Lot 43: BMW Isetta Convertible

Produced by Renzo Rivolta's Milanese Iso SpA conglomerate, the Isetta was the result of an evolutionary chain that had begun with fridges and progressed via scooters and three-wheel mini trucks. With a specification that included a compact rear-mounted drivetrain, canvas sunroof, independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes, the newcomer caused a sensation upon launch at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. Intended to provide low-cost, economical transport for two people and their luggage, the diminutive four-wheeler was capable of barely 50mph. Nevertheless, despite this limited turn of speed, a factory-entered team of Isettas won their class (and the index of performance) in the 1954 Mille Miglia. Suitably impressed, a struggling BMW approached Iso with a view to building the Isetta under license. Re-engineered with a 250cc motorcycle engine, the first BMW Isetta, appeared in April 1955. Updated the following year with the adoption of sliding windows and a larger 298cc single cylinder four-stroke engine producing 13bhp that made 54mph a possibility, its popularity was increased still further by the Suez crisis. By the time production ended in 1962, BMW had made 161,728 Isettas, including a tiny number of convertibles. All Isettas have canvas sunroofs, partly to provide an exit in the event of the door getting jammed shut in a crash, but on this car the entire rear section folds down in the style of the original Porsche 911 Targa. According to Werner Schwark of Isettas R Us in Georgia, one convertible was made for every 1000 closed cars; he has identified more than 30 chassis numbers from bubble-window convertibles, meaning something around 100 sliding-window convertibles might have been made, leaving probably only a handful of survivors. The vendor, who bought this restored and retrimmed car in Florida, describes the body and paint as "good", while he rates the engine, transmission, electrics and interior as "very good". More than an oddity - an incredibly rare collector's item, uniquely offered for sale in the UK.