In Italy, Renzo Rivolta, the owner of the refrigeration and motorcycle manufacturer Iso Rivolta, commissioned aircraft engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi to design a scooter-like vehicle with an unusual shape: the Iso Isetta, which was unveiled in 1954. Like a cargo glider, this vehicle featured a large front door that swung open; during World War II, Preti had designed an aircraft of this type (Aeronautica Lombarda AL.12)[2]. The steering wheel pivoted forward and to the side along with the front door, allowing easy access to the interior, which was spacious enough for two people.
BMW gradually fell into a crisis in the early 1950s. There was no time left for the planning and design of a microcar; there was only one other option: licensed production. At the Turin Motor Show, the BMW delegation took notice of the Isetta and saw an opportunity in it. After concluding the licensing agreement with Iso, an Isetta was brought to the factory and its design was improved. The Isetta was fitted with a single-cylinder engine from BMW’s motorcycle lineup, modified for forced-air cooling and equipped with a starter alternator. Like the original, the BMW Isetta had two rear wheels; a three-wheeled version was produced for Austria, as this allowed it to be classified as a motorcycle. The design modifications proved successful.
Although the Isetta could not avert the financial crisis at BMW, it did at least buy the company some time. On March 5, 1955, it was unveiled to the public at a price of 2,580 DM. The trade press was impressed. Between 1955 and 1962, 161,728 Motocoupés were sold. Only the Goggomobil surpassed this figure. The Isetta’s success provided BMW with the urgently needed funds and time to develop new models. This led to the creation of the BMW 600, the successful BMW 700, and the New Class, which became the foundation of BMW’s success for a long time. The Isetta is considered one of the symbols of Germany’s rapid reconstruction after 1945, the so-called Economic Miracle.
