Eps 419: BMW Isetta and BMW 507

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Jane Nelson

Jane Nelson

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It is important to know that Iso - SpA was used for the production of refrigerators before the outbreak of the Second World War. BMW did not miss the opportunity and bought a license for the so-called "bubble" car, which later became known as the BMW Isetta. After one year BMW resumed production and produced the world's first mass-produced car, the "Isetta" and its successor, the "BMW 507."
The Isetta became a stopgap solution to keep BMW afloat in reassessing its future and, with the help of Italian designer Michelotti, to develop the next generation of mainstream products. During the seven-year production period, BMW left much of the original iso design intact. Before production officially ceased in 1962, the company sold 161,728 models, including a three-wheeled version that was manufactured to circumvent traditional vehicle license fees and benefit from favorable motorcycle and three-wheeler license fees.
The Roadster was also designed by Albrecht Graf von Goertz and is considered one of the best examples of early BMW design work. The BMW 507 was marketed as a Traum-Isar and was first presented to the public as a BMW 700 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1962. This car is a replica of a BMW 700, which also has its place in the Munich company museum.
The car was a hit with car fans, including Elvis Presley, who enjoyed driving one while serving in Germany with the US Army.
Driving Obsession goes inward to discover the most successful in the world, where every dimension of the automotive company has been developed in search of perfection. The Mercedes-Benz 300SL with gullwing doors and all-wheel drive was manufactured in Germany, the basic model being the BMW 507.
Between 1956 and 1959 BMW built only 253 BMW 507, and despite the high price, it is questionable whether the company makes money from it.
Already in 1956 BMW brought a roadster to the market with the BMW 507, which was to take the company to new heights. The task would fall on a large block of orders to save BMW before it was swallowed by rival Mercedes-Benz in 1959. It was and is one of the most expensive cars in the history of BMW and the first of its kind worldwide.
Elvis Presley even had two 507s, but besides him there were not so many people who wanted to pay 10 grand for a BMW. With only 252 units produced, including the one sold to him, the BMW 50 7 Roadster is a rarity on the list of icons.
Despite the lack of success, the BMW 507 is due to the fact that the company lasted as long as it was. Developed in an effort to restore BMW's image as a sports car company, a limited edition 506 was so successful that BMW lost money with every vehicle sold. The Isetta was an unusual side street, but it is a great example of a successful car.
With a production period of eight years, the Isetta was essentially a limited version of the BMW 506, albeit with slightly modified body shape and design.
The 507 two-seater sports car based on the 503 was built in the same factory as the 506, but with a slightly modified body shape and design. The car was very reliable, with the only weakness being rust, although the throwaway image means that examples are quite rare nowadays.
The sensational 507 was monumental and proved that BMW could build superbly constructed off-road vehicles. The Second World War put the brand in such a bad position that it could not return to automobile production until 1951. BMW embeds its famous brands in top-of-the-line sports cars, and in modern times the most sought-after - after cars are the BMW Isetta and BMW 506 sports car models from the 1950s and 1960s.
BM was a battered, post-war small car manufacturer that shed its revered performance and charisma in favor of an inexpensive, high-performance sports car model, the Isetta.
Those who do not know the name should be aware that the 300SL Gullwing would be BMW's first entry into the market for high-performance sports cars. Max Hoffman convinced Porsche to build a 356 Speedster and Mercedes to bring a Mercedes onto the road. The European car importer based in New York became aware of this, and the Isetta 501 was offered in the USA as a BMW 507.
Hoffman, of course, had a knack for conjuring up successful road cars and wanted to do the same with BMW. Instead, BMW took over the project at the last minute and installed a handmade, noisy M1 engine with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
This new class was born of the success of the BMW M1 and the BMW 507, the first of its kind in the world.