1957 BMW Isetta 300

Renzo Rivlota was a brilliant engineer who headed up Isothermos, a major refrigerator company in Italy. In 1953, he developed the idea of building a small vehicle that would be an ideal around-town car. It was designed to carry a driver and passenger, be economical to buy, cheap to own and easy to maintain. Revealed at the 1954 Geneva Auto Show, the Isetta or “Little Iso” was unveiled, and great interest followed. They were somewhat practical and well-engineered and, in 1955, several Isettas took part in the Mille Miglia, easily winning their class. Seeing an opportunity to provide jobs and raise capital, BMW applied for and was granted a license to build the little car. Iso even provided much of the specialized tooling needed to get production rolling. In April 1955, BMW began production at their headquarters in Munich and keeping up with demand was a priority. BMW re-engineered much of the car, making it a four-wheeler and offering an optional, larger 300cc engine. Isettas would also be built under license in several other countries such as England, France, Argentina and Brazil. In 1963, one daring West Berliner, used his Isetta to smuggle his boyhood best friend out of East Berlin by hiding him in the engine compartment of his Isetta. With over 220,000 examples produced, they were exported all over the world and in the 1990s an Isetta became a fan favorite of the TV show “Family Matters” when lead character Steve Urkel drove one in several episodes.