On March 5, 1955, BMW presented a new car to the public: the Isetta. But it wasn't really that new. In Italy, the Isetta had already been part of the street scene for some time. There it came from Renzo Rivolta, the head of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Iso Rivolta, and was called the Iso Isetta.
When the three-wheeled Isetta scooter was launched in Italy in 1953, BWM secured the license rights for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia shortly afterwards. BMW made significant improvements to the scooter and the German version was equipped with its own 250 cc motorcycle engine with fan cooling and a second rear wheel, which significantly improved handling.
Comfortable and simple
The front door of the Isetta opened like a refrigerator. The steering wheel swung forward and to the side with it, providing easy access to the so-called Motocoupé. This meant that two people could easily fit inside.
Since you didn't need a "normal" driver's license for the "Knutschkugel", the Isetta quickly became successful. This was because many moped or motorcycle riders finally wanted to have a roof over their heads during the years of the economic miracle.
Savior in times of need
The good sales figures of the Isetta were also bitterly needed for BMW, as it was struggling with a financial crisis. The subcompact car bought the Bavarians some time and provided them with urgently needed funds. The only car in the sales program at the time, the Barockengel, was selling slowly due to its high price. The proceeds from the more than 160,000 Isetta cars built by 1962 played their part in ensuring the brand's survival.
Meanwhile, the headquarters in Munich were so impressed by the little car that they soon started thinking about a four-seater version of the concept. This was then launched on the market in 1957 as the BMW 600. But that's another story...
When the BMW Isetta was ready for production in 1955, it was put in front of the testers at Hobby magazine. You can read about the results of the vehicle test in our test report from that time on the new "Knutschkugel".
