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.
Article Last Updated: December 31, 2010.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
