Car Spot: 1958 BMW Isetta

A little car that had a big career …

The fact that the BMW Isetta is one of the coolest ever made may have something to do with the that it was invented by the Italian firm of Iso SpA, a refrigerator company! The company that happened to have a successful side business making motor scooters for 25 years, beginning in 1939, is now one of the most prestigious and revered automobile manufacturers in the world but 70 years ago it was a far different story.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG was struggling to stay financially alive in post-World War Germany. The solution to BMW’s “big” problem comically came from one of the world’s smallest cars. The Isetta didn’t measure six feet long, but it was destined to cast a long shadow. BMW purchased Isetta in 1954, changing its fortunes and changing the course of automotive history.

BMW sold 13,911 Isettas the first year and never looked back, with a 13 horsepower, 300 cc one-cylinder engine the Isetta wasn’t going to win any races with a top speed of 64 miles and hour. BMW moved 161,728 Isettas making it the top-selling one-cylinder car in the world. The Isetta was also the world’s first mass-produced car to achieve 78 miles per gallon. At only 2,550 German marks (about 1,450 US dollars today), the Isetta was a car most people could afford. And Isetta drivers didn’t need an expensive car license, all they needed was a motorcycle license.

This Iseta I found at the Automobile Gallery of Green Bay was a complete restoration and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line in Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom where the car was built. So, what are they worth now? Ones in restored condition like this will go for around $40,000 and is sure to attract lots of attention wherever the car is parked.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest spot and reading about its history. Hurry back next Friday for another one of my spots I’ve discovered in my travels here in Wisconsin. Have a great weekend.