Pop quiz: Does the name Isetta mean anything to you? Here’s a hint:
Auto Express illustration
British car magazine Auto Express reports the current European fascination with microcars has BMW studying the idea of introducing a new-age Isetta.
The original Isetta was an Italian device built by a company that was known for refrigerators. As did Piaggio, Iso licensed the design to companies all over the world, including Germany’s BMW. However, BMW re-engineered the original design so thoroughly, the BMW Isetta stood apart. See the Wikipedia article for all the details.
The most obvious difference between the new one and the original will be the doors: a car with an opening front end just won’t fly, given today’s safety and occupant-protection standards. One error in the Auto Express article says Isettas were all 3-wheelers. In fact, there were also 4-wheel versions, depending on laws in various countries that defined a motorcycle.
Auto Express sez the neu BMW Isetta may appear in 2010 or so. The smart fortwo is going to have some serious competition, not only from BMW and Fiat, but from Ford, in the form of a new Ka, a mechanical cousin of Fiat’s New 500.
Extra credit if you know what a Ford Ka is…
UPDATE, Feb. 2, 2008—Auto Express reports BMW has green-lighted the proposed city car, though it may not be called Isetta. Like most other European automakers, BMW needs to meet an EU requirement for average CO2 emissions of 130 g/km or less throughout its vehicle range.
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November 29, 2007 at 7:03 am
I suffered the distinction as a 6 year old of rolling down a hill in a bubble car with my 16 year old sister at the wheel. It rolled very well until stopped by a tree and we all ( the dog included) walked away. It’s very convenient to have a front opening door when you have been out rolling these cars. I’d love another, though the Ka was also very cute. Or a Nissan Micra convertible, which my wife wants.
November 29, 2007 at 7:23 am
Amazing! That would be neat to see, but again, like all the retro-postwar vehicles, it’ll be positioned as a showoff luxury vehicle and totally counter to its original purpose. The 500 is sort of the only exception, it seems reasonably priced and there were rumors it might turn up here eventually. The Ka (and 500) are already in production, I think. I’m hoping if nothing else, we get the 500 badged as a Ford or something.
November 29, 2007 at 8:19 am
Yes, the Fiat New 500 has just gone on sale; the Ford Ka being sold now is the original 1996 design. Ford will introduce the new Ka in about a year, but you can see pix of it here. The new Ka will be built in the same factory (in Poland) as the New 500.
March 25, 2008 at 4:17 pm
There’s a report that the new BMW microcar’s name might be spelled “iSetta.”