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In 1954, less than a decade after the most devastating thanks to its motorcycle business, Fiedler decided
war known to mankind up to that point, the prestigious against licensing the Iso twingle motor. He felt it
Geneva Motor Show was also back in full swing. Iso?s was underpowered and that BMW could do better.
Isetta debuted there, seen for the first time outside of Additionally, licensing only the body design would
Italy. save the company money.
The Italian entry was well made and practical, and Managment remained skeptical-- the Isetta was
purpose-built. As a marketing ploy, Iso had also Italian after all and it was odd looking. BMW was
entered four Isettas in the prestigious Italian Mille known for making only beautiful cars. They felt
Miglia, an endurance race, to prove their mettle. The sure that their own designers could do better, but
cars all finished last but they all finished, unlike some time was not on their side. They needed a small,
of the other more exotic competitors, so the little car cheap car, and they needed it now.
had street cred. It was affordable and dependable.
In the end it became a matter of head over heart.
BMW, too, was at Geneva '54. It came with its new 502, The Isetta was cheap to produce. Rivolta was willing
a gorgeous car powered by Europe?s first V8, a car to sell all the tooling, thereby saving even more
almost no one could afford to buy and one that no one money. The initial investment was small as
could afford to run since the price of gasoline was sky investments for major car companies were
high as well as scarce. understood. BMW was cash strapped; they could
learn to live with a car that looked a little like a
Selling cars was critical for the German company
watermelon.
struggling to stay afloat. One of its major factories was
already behind the Iron Curtain. Much of its machinery The deal was signed and one of the makers of
and tooling had been handed over to the Allies as war luxurious motorcars began producing the cheapest,
reparations. The company was getting by with sales of most basic and funny looking car ever. [ The
its motorcycles, but getting by is not the same as Germans added a fourth wheel once they got their
making a profit, necessary to stay in business. hands on the Isetta. You can't keep engineers from
mucking about. ]
A Swiss importer of BMWs attending Geneva was one
of the first to be captivated by the Isetta. Again, fate While Americans thought of the VW as cheap
stepped in. transportation in Germany the VW was too
expensive for most people to buy. It was definitely
The importer knew BMW had decided it was time to
a middle class owners car. BMW decided , instead,
start the long process of designing a small, practical car
to go for low cost and a much larger market.
and here was the Isetta, ready to go.
Das Auto loved the Isetta, writing: "That one has
He called Hans Grewenig who then sent BMW's head
managed to so thoroughly isolate the engine in terms of
of development Eberhard Wolff to Italy. Grewenig
vibration, but that not a trace of vibration in suspension,
wanted to cut a deal with ISO before some other
chassis or steering wheel is passed, is simply a gem!?
German company beat him to a licensing agreement.
BMW made the right decision. It sold 50,000 of the
Rivolta needed cash and BMW had a good reputation things in the first year, eventually exporting them to
as well as a distinguished history. It would give the car America.
and ISO legitimacy. Goliath began to circle David.
And that is how a micro car, with a front door that
As the story goes, BMW's legendary engineer Fritz opened like a refrigerator, came to reside for years in a
Fiedler came to Iso?s home of Bresso, to hammer out garage in Garden Grove, California, mis-indentified by
the details. Being Germans some changes had to be my Dad, a Pearl Harbor survivor who spent his War in
the Pacific, as a Topolino Mouse. The man who sneered
made ( and if you know anything about German car
at Porsche?s VW was an early owner in the BMW small
makers you understand exactly what that means.)
car market. Life is funny. I wish I had his car now.
As BMW had plenty of experience with small engines Cherie Beatty
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