The Isetta 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,[1] Spain,[2] Belgium,[3] France,[4] Brazil,[5] Germany,[6] and the United Kingdom.

Iso's owner, Renzo Rivolta, decided to build a small car for mass distribution.

[16] In 1954, Iso entered several Isettas in the legendary Mille Miglia where they took the top three spots in the economy classification.

After its initial success, the Isetta was beginning to slip in popularity at home, mainly due to renewed competition from Fiat with its 500C model.

Plants in Spain and Belgium were already assembling Isettas and Autocarros using Italian-made Iso components.

BMW began talking with Rivolta in mid-1954 and bought not just a license but also the complete Isetta body tooling.

The Autocarro was offered in several body styles—a flatbed pickup, enclosed truck, a tilt-bed or even a fire engine—although some of these might not have been sold.

The Iso Autocarro was larger than most, with its four-wheel layout, conventional rear axle with differential and leaf springs, and a large tubular, ladder-type frame.

The front door was opened by push button instead of a handle, and the speedometer was mounted in the center of the steering wheel.

[21] The Metalmecánica Company in Buenos Aires commenced automotive manufacturing in 1959, when they started assembling a licensed version of the BMW Isetta.

[1] 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.

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).

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 fuel mixture was provided by a Bing [de] sliding throttle side draft motorcycle carburetor.

On the other side of it was a cardan shaft, and finally a second Hardy disc, which in turn was located at the entrance to a chain case.

A duplex chain running in an oil bath finally led to a rigid shaft, with the two rear wheels at each end.

Thanks to this elaborate power transfer, the engine-gearbox-unit was free of tension in its linkage to the rear axle and well soundproofed.

The maximum speed remained at 85 km/h (53 mph), yet there was a marked increase in flexibility, chiefly noticeable on gradients.

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.

Dunlop tyres were used, and Lucas electrics replaced the German Hella and Bosch components, with a different headlamp housing being used.

The now defunct British firm Tri-Tech, under the model name Zetta, sold a kit car or even an assembled complete BMW Isetta lookalike replica from modern parts, including Honda CN 250 cc single-cylinder water-cooled engines with automatic transmission (standard) or Kawasaki 500 GPS two-cylinder water-cooled motorcycle engines with optional manual transmission.

Drum brakes and wheels were from Morris and the subsequent British Leyland Motor Corporation Mini.

Tri-Tech also supplied some body parts which can be used for running non-exact restorations of BMW Isettas.

This led to speculation that the Isetta badge would be returning as a competitor to small cars such as the Toyota iQ.

[35] At the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Gifu based company D Art revealed the Durax D-Face, a front entry, rear engine bubble car taking inspiration from the Isetta.

[36][37] At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Swiss entrepreneur Wim Ouboter of Micro Mobility Systems revealed the Microlino, a small electric microcar inspired by the Isetta.

Primarily aimed at young people living in large cities, the car featured a 72 kWh lead acid battery giving a top speed of around 40 mph and a range of around 75 miles.

[41] In 2019, German company Artega presented the Isetta-inspired Karo at the International Motor Show Germany.