1955 BMW Isetta 250

Mint condition. Bodywork and paintwork almost spotless. Interior like new. Engine runs as if it just left the factory. The “front door” also closes perfectly and the panel gaps are correct. Very rare.

About the BMW Isetta 250:

The egg-shaped Isetta caused a sensation when it was introduced to the automotive press in Turin, Italy, in November 1953, because it was different from anything seen before and is now widely regarded as the best microcar ever; it is certainly the archetypal “bubble car” and is currently recognized and loved worldwide by both classic car collectors and microcar enthusiasts. The totally unconventional design caused a furore at its introduction in Turin, and from this influential debut grew a number of licensed branches around the world, the most famous of course being BMW in Germany, where it became obvious to cater to the working man’s car, and by November 1955, ten thousand had been built.

Small, only 7. 5 ft long by 4. 5 ft wide and egg-shaped, with bubble-like windows, it was seen by BMW as a gap between their motorcycle range and the luxury 501 models and the entire front of the car was hinged outwards to allow access. In the event of an accident, the driver and passenger had to exit via the canvas sliding roof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung outward with the single door as this made access to the single bench seat easier. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants and a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel underneath. A heater was optional and ventilation was provided by opening the fabric sunroof.

Initially power came from a 236 cc (14. 4 ** in), 7. 1 kW (9. 5 hp) 2-stroke motorcycle engine and a manual gearbox with four forward and reverse gears. A chain drive connected the gearbox to a solid rear axle with a pair of closely spaced 25 cm (10 in) rear wheels. The first prototypes had one wheel at the rear, but with a single rear wheel the car was prone to tipping over, so the rear wheel layout was changed to two wheels spaced 48 cm (19 in) apart. This narrow track eliminated the need for a differential. The Isetta took more than 30 seconds to reach 50 km/ h from a standstill. Top speed was only about 75 km/ h (47 mph). The fuel tank held only 13 liters (3. 4 US gal; 2. 9 imp gal).

In 1956, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany amended the regulations for motor vehicles. From that moment on, Class IV driving licences issued could only be used for driving small motorcycles and no longer for driving motor vehicles with a displacement of less than 250 cc. At the same time, the maximum permitted capacity for the Isetta’s tax category was 300 cc. This change in regulations encouraged BMW to revise its Isetta microcars. In February 1956, a 300 cc engine was introduced. The engineers enlarged the single-cylinder engine to a bore of 72 mm (2. 8 inches) and a stroke of 73 mm (2. 9 inches), resulting in a displacement of exactly 298 cc. At the same time, they increased the compression ratio from 6. 8 to 7. 0:1. As a result, engine power rose to 10 kW (13 hp) at 5, 200 rpm and torque increased to 18. 4 N⋅m (13. 6 ft⋅lbf) at 4, 600 rpm. The top speed remained at 85 km/ h (53 mph), but there was a clear increase in flexibility, particularly noticeable on inclines, and in October 1956 the Isetta Moto Coupe De Luxe (sliding-window Isetta) was introduced. The bubble windows were replaced by longer side windows.

This car has an Italian registration.