BMW Isetta Price Guide

The BMW Isetta saved the company. In 1955, BMW was on the verge of bankruptcy because the 501 and 502 saloons were too expensive to sell in volume and the motorcycle business was insufficient to support car production. The Isetta microcar, licensed from the Italian Iso firm and entirely redesigned by BMW engineers, gave the company a product that ordinary people could afford and that sold in sufficient numbers to keep the factory doors in Munich open.

The Car

BMW’s Isetta was significantly more sophisticated than the Italian original it was based on. BMW replaced Iso’s two-stroke engine with a 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder producing 12bhp, later enlarged to 300cc for 13bhp. The front-opening door, handlebar steering, and bubble window are the Isetta’s defining visual characteristics. A four-wheeled version and a three-wheeled version (with the rear wheels set close together to avoid requiring a full motorcycle licence in some markets) were both offered. Around 161,000 were built at BMW’s Munich facility between 1955 and 1962. The 600 development, using a two-cylinder engine and a more conventional body, bridged the gap to the full-sized Neue Klasse cars.

Buying

The Isetta is a beloved and highly photogenic classic that attracts attention at any event. The mechanical specification is simple and well-supported by the Isetta specialist community. Rust attacks the body panels and floor. Any Isetta in solid, complete condition is worth preserving. The 300cc model is the most common and most practical. The BMW Isetta’s story (luxury car manufacturer saves itself with a microcar) remains one of the more unlikely business pivots in automotive history.