1957 BMW Isetta 300

To qualify as "modern classics," we choose vehicles, which are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people see that still make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on cars at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections.


Tastes may vary, as may peoples' own definitions of "affordable." Our theoretical limit is $50,000 for a car in good to excellent condition, which rules out many of the traditional exotics. This month's selection is the 1957 BMW Isetta 300.

History
The impending Mercedes-Benz A-Class reminds historians that rival BMW pioneered a city car some 45 years ago with a vehicle the Germans quickly nicknamed, das rollende ei, "the rolling egg." Back when this funny shape was hatched, BMW was burning the marketing candle at both ends. Just ten years after the war's end, the Bavarians were valiantly trying to sell elegant 503 "Baroque Angel" sedans and flashy 507 cabriolets to a recovering German public that craved autobahn-burners, but simply couldn't afford them.


At the same time in Italy, Renzo Rivolta, a successful refrigerator manufacturer who would later build stylish Iso sports cars with proceeds from his minicar royalties, designed a practical, if peculiar-looking scooter car that offered an answer to the perennial challenge of affordable mass transportation. Using a box-section frame, tubular crossmembers and his own version of a Dubonnet independent front suspension, Rivolta's ovoid, 93.7-inch long mini was four inches shorter than a Volkswagen and weighed half as much.

Eggceptional
Beleaguered BMW management believed an economy car would provide much-needed unit volume; Rivolta's design became available under license (and was soon being built in many countries). After a deal was struck, BMW chucked the 236-cc Italian two-stroke twin, replacing it with its proven 12-bhp, 247-cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder R25 motorcycle engine. Although the Isetta was never a big hit in Italy, it hit a responsive chord in Germany—a market where the curious Messerschmitt Kabinenroller and Goggomobil T250 were readily accepted. The 1956 Suez oil crisis spiked gas prices, making the 795-pound Isetta 250's 50+ mpg capability quite welcome.


Surely Rivolta's success with Isothermal refrigerators must have influenced the little egg's single, swing-open door that opened in the front. The steering wheel and instrument panel moved with the door when it opened, for easier ingress. Shifting of the four-speed gearbox was done via a confusing backward H-pattern. The narrowed rear end (not unlike a Honda Insight's), friction shocks (on early cars; later models had hydraulics), tiny drum brakes and little 10-inch wheels made for tricky handling. Pedal to the metal, an Isetta could approach 55 mph.