It’s not the most unique vehicle in the world, but the Isetta micro-car built in several countries and once owned by BMW, still attracts plenty of attention because of its bubble shape and diminutive size.

In fact, the Isetta is often called a “bubble car,” a dubious title it shares with the AMC Pacer.

Design by an Italian company, the Isetta was conceived because of a need for cheap, short-distance city driving following World War II.

The BMW Isetta became the world’s first mass-production 3-liter car in 1955. Its low-friction, one-cylinder engine and low weight resulted in superior gas mileage — as high as 71 mpg. It is the top-selling one cylinder car in the world, with 161,728 units sold, according to Wikipedia.

Matt Walsh, a friend and publisher of the irreverent cycling blog Twisted Spoke spotted a stunning 1956 BMW Isetta in the San Francisco Bay Area and forwarded a few images he took with his iPhone.