Cruisin Classics is proud to present this simply awesome 1959 BMW Isetta! Here at Cruisin Classics we see incredible muscle cars roll through the door every day, but once in a while something out of the ordinary comes in and grabs everyones attention and this little car certainly has us all walking around it with big grins on our faces. First though, a little history about this cool micro-car...In the early 1950s an Italian company called Iso SpA who built refrigerators, motor scooters, and 3-wheel trucks designed and built a 3-wheel bubble car they named the Isetta. They took the car to the Turin Auto Show in 1953 and it was a huge hit. Iso began licensing the car for manufacture to auto-makers across Europe as well as Brazil. At the same time, BMW was experiencing a difficult financial period and really needed a new car that they could get to market quickly to get them out of the slump. BMW executives not only purchased licensing for the Isetta from Iso but also bought the production equipment to make the cars. This gave BMW the ability to get the car to market fast and in 1955 BMW began manufacturing the Isetta. Sales were brisk and by 1962 when they stopped making them, 161,728 cars had come off the assembly line. Its no surprise why the Isetta was so popular it got over 70 mpg (at a time when gas was rather expensive in Europe), its only 7 ft. long and 4 ft. wide (perfect for easy parking on tight city streets), and they only cost just over $1,000. Fast-forward to today and were standing in front of a very well-restored 1959 Isetta dressed in stunning red paint and gleaming chrome. The paint is very bright and glossy, obviously a professional respray. Both the light sheet metal bumpers on the body and the chrome extended pipe bumpers (nerf bars) are in excellent condition. The chrome luggage rack affixed to the rear is in the same great shape and is topped with a wicker suitcase for additional storage. The BMW Isetta 300 badging on the door looks crisp and new. 7 sealed beam headlights are attached to both sides of the car and bullet-style marker lights flank the front. The Isetta sits atop 10 steel wheels with BMW ralley-style chrome hubcaps. Setting off the wheels are a newer set of BF Goodrich Silvertown white-wall tires that enhance the vintage style. The roof of the car features a grey retractable canvas roof that provides fresh air, sunlight, and an escape hatch in the event that the single door of the car were to be damaged in an accident. Single door? Thats right, this car has just one door and it is in the front of the car! When the door swings open to reveal the small but comfortable cockpit, youll notice that the steering wheel and column stay attached to the door and swing out with it to provide easy entrance to the car. There is a chrome handle inside the door to the left to help with entry and exit as well. The rather spartan interior is dressed in red and grey with new black carpet. The red and grey vinyl bench seat is comfortable for 2 adults of average build and appears to have been recently recovered. The light grey side panels, parcel shelf, and door panel are all in very good condition. The front door panel has a small pouch for storage. If you fold down the seat back youll find a spare tire located behind the driver under the parcel shelf. The driver has a small shifter to their left to control the 4-speed manual transmission, as well as controls for a manual choke and heater, and an emergency brake. Just behind the white 3-spoke steering wheel is the only gauge on the car - a reverse-sweep 60 mph VDO speedometer with 10,209 actual miles showing. The driver is also treated to sliding pillarless windows, a side mirror, a single windshield wiper, and a small sun-visor. Behind the seat in the center is a fuel lever that allows you to choose between on, off, and reserve. The gas tank is only 3.2 gal with an extra .8 gal reserve, but that will go a long way with the fuel economy the Isetta offers. The engine that powers this 770 lb. bubble-car is a 298cc single cylinder motor rated at 13hp with a top speed of 53mph. The engine features a Bing carburetor and a unique Dynastart system that incorporates a compact starter and generator into the same unit. Hydraulic drum brakes on both front and right rear provide adequate stopping power. Also included with this beautiful little BMW are several restoration & repair manuals that will surely prove helpful to the new owner. Its not every day that you see an Isetta, let alone one restored to this level. This is a unique opportunity to own a rare micro-car that is as practical with todays gas prices as it was 60 years ago. One thing is for certain when you drive this Isetta, youll get bewildered stares and thumbs-ups wherever you go!
