Anyone ever owned a BMW Isetta?

[Motorhead]

When I was 13, I owned a BMW Isetta. It had a 300cc single cyl,fan cooled engine that mounted on the right mid-ship area. It had the front door that opened to the front. Like I said,I was 13 when I owned this thing and used to take it out when my parents were gone. I knew all of the back streets and alleys between Manhattan Beach(L. A. area) and Hermosa Beach. The fun came to an end in the summer of 1967. I was out crusing with a friend and for some reason,I got on to the San Diego freeway! Going b@lls out on the freeway(42mph!!),all of the sudden, the whole inside of the car lights up red. I had a CHP behind me pulling me over. Stopped,He wrote me up for impeding traffic and no license. I got home in the car because my friend was licensed. My Dad and Mom came home later and all he!! broke loose. Shortly after that, the Isetta "went down the road. " Any of you guys ever owned one or drove one? Chris

 

[RJ2]

My uncle had one when I was a kid. I got a ticket on 101 in the VW bus when I had a few people in it trying to do a hill.

 

[DMerryman]

Never owned one but when I was 13,

I threw rocks at them.



Loved them front doors!!



dOUG m.

 

[hammersley]

My Brother won one....

Man what a car - I was young like 8-9. I'll always remember the thing - a novelty - made a VW BUG seem HUGE. But the thing that was the worst design (other than the safety I'll mention later) was that it had kind'a a tri-cycle wheel setup for the rear wheels. The wheels at the front went all the way out to the side of the car - like all cars. They steered - however the rear wheels were mounted like a furrow-front end on a farm tractor, side-by-side. As such - it WAS IMPOSSIBLE to miss a chuckhole or anything if you ran over it - the back wheels would hit it. And talk about a deathtrap - any bump from the front (even a large June-bug) - and you couldn't get out ----



Check this out... ... http://www.cqql.net/bmw.htm

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Neat toy. Would be fun to run around town in.

 

[merryman]

Nope, never even been in one, BUT, I know of a great criminal trial!!



A guy was accused of rapeing a girl in one of those, the defence lawyer had it introduced into evidence, and in his closing argument, he simply invited the jurors to attempt to duplicate what the guy was accused of while inside the machine----they returned a not guilty verdict.



Vaughn

 

[Motorhead]

I also owned a BMW 600. It had a square wheel base, A two cyl 600cc opposed,fan cooled mounted in the back like a VW. It had a bigger front door and one side door on the right side for the back seat. It got snuck out also but it wasn't licensed. The Isetta I bought for $50. and when I had to sell it,I got $60. for it. I wish I had it today as they can fetch $10,000 for a nice restored one. The 600,I bought from Vasek Polak Porsche in Hermosa beach Ca. The thing was sitting out in a back lot for a few years and I went to Vasek himself and struck a deal with him for $60. God I had fun in those days (1965 to 1970). I always have liked the "Mini" cars, BMW Isettas,600's, 700's ,NSU Printz, Meserschmidt, Mini coopers. Now all I have is a restored '55 European delivery(Holland) VW with a 1700cc,2bbl,Engle cam,full-synchro trans and early 11" Porsche drum brakes. Pushin 50 but still a kid at heart. Oo. Chris

 

[Charley]

I had a 600 also, great car, 60 mpg. But, not being satisfied with the 65 +/- mph I had a plate made for the transaxle and installed a 1300 cc VW engine in it. It was only a little faster but it would get there a lot quicker.



Motorhead:



I also had a Messerschmidt.



Charley

 

[maint.man]

Isn't that what Steve Urkle drove on that show , Family Matters

"Did I do that?"

 

[Motorhead]

Steve Urkel had a 300 Isetta. Believe it or not ,the larger 600 was not an Isetta. The very early Isettas, I believe were French built(anyone correct me please if I am wrong) and powered by this strange two stroke engine that used a "Y" shaped connecting rod with two pistons that ran up siamease cyls. with a common combustion chamber. I wonder what genius thought up that one. CHARLEY, Thats cool that you had a 600 also. Did you drive it much? How long did you have it? This guy I knew in Los Angeles took a Fiat Bianchia (origionally a 500cc,2 cylinder, 2 seater) and installed a hopped up Porsche 356 eng. and trans. He used to drag race this thing until the thing got airborne and He went thru the traps on His roof.

 

[Charley]

Motorhead:



I had the 600 for a couple of years only. Did the VW engine swap at beginning of second year. Later stripped the body and ran it against the local motorcycle boys in hill climbs in Billings Montana. Finally sold it. I drove the Messerschmidt to work for nearly three years and sold it too.



The engine with the two pistons on a forked rod to a common crank pin with a common combustion chanber was a PUCH made in Austria. Had one of those in a motorcycle too, a 175 cc model. Sears used to sell them.



Charley

 

[Motorhead]

Charley, Didn't the Isettas use this also? I know that the Isettas had a 250cc version. I think that it was a 4 stroke. Sorry for the mis-info. What other wierd stuff did you have??? My oldest Brother had a NSU printz. My Dad used to say that the engine sounded like "A piston is switching ends". My Brother lunched the trans and junked it.

 

[RKohn]

Never owned one, but...

when i was a kid (don't ask how long ago that was ) i saw a lot of them converted into ice planes that they ran on saginaw bay when it froze over in the winter. they were set up kinda like an air boat with a big pusher prop on the back and 3 or 4 skis/runners underneath. not many snowmobiles could beat'em, especially my ole 25hp johnson.



rick