BMW Isetta
(1955 - 1962)
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Germany
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BMW's youngest is called Isetta
As a driver, you shouldn't be given a very small vehicle to test. With this in mind, the hobby testers stood in front of the latest BMW child, which had been placed in front of the reception building in Munich-Oberwiesenfeld. But the small, four-wheeled vehicle looked so funny that all preconceptions were pushed aside. And the acquaintance with the young 'lady' with the Mediterranean name was pleasant and worthwhile. At least that was the opinion of the Hobby testers, as the report from 1955 shows.
Initially viewed with suspicion and ridiculed as a curiosity, the BMW Isetta quickly established itself on the German market. It became one of the driving forces in the small car segment. BMW gradually cured the teething troubles and continued to develop the cabin scooter, and the BMW Isetta 300 from 1957 could already be considered a mature product. It was the subject of a meticulous test by Motor Rundschau magazine, which is reproduced here in its original wording.
It was in 1959 that the magazine "Das Moped und die Kleinmotorisierung" subjected the BMW Isetta to extensive endurance testing over 6000 km. And the enthusiasm was great, the Isetta was convincing in almost every respect. The Isetta scored top marks with hardly any technical breakdowns and only suffered disadvantages in very special road conditions. This article reproduces the carefully restored original text from back then and is illustrated with contemporary photographs.
Things were not going well for BMW in the mid-fifties; there was a huge gap between the ailing motorcycle trade and the luxury class BMW 502. Time was of the essence, a new product was needed. The solution was the Isetta. It actually came from Iso, a refrigerator manufacturer in Italy, but BMW put its own stamp on the cabin scooter. And made it a success, which saved the company from going under. This driving report describes the history of the Isetta and shows it in historical and current pictures. The article is supplemented by original brochures and a sound sample.
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