It isn’t that unusual to see classic vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s being used as daily drivers. These are usually (but not always) larger cars, station wagons, and pickups. However, finding a micro-car that has been used this way is a bit more unusual. Barn Finder Mitchell G spotted this one for us, so thank you for that, Mitchell. This 1957 BMW Isetta saw service until February of 2019 and is now looking for a new home. It is a complete car that runs and drives. Getting it back on the road would seem to be a straightforward proposition. That could make it a great project to tackle during the rapidly approaching Winter months. Located in Orange, Connecticut, you will find the Isetta listed for sale here at Hemmings. Hand the owner $15,800, and you could be bopping away with a quirky classic. It appears that even this price might be negotiable, so that would be something to pursue.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Isetta is a demonstration of this point. Much of Europe struggled to recover from the ravages of World War II and getting the masses mobile once again was going to be difficult. Manufacturing was going to take a long time to ramp up, and raw materials were in short supply. Add stagnant economies into the equation, and the opportunities weren’t available for vehicle manufacturers to sell the types of cars that were appearing on American roads. That meant that innovation was required, and small vehicles proliferated. In Italy, Fiat saw success with the 500, while France saw the rise of the 2CV. The VW Beetle was gaining market traction in Germany, but there was still a demand for something smaller and cheaper. BMW saw this gap and decided to fill it. After initially negotiating with Renzo Rivolta to gain a license to build the Isetta, a deal was struck. BMW didn’t just buy a license, but all of Iso’s tooling as well. They then set to work on the Isetta and transformed it into a uniquely BMW product. Initially released with fixed “bubble” windows, the updated Isetta Moto Coupe DeLuxe brought sliding windows to the table. That is what we find with this little BMW. It is a complete car, and it doesn’t seem as though it has suffered the major rust issues that can plague these classics. The seller does acknowledge that there is some rust, but that it is minimal. The Light Blue paint shows its age, but it would be interesting to see how it would respond to a wet sand and polish. The fabric sunroof looks to be in good condition, as does the glass. All of the trim is present, and it seems to be in good order if the Isetta is to be used as an original survivor.

Life inside an Isetta could best be described as utilitarian. For those brought up on a diet of air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows, the interior appointments in an Isetta are quite a shock. In essence, there are none. The fabric sunroof is about it, and that is there as much for safety as comfort. The BMW has a single door, and in a frontal impact, this can easily become jammed. In the event of an accident where this happens, occupants were expected to exit the vehicle via the sunroof. Elegant? Not really! The Isetta features a single bench seat that can seat two adults, along with a small child in a pinch. Aiding access is the fact that the steering column is attached to the door, and pivots outward when the door is open. The interior of this vehicle is complete, and I suspect that most of it would present well with a good clean. There is a blanket thrown over the seat, so we can’t see the state of the cover beneath. You would have to hope that most of the trim can be saved because this is a little car that comes with a hefty price-tag. There isn’t a lot of upholstery there, but a trim kit generally costs about $1,200. I’d probably be inclined to find an upholsterer to make a new cover for the seat if required, which could potentially be a more cost-effective option.

The BMW Isetta was focused exclusively on being cheap to buy and just as cheap to run. As a result, it didn’t come equipped with a huge engine. This 298cc single-cylinder unit is an adaptation of a BMW motorcycle engine. It pumps out a hefty 13hp, which finds its way to the rear wheel via a 4-speed manual transmission. Acceleration and performance are all that you might expect from this sort of combination. A ¼ mile ET of 28.5 seconds is not fast, but it is faster than walking…just! The maximum speed was quoted as 53mph, but a headwind could severely dent this figure. This Isetta was being used as a daily driver until February of 2019. It was then given a rest but did see some limited use later in that year. It has been sitting since, but it does still run and drive. The brakes require attention, but this seems to be the extent of mechanical refurbishment that will be required. Beyond that, I suspect that a full service and a thorough inspection should have this little guy ready to hit the road once again.

Classic cars come in all shapes and sizes, and the Isetta is one of the tiniest. In a booming 1950s American economy, this is a car that must have seemed to be largely irrelevant. In other markets, it was a necessity if the population was going to get mobile once again. It might be a tiny car, but that doesn’t equate to a tiny potential value. If you wandered out today with $25,000 in your pocket in search of a tidy example, you might strike it lucky. However, your chances would be greatly increased with $30,000. If you want a pristine example, you need to add a further $10,000 or more to that tally. If this one is relatively rust-free, then it could be a straightforward proposition to restore. It is never going to threaten a Camaro Z28 down the ¼ mile, but this would probably attract the majority of the attention if they were parked side-by-side. The classic car scene. It’s a funny one, isn’t it?