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Isetta
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gossip
choose your eternity
Our readership hath decreed that the as-yet-unidentified Jalop writer who just bought a '64 Continental shall rip out the MEL 462 and swap in a turbocharged 460 in its stead, with that option taking a whopping 41% of the total votes. We're disappointed that the Lord Humungus Apocalypto-Mobile option fared so poorly, of course, but voice of the people and all that. Anyway, it's a new week, which means new varieties of eternal wrenching torment. Since we've been on a BMW thing lately, it's time for a couple of BMW projects. Actually, a grand total of four BMW projects!
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Project Car Hell, BMW Edition: Isetta or Grab Bag?
Our readership hath decreed that the as-yet-unidentified Jalop writer who just bought a '64 Continental shall rip out the MEL 462 and swap in a turbocharged 460 in its stead, with that option taking a whopping 41% of the total votes. We're disappointed that the Lord Humungus Apocalypto-Mobile option fared so poorly, of course, but voice of the people and all that. Anyway, it's a new week, which means new varieties of eternal wrenching torment. Since we've been on a BMW thing lately, it's time for a couple of BMW projects. Actually, a grand total of four BMW projects!More »
iso-lation in time
Heavens! An Isetta Watch!
Released by BMW to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the bubblecar that saved its bacon, porkchops and head cheese after the Second World War, this Isetta watch is rather neat, but we think we'd feel rather pretentious wearing it unless we could score a Hayabusa watch for the other wrist. Of course, then we'd look like a slavering dork. And at a $489 Buy-it-Now price, it's a tad rich for our blood, as well. But if you can't live without obscure paraphenalia illustrating your loyalty to Italian-designed, German-improved the refrigerator-shaped machine, dive on in, Chuckles. [eBay]
custom cars
Isetta in Drag: The Whatta Drag
As its name attests, the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum is the venue for all manner of microcar, from the Grataloup to the Vespa 400 and right up to the towering Isetta. In fact, funny story. There was this Hot Wheels car called the Whatta Drag. It was part Isetta, part drag bike and all the kind of Hot Wheels car that sat, unpicked, in the back of the box when cars were played. Nonetheless, the team at Bruce Weiner went about building a full-scale version of the Whatta Drag, using a 1959 Isetta 300 and a worked-over Chevy 502 big-block V8 - blown, natch — producing 730 hp. No word on trap times (we wonder if it's been dragged), but we'd imagine this could run in the threes of wheels. More »
novelty
Schadenfriday: And you thought we forgot!
Our Schadenfridays are really turning into Zen-type moments of, uh, Zen. We can't help it. Mamma Jalopnik said if we have nothing nice to say, say nothing. What is the sound of one post-punk auto-blogger blogging? More »
retro
Know Thy Germans: BMW 700
Quick; name a post-war, air-cooled, rear-engined BMW without the twin-kidney grill. Most pistonheads would answer, "Isetta." And they wouldn't be wrong. However, true Deutschaphiles will shout, "700!" And they couldn't be more right. After the tragic failures (from a sales standpoint) of the upscale 502, 503 and 507 models, BMW was forced to build dorktastic rolling eggs like the Isetta and subsequent 600. Yes, yes, those cars were cute, but as far from the ultimate driving machine as President Bush is from reality. All that changed in 1961 with the release of the 700. Learn more/make the jump. More »
retro
Know Thy Germans: The BMW 502
When people think of post-war BMWs, the first car that comes to mind is the funktastic three/four-wheeled Isetta. But the 502, known as the "Baroque Angel," came first. Available as a sedan, a coupe and a cabriolet, we're more smitten with the 4-door. Not only is the best looking of the trio, but, well, suicide doors uber alles. Plus, it looks like a Jaguar with a VW Beetle grafted on top. More cool, it featured Germany's first post-war V8; an all aluminum baby that clocked in at just 2.6-Liters (later bored out to 3.2). Sadly, they were hella expensive and most Germans were flat broke. Hence, bubble cars. The "spiritual predecessor" to the modern day 5-series also ran La Carrera Panamericana. We love that. Make the jump for more old school Bimmer action. More »
news
Isettamino! eBay! Belgium? D'oh
There really isn't much we need to say about this. Either you get it or you don't. If you don't get it, please un-RSS us right now. The rest of you, well, feel free to salivate. Even better, bid. Even better than that, bid to the death and have Hayabusa motor at the ready. [Thanks to John for the tip.] More »
news
The Best BMWs Ever
Simply put, these two cars (the second is featured after the jump) are the two coolest cars that the Bavarian Motor Works ever pumped out. Ironically, the car above featured a design by Giugiaro and an Italian-built chassis commissioned by BMW, while the car after the jump was designed by an Italian firm and licensed to to the Motor Works after the Second World War. Sheesh, the Monterey Historics make our pants tight. More »
2006 woodward dream cruise
2006 Woodward Dream Cruise: Where's The Donuts, BMW Isetta?
Well, another year — another Dream Cruise is over. But fear not, fans of the classic cruisers, we got so much fun stuff from this years Dream Cruise, we're gonna be dropping it like it's hot over the next day or two just to remind you of all the fun we had. Like spotting this modified BMW Isetta. And although we didn't get to see it happen, we just know this bad boy was built to make donuts. So if you happen to be the owner of this funny car, let us know the next time you want to rip loose in a Kroger parking lot. [Thanks to our Woodward-based bad-ass, wohho on this one!] More »
retro
Isettamino! It's Factory!
If there are two things the world should never be without, it's Isettas and El Caminos. Two lost marques. Two ridiculously rad vehicles. And well, when they're combined the sheer absolute radness of the whole thing basically forces us to don our Persols and then don a welding helmet. Screw the brightness of the future; it's the brightness of these past two chunks of automotive brilliance that suddenly makes our 501s too tight in a certain area. Which brings us to the Iso Isettacaro. Which, of course, is an Isetta with a pickup bed. Or a firetruck back-end. Now we just need a GSX 1300R version. More »
news
Totally, Officially, The Best Car in History: Isettamino!
Jesus. There's really very little we can say about this car that isn't evident from looking at the pic. The only way it could be improved upon is by adding a Hayabusa motor and a Chunklet sticker. Reader Adam is a god for making our evening. That is all. More »
custom cars/hot rods
