Because the car first began to flow from the Henry Ford assembly line in 1913, the world had been fascinated by cars. In 1926, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, better known as BMW, began a long and multilevel history to create luxury vehicles and upscale motorbikes.
Sesukses BMW had, he found himself in financial problems in the mid-1950s. It was limped on the banks of bankruptcy because of the motorcycle production faltered, and it suffered losses due to high production costs associated with the model 503 and 507. According to Axel Klingerin, an expert at the BMW Group Classic, “number one priority is placing a car into production that will make money to us. “
German-based companies really want to get new models into production that will not spend a lot of time or money. BMW found exactly what was looking for – from all places – Italian refrigerator maker booth on the 1954 Turin car.
The bubble car that became an icon and saved BMW
ISO Rivolta doesn’t just make a fridge but a mini car too. It has a tricycle model called “ISO ISETTA,” with a large swinging door on the front that looks like the refrigerator door. Executives from BMW not only buy license rights for Isetta but also production equipment. It began making cars immediately, with the first 250s of the 250s rolling on the production floor in April 1955, only a year after the automatic show.
Until then, BWM was known for its luxury show car, but this is a type of vehicle that is very different at all. The first model comes with a four-step 250 cc engine that is modified withdrawn from the R25 motorcycle. The single cylinder can only produce only 12 horsepower. While the German company kept the name Italian original, it added the fourth tire to its version, with the rear wheels only a separate 19 inches. These “microcarts” are just as wide as 4.5 feet and 7.5 feet long, with one door in front for two residents – and only two residents – to enter. The car is very small so people only need a motorcycle license to drive it.
BMW sells 10,000 cars in the first year of production and is the thing the company needs to prevent financial destruction. As many as 161,728 Isetta sold for the 8-year run, making it the best-selling single-cylinder car in the world.