THE BMW ISETTA – A CELEBRATION

The bubble car is often associated with the 1950s, but they really belong to the previous decade. The Isetta belongs to a lost country, one of skiffle, Teddy Boys and Tony Hancock and Sidney James squabbling in the front parlour of 23 Railway Cuttings. It is also the vehicle that helped save BMW.

The story began in 1953 when Iso of Milan displayed the Isetta at the Turin Motor Show. The acceleration from the 236cc two-stroke engine may have been limited – 0-30 in 13 seconds – but the price was lower than the venerable Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’. The most notable feature was the universally joined steering column that opened with the front door. The Motor found the Iso ‘Boldly and cleverly unorthodox’. In their view, ‘The Isetta may well prove to be pioneering a development as important as that of the motor scooter’.

Incredibly, Iso even entered four of their pioneer bubble cars in the 1954 Mille Miglia endurance race, all of which completed the route at an average of 43 mph. Italian production ended in 1955, the same year as the launch of Fiat’s ground-breaking 600, but by then the Isetta was enjoying a new career in Germany. BMW launched their version in April 1955 after acquiring a licence from Iso.

At that time, the Munich concern was near bankruptcy and in dire need of a cheap and profitable new car. The German ‘Isetta Moto Coupe’ featured headlamps in mounted pods. BMW further re-engineered the body to accommodate the R-25 motorcycle’s 250cc four-stroke motor, combined with a modified four-speed motorcycle transmission with an added reverse gear.

BMW’s customer base included former motorcycle riders who craved more comfortable accommodation and motorists to whom even the cheapest VW Beetle was out of reach. The Isetta may have been capable of just 53 mph, but most owners were more concerned with its 70 mpg fuel consumption. In 1955 alone, BMW sold 12,917 units -

UK sales commenced that year, with AFN of Isleworth in charge of distribution. Denis Jenkinson wrote in Motor Sport, ‘it’s cornering power and general safety in handling, relative to its size and power, classes it with cars of the highest order.’ By 1956 the Isetta 300 had a very welcome power increase, and the De Luxe boasted sliding side windows - the ventilation of the earlier models was very limited. And April 1957 saw BMW establishing Isetta of Great Britain Ltd. assembly plant at the former Southern Railway works in Brighton.

As there was no road access, the parts sent from Germany and the finished products had to arrive and leave the Sussex factory by train. BMW claimed the Isetta was ‘the cheapest four-wheel car in the world’ and would seat ‘2 adults and a child in comfort’on the front bench. It was capable of 70 mpg at 50 mph, and the 300 cost a mere £383 19s. Moreover, BMW ownership could be yours for ‘£120 and easy terms.’

Equally importantly, the Isetta was ‘now under production in Britain by a British-owned and British-staffed factory,’ which would hopefully reduce curtain twitching from the neighbours. The Brighton works exported Isettas to Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and in 1958 the standard version cost £339 19s 6d. For another £26, there was the ‘Plus’ with a heater, door pocket, rear bumper, front bumper horns and the luxury of hub caps as standard.

1958 also marked the launch of the three-wheel version, which was essential for the British market. The new model meant the Isetta could now be piloted by drivers who held a motorcycle licence. In addition, the advertisements pointed out that road tax was just £5 - so why not call Brighton 26256 for further details?

British customers were offered Smith’s ‘Selectroshift’ transmission as an extra, and a £424 19s version for disabled drivers, the latter employing a tiller control for steering. BMW also built a commercial vehicle derivative capable of carrying 3 cwt, excluding the driver. An Isetta Pick-Up with a fabric roof cost £299 16s with an ‘an all-metal container’, to quote Commercial Motor, for £8 more. The RAC trialled at least one as a possible replacement for their motorcycle-sidecar combinations.

At one point, the works made 300 units per week, but car production ended in 1962. The advent of the Mini in 1959 and the new Reliant Regal 3/25 heavily impacted the bubble car in the UK. That year saw the Isetta’s demise in Germany after 161,728 units. The Wirtschaftswunder ‘economic miracle’ meant by the end of the 1950s, buyers were increasingly demanding more comfortable transport.

The advent of the 700 in 1959 signalled a new direction for the company. Yet without the Isetta, BMW may not have lasted the 1950s. Sales of its large 501/502 ‘Baroque Angel’ saloons were limited, and the humble bubble car helped sustain the marque. In the UK, they deservedly attract a vast following, including many who double-take at seeing the famous roundel badge on the front door.

As for the most famous British Isetta story - until 1963, only motorists with a car licence could drive a three-wheeler fitted with a reverse gear. For those who held only a motorcycle licence, it had to be blanked off, and the owner always needed to be aware of this modification. Should they forget and drive straight into their garage, the sunroof would come into its own as an escape hatch.