1959 BMW Isetta 600 Coupe

The BMW Isetta 300 helped propel German reconstruction and helped sustain BMW's financial strength. It became a fashionable cult car with strong sales on both sides of the Atlantic. There was, however, a wide price gap between BMW's Isetta and the more costly luxury models. BMW hoped to bridge that gap with a new Isetta-based interim model.

The new Isetta, the 600, was similar in layout to the previous Isetta and retained a front-opening door. The 600 was considerably larger than the Isetta 300 with seating for up to four and featuring an additional side door for the rear passengers. Power was from an air-cooled 582cc two-cylinder engine that was derived from that of BMW's motorcycle line.

Production lasted from the fall of 1957 to 1959.

This BMW 600 is a matching numbers example that was in the care of single-family ownership for over two decades, beginning in 1990. It was given a restoration in 1996. During the restoration, the body was removed from the chassis, the vehicle was completely dismantled, and both were stripped and refinished. It was given a thorough mechanical servicing sourcing many original parts from Germany, the UK, and the United States.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2014