1961 BMW ISETTA Motocoupe 'Bubble Car'

This fabulous little right-hand drive Isetta was first registered in June 1961. In the care of its last owner since he bought it on a whim at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it comes with a well-documented history.

He had one as a 16-year-old and couldn’t resist this one when he saw it. Running well, he tells us it has always started on the key and drives as it should. He also mentioned that it has only had two previous keepers, the last of which had it for many years.

Being offered with no reserve, this is one for the patient enthusiast with an eye for something just a little bit quirky.

The Isetta was all white when the owner bought it but he’d seen a two-tone one at the same show so commissioned his favourite paint shop to add the blue. The resulting blue and white coachwork looks terrific – and not just because that innovative design has weathered well.

A louvered panel on the offside helps vent the engine while doing double-duty as art and the 10-inch steel wheels are decorated with decent chrome hubcaps on the front and shod with Dunlop rubber on the front and Conquest on the rear.

Cute little touches include chromed headlamps cowls and a pair of wonderfully ornate rear-view mirrors in a similar style. The rest of the chromework is pretty good.

Practicality is taken care of via an additional mirror and a useful luggage rack at the back.

It would benefit from some fettling. The front and side window seals are perished (i.e. #69, #120, and #152), there is some paint degradation (#73, 101#, and #161) and the fuel filler cap lets the side down a bit (#114). But, it’s solid and so we think it could be brought back up to a very nice condition with little expenditure.

The bench seat is trimmed in tartan and grey vinyl, practical and luxurious and looking fine.

The luxury continues with a nifty little sunroof (or course it’s little…), which opens and closes as it should and seals quite well.

Opening the door is a bit of theatre all by itself, the steering column cleverly hinging up to allow the whole caboodle to move. The steering wheel itself is a lovely grey jobbie and, er, well, there’s not a lot else in there bar sliding side windows, a la Mini, to save space. A few bits of black vinyl stuck here and there to disguise some of the metalwork. Three miniscule pedals sprout from the floor and a gear lever appears out of the side trim. A carpet mat gives your feet something to rest on.

It has, in fact, everything you need and nothing you don’t.

It’s in a good condition, presentable and has clearly had some love over the years. It’s still got the original running-in sticker as well as one from the Isetta Owners’ Club, which speaks well as to its historical curation and there is some nice patination on the controls.

Lifting the mat shows solid metal and the boot contains a jack and a spare wheel.

However, there are areas that would benefit from some love such as the bottom edge of the side windows (i.e. #182) and the instrument (singular, obvs) bezel (#44).

But, that’s work for future you, as Superfast Matt would say.

July 2021 saw it receive a service and a new battery but otherwise there is no service or maintenance paperwork.

As you can see, it fires into life and soon settles into a steady tickover after applying a little throttle. It’s an absolute hoot to drive and draws an awful lot of appreciative attention!

The engine is grubby but not unbearably so, and the underside is well protected with a good coat of underseal. There’s evidence of fresh grease under there too, which bodes well for the quality of the last service.

The Isetta’s history includes a printout from the DVLA showing the history it has on the car, some old MOT certificates and tax discs, and old invoices and bills. Brilliantly, it also has an instruction manual.

The Isetta doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MOT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

As we mentioned before, this delightful little slice of German history is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

That said, we’d expect the bidding to stop somewhere between £16,000 and £26,000 – and given the interest we expect it to attract, it might prove to be a canny investment.

Not least because the BMW Isetta was the world’s first mass-production car to reach 94mpg, something you might want to take note of in these straitened times…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.