in order to meet numerous safety criteria. It also claims to be extending the rear axle so that the vehicle can have front and rear independent suspension.
A permanent-magnet motor has replaced the asynchronous motor that the company was working on. The manufacturer predicts a 125-mile range and claims the new engine has “approximately 15 percent” more efficiency and “substantially” more power.
Due to NMC’s superior energy density, lithium iron phosphate batteries are being replaced. By choosing NMC, according to Micro Mobility, designers were able to increase the size of the passenger area.
Speaking about the inside, the steering column is no longer attached to the door but is now fixed. According to the manufacturer, the seat has greater ergonomics and a new digital dash.
The automobile will go on sale in Europe this year with a starting price of about $14,500. We’ll be monitoring the American plans.
Usman Raynal
Wes Raynal, who was born and reared in Detroit, has been a lifelong auto enthusiast.
The BMW Isetta has two motors, right?
In the museum of the Munich-based company, the BMW Isetta stands proudly next to the 1936 328, storied 1955 507 roadster, and forward-thinking 2008 “Gina.” It is justified that the small Isetta is one of the displays, although it doesn’t quite come from the same family.
The Isetta was created by Iso, a small Italian refrigerator and motorcycle manufacturer with a solid reputation, in response to growing competition from Vespa and Lambretta scooter makers as well as the success of the Fiat 500C.
Engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi were tasked with developing a product to appeal to post-war Europeans when Iso’s owner, Renzo Rivolta, started toying with the notion of making a covered car.
According to the legend, Preti, a young aviation engineer, came up with the idea for the overall egg-shaped package and tubular structure, while Raggi designed the body and chassis. The term “bubble car” has come to be used affectionately to refer to this vehicle.
The Isetta was incredibly small, at 2290mm long and 1370mm wide. It only weighed 330 kg and had a two-stroke 198cc engine.
The engine and only drive wheel were located at the back of the earliest prototype three-wheelers. It had a straightforward design and made economical sense because the rear components could be used with Iso motorcycles. In order to increase stability, two wheels were installed at the rear on a small (482mm) track.
The two-passenger car had a single front door that, thanks to Raggi’s creative thinking, lifted the entire steering column and wheel out of place when opened. The big door eased entry and exit into and out of the modest, basic cabin’s solitary bench seat as long as its entrance was not obstructed. However, owners were encouraged to exit the canvas roof in the event of an accident.
It’s interesting to note that BMW hired designer Giovanni Michelotti to come up with a plan for the greenhouse. Michelotti would go on to work with BMW on other projects. The windows had considerable outward visibility due to their bubble-like curves, which ultimately gave the car its moniker, but limited ventilation for occupants in bad weather because they didn’t open.
When it made its debut at the 1953 Turin auto show, the Isetta was seen as a futuristic and cutting-edge vehicle, but Italian purchasers weren’t very fond of it. Within a few months, Rivolta was considering license agreements in France, Brazil, and other nations.
While rivals Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen enjoyed greater commercial success, BMW was developing a similar reputation for high-quality vehicles in Germany. The corporation was heavily dependent on its booming post-war motorbike division. However, by the middle of the 1950s, living standards had risen and interest in motorbikes had started to decline. A lifeboat was desperately needed by BMW.