Iso Rivolta · 1953–1956

Isetta

The Isetta (Italian pronunciation: [iˈzetta]) is an Italian-designed microcar initially manufactured in 1953 by the Italian firm Iso SpA, and subsequently built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The name Isetta is the Italian diminutive form of Iso, meaning "little Iso". Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name also given to other similar vehicles. In 1955, the BMW Isetta became the world's first mass-production car to achieve a fuel consumption of 3 L/100 km (94 mpg‑imp; 78 mpg‑US). It was the top-selling single-cylinder car in the world, with 161,728 units sold.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Iso Isetta (Italy)

The car originated with the Italian firm of Iso SpA. In the early 1950s the company was building refrigerators, motor scooters and small three-wheeled trucks. Iso's owner, Renzo Rivolta, decided to build a small car for mass distribution. By 1952 the engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi had designed a small car that used the motorcycle engine of the Iso Moto 200 and named it Isetta. The Isetta caused a sensation when it was introduced to the motoring press in Turin in November 1953. It was unlike anything seen before. Small (only 2.29 m (7.5 ft) long by 1.37 m (4.5 ft) wide) and egg-shaped, with bubble-type windows, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry. In the event of an accident, the driver and passenger were to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung out with the single door, simplifying access to the single bench seat. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel located below. A heater was optional. Ventilation was provided by turning out the front triangle windows and/or opening the fabric sunroof. Power came from a 236 cc (14.4 cu in), 7.0 kW (9.5 hp) two-stroke split-single motorcycle engine. The engine was started by a combination generator–starter known as Dynastart. A manual gearbox provided four forward speeds and reverse. A chain drive connected the gearbox to a solid rear axle with a pair of closely spaced 250 mm (9.8 in) rear wheels. The first prototypes had one wheel at the rear, but having a single rear wheel made the car prone to roll-overs, so the rear wheel layout was changed to two wheels set 480 mm (18.9 in) apart from each other. This narrow track eliminated the need for a dif

VELAM Isetta (France)

In 1954, VELAM acquired a licence from Iso to manufacture a car based on the Isetta. Since Iso had sold the body making equipment to BMW, VELAM developed their own body but used the original Iso engine. The VELAM body was rounder and more egg-like than Iso's Isetta and was known by the French as the 'yogurt pot'. Instead of a chassis like the Italian and German versions, there was a sub-frame bolted to the body at the rear, which held the rear tires, engine, and transmission. The front suspension was bolted to the front of the body. The front door was opened by push button instead of a handle, and the speedometer was mounted in the center of the steering wheel. VELAM started production of the car in June 1955 at the old Talbot factory at Suresnes, France, and the car was introduced at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. All told, five versions of the car were built: the standard Isetta, a convertible version, a luxury version, a one-off "Sport" version, and a record car with a roadster body. The luxury model, called Écrin ("jewel box"), was presented in 1957 and built in 500 examples. In 1957, the streamlined roadster set seven world records for the sub-250 cc class at the Linas-Montlhéry autodrome. Due to competition from the Citroën 2CV and then the Renault Dauphine, production ceased in January 1958.

De Carlo – Isetta (Argentina)

The Metalmecánica Company in Buenos Aires commenced automotive manufacturing in 1959, when they started assembling a licensed version of the BMW Isetta. This received a light redesign, with a tiny, two-piece grille being installed on the door. 798 examples were made, but they soon changed over to the BMW 600, which was built in 1,413 examples from 1959 until 1962. Metalmecánica went on to build the BMW 700, which they later redesigned to look similar to the Simca 1000. In 1965, they changed over and began building Simca Arianes under license from the French company SIMCA.

Romi-Isetta (Brazil)

In 1955, Iso licensed the Isetta to Indústrias Romi S.A., a machine-tool manufacturer headquartered in the city of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, in the state of São Paulo. The Isetta was chosen, because it was considered an ideal vehicle for use in the cities by virtue of its size and economy. Released on September 5, 1956, it was one of the first cars produced in Brazil, after Ford do Brasil and General Motors do Brasil. The car had received government approval as a part of a state-supported drive to establish an automotive industry in Brazil, but ended up being built without government backing. Some 3,000 of the Romi-Isettas were manufactured from 1956 to 1961. They kept the Iso design and used Iso engines until 1958, in 1959 they switched to the BMW 300 cc engines.

BMW Isetta (West Germany)

The BMW Isetta differed widely from the Iso model. While the major elements of the Italian design remained intact, BMW re-engineered much of the car – so much so that none of the parts between a BMW Isetta Moto Coupe and an Iso Isetta are interchangeable. BMW changed the powerplant to a one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine of their own manufacture which generated 12 PS (8.8 kW). The first BMW Isetta appeared in April 1955. In May 1962, three years after launching the conventionally modern-looking BMW 700, BMW ceased production of Isettas. A total of 161,728 units had been built. In the 1990s, the BMW Isetta had garnered a resurgence through the television show Family Matters, in which one of the main characters, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), drives a 1960 BMW Isetta. BMW Isetta 250. While it retained the "bubble window" styling, it differed from the Italian model in that its headlamps were fixed separately to the sides of the bodywork and it carried the BMW badge below the windscreen. The car was also redesigned to take a modified version of the 250 cc four-stroke engine from the BMW R25/3 motorcycle and the front suspension was changed. The single-cylinder generated 12 PS (8.8 kW) at 5800 rpm. The crankcase and cylinder were made of cast iron, the cylinder head of aluminium alloy. The head was rotated by 180° compared with the motorcycle engine. The twin-bearing crankshaft was also different in the Isetta motor, being larger and featuring reinforced bearings. One of the reasons for this was the heavy Dynastart unit, a combined dynamo and starter-motor. The fuel mixture was provided by a Bing sliding throttle side draft motorcycle carburetor. In addition to further changes of detail, the BMW engineers enlarged the sump for installation in the car and coole

BMW Isetta (United Kingdom)

In March 1957, Dunsfold Tools Ltd. signed a lease on part of the former Brighton railway works on the south coast of England with the intention of beginning production of the BMW Isetta under licence in May of that year. Shortly afterwards, Dunsfold Tools Ltd was renamed Isetta of Great Britain and the British Isetta was officially launched at the Dorchester hotel in April. The factory had no access by road, therefore components were delivered by rail and finished cars were shipped out the same way. The British cars had right-hand drive with the door hinged from the right hand side of the car and the steering column moved across to the right as well. Right-hand drive meant that both the driver and the engine were on the same side, so a 27 kg (60 lb) counterweight was added to the left side to compensate. Dunlop tyres were used, and Lucas electrics replaced the German Hella and Bosch components, with a different headlamp housing being used. Girling brake components replaced the ATE brake parts. The Isetta was not popular in the UK until a three-wheeled version was introduced. Although three-wheeled vehicles offer a less stable ride, in the UK there was the advantage of being classed as three-wheeled motorcycles, which meant a lower tax class, and the requirement of only a motorcycle driving licence. Isetta of Great Britain also continued to produce four-wheeled Isettas, but only for export to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. In 1962, Isetta of Great Britain stopped production of the cars. Isetta engines were produced until 1964.

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Specifications

name: Isetta
Production: Iso Isetta (1953–56), BMW Isetta (1955–62), VELAM Isetta (1955–58), Romi-Isetta (1956–61)
Manufacturer: Iso Autoveicoli, BMW, VELAM, Romi
Layout: MR layout
Body style: Cabriolet, Van, Pick-up
Top speed: 84 km/h

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.