1958 BMW Isetta 300 Coupe

Rebuilding of Europe during the decade following World War II created a huge market for a small, economical, short distance city car. The Italian firm of Iso SpA, manufacturers of utility vehicles including scooters and 3-wheeled lories, responded to this need when the Isetta 300 was introduced at the Turin Motor Show of 1953.

The name is a diminutive of Iso and suited the micro-car that was an instant success, unlike anything seen before, and went on to be built in many countries. Germany's BMW, struggling to rebuild from war's destruction, gained license to manufacture their version to the Italian design as a thoroughly re-designed model using the BMW 1-cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycle engine rated at 13 horsepower from 247cc, a considerable improvement from the Italian 2-stroke, 9.5 horsepower version.

Although similar visually, BMW's re-design made almost nothing interchangeable between the cars. Mated to the motorcycle 4-speed transmission, top speed of the Isetta 300 was over 50 mph and delivered about 63 miles per gallon of gasoline that was expensive, making the car ideal for infrequent, short distance driving. BMW built the 300 until 1962 with a total of 161,728 produced.

This 1958 model has been restored from a well-preserved original that needed only freshening of mechanicals and a new interior to return the car to as-manufactured configuration as an un-modified 300 as close to original configuration as could be achieved. Even its engine is completely original, having never been rebuilt from factory assembly.