1958 BMW Isetta 300 Coupe

The Isetta was built under license from Italy's ISO S.p.A. The 'Rolling Egg' Isetta (Little Iso) is said to be the car that saved war-devastated Bavarian Motor Werkes of Munich. It had a front-opening door and pivoting steering wheel. The little car was popular in Germany, especially with postal carriers, and many were exported to the United States. They had a sliding fabric roof panel (in case the front door was blocked or damaged) and sliding glass die windows. Inside, they offered room for a driver and one passenger. They had an excellent fuel economy at about 50 mpg and sold for a very reasonable price when new.

Renzo Rivolta's unique design first came to market in 1955 as the Isetta 250 but was upgraded the following year with a 298cc engine. Years later, BMW produced a larger version with a 600cc engine.

This example is a US specification example in very original condition. The current Northwest owner has owned the car since 2000. It has a factory-applied red paint and a white fabric sliding top. Power is from a 298cc overhead-valve single-cylinder engine fitted with a single carburetor. The engine produces 13 horsepower and there is a 4-speed manual transmission, along with 4-wheel drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014