ENGINE 297CC M241 SINGLE CYLINDER
OUTPUT 13 HP @ 5,800 RPM
CURB WEIGHT 795 LBS.
TOP SPEED 53 MPH
PRICE WHEN NEW $1,095
YEARS PRODUCED 1955-’57
NUMBER BUILT 161,728 (ISETTA 250 + 300)
COLOR JAPAN RED
OWNER NATALIE BLACK (SINCE 2000)
LOCATION PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA
#494611
1957 Isetta 300
After BMW began building cars again in 1951, its “premiumonly” strategy proved flawed quickly. Needing a more affordable car, BMW licensed production of the Isetta from Iso of Italy in 1954 and replaced Iso’s two-stroke engine with a more reliable four-stroke single borrowed from the R 25 motorcycle. The Isetta was hugely popular, albeit briefly, especially after its fixed windows were replaced with sliding glass. The Isetta seen here is an early fixed-window import to the US; it’s owned by Natalie Black and was restored by Isettas-R-Us in 2020.