BMW Isetta

Proof that something designed with economy in mind can also be huge fun

- Matthew Hayward

THE BMW ISETTA really is a prime example of why less can sometimes equal more. Have you ever seen a bubblecar driving around and, even if only for a split second, considered that they are not only incredibly cute and quirky, but actually make a great deal of sense? Small, very cheap to run and full of joy, these tiny vehicles once helped to mobilise entire nations but, while mobility may once have been their primary purpose, today these characterful little vehicles can represent a whole lot of fun.

Although later made successful by BMW, the Isetta story actually began in Italy, when motorcycle manufacturer Iso – later the company that would bring us the Grifo and others – decided to develop something that would take advantage of what Renzo Rivolta deemed to be a gap between the motorcycle market and the hugely popular small car market, then dominated by the Fiat 500.