1-Door Coupe: ’58 Isetta 300
Renzo Rivolta, the Iso refrigerator magnate, created a curious four-wheeled Isetta powered by a two-stroke two-cylinder engine. It was a bit odd, with a front-opening door and a steering wheel that hinged to it. Renzo went on to build some amazing super cars with doors in the usual places. BMW was looking for an economical car to help them out of a financial jam so they called up Renzo and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. 
When BMW got their hands on it, in went a 250-cc BMW motorcycle engine. It was a great success. BMW licensed production of the Isetta to a number of countries and the financial calamity was averted. By the way, all Isettas had sunroofs or more appropriately, escape hatches, in case of a frontal collision. Cute cars have a way of exceeding expectations at auctions and there are none cuter than a well presented Isetta in any of it forms. Okay, so a FIAT Multipla or a Cinquecento are cute too and they do as well at auction. Isettas ran the Mille Miglia and other races back in the day so they are unlikely candidates for inclusion at historic rallies and events. So maybe you should add one of these darlings to your collection? Now we liked this one sent in to us by Stan S. because it is an untouched original. Not a perfect museum piece by any measure but a solid, honest place to start. It is said to run well with a video supporting that claim on the eBay listing.
CLICK HERE FOR HAGERTY VALUATION
It has almost everything it was born with except a luggage rack and jack handle. That should be easy to source. Hagerty has #1 cars nearing $40 large but we are sure those are something special in some great Easter Egg color. Click on the icon for a report. And visit the eBay listing by clicking here.
I owned a ’58 Isetta 300 about 8-10 years ago and found it a truly wonderful car to drive and easy to work on with all needed parts readily available. Easter egg colors? Mine was yolk yellow – no joke. The handling of these cars is truly amazing when cornering and public response overwhelming. Fuel mileage is as claimed over 50. The only reason I let it go was that to leave my subdivision and head toward town was to enter traffic on a state highway that was coming down hill at 70 mph and I couldn’t slam gears in the left hand shifted, backward pattern 4 speed gear box quickly enough to reach terminal velocity of about 55 in front of those 18 wheelers.