1962 BMW Isetta 300

This is one of the last British BMW Isettas to be built. British-built? Well yes, because Isetta of Britain began manufacturing them under licence in Brighton in 1957, only ending production in 1962. They’re easy to spot because UK cars like this one have their doors hinged on the right-hand side, while those constructed elsewhere had their hinges on the left.

Finished in white with a blue and red tartan interior and red carpet, this 298cc example’s mileage reads just 42,355 miles. It comes with a good history file and would make an ideal fun runabout for the coming summer months.

The white bodywork looks great, doesn’t it? There’s not a single familiar line or curve on it and yet you look at it and know exactly where everything is.

Chromework is sparse but what there is generally in good shape.

The folding roof slides back with ease, flooding the cabin with even more light; there’s no shortage in the first place given the vast expanse of glass but opening the sunroof really does give the illusion you are in a full-blown convertible.

The headlamps sit level with your hands, which is a bit of a novelty but then this is a car that’s full of surprises.

The 10-inch steel wheels, painted silver and enhanced by chrome hubcaps, are fitted with a set of whitewall crossply tyres. They look to have a decent amount of tread left on them but the retread at the back will need replacing before using the car on the road in our opinion, while the others could do with being changed in the name of prudence.

The single rear mudflap is a nice touch, as is the ‘Short Vehicle’ sign on it. There’s a luggage rack back there too, just in case you felt like ambling further afield with a suitcase.

In fact, it would make for a helluva road trip wouldn’t it? I mean, if you can ride a Honda C90 from Alaska to Patagonia, riding one of these across Europe would be a doddle, wouldn’t it? Because cars like this are about way more than the driving dynamics and we can’t imagine that life with one of these in it would be anything other than joyful.

Faults? Well, aside from a developing patina on some of the chrome, the roof has a small flaw (#72).

The red and blue tartan bench seat fabric isn’t only bright and cheery, it’s also in a great condition with what looks to be new horsehair stuffing and springs in addition to a new cover. Comfortable, that it doesn’t offer great lateral support isn’t going to be too much of a concern.

The 60mph speedometer is a wonderfully optimistic touch but then this is a wonderfully optimistic car.

It’s clever, too with sliding windows to maximise the interior space, just like the original Mini. The steering wheel and instrument cluster fold up and out of the way to make getting in and out easier. The engine sits behind the driver, while a spare wheel is tucked away alongside it.

It’s also in pretty good shape. Clearly restored, the interior might be simple but what little there is looks terrific. The black trim panels are trimmed with white, and the red carpet adds another vibrant touch even if some of it is starting to look a little threadbare (#74).

There’s a picnic basket too, which fits on the chrome luggage rack.

Everything is neatly labelled, which will make following the starting instructions easy.

Work to do is limited; we aren’t huge fans of the steering wheel cover but if you place more of an emphasis on practicality than originality then it does a good job. Other than that, we might be tempted to refurbish the hood frame to bring it up to the same standard as the rest of the car.

The engine, which is accessed via a louvered panel on the offside, is clean enough. Workmanlike rather than prissy, you could flip a coin to decide whether to detail it or not and not be disappointed whatever the outcome. As you can see, it starts readily enough, so at least you don’t have that to worry about.

The underside looks strong and tidy.

The little BMW comes with some useful technical information and its own maintenance manual (we’re pretty sure Haynes hasn’t done one…) in addition to the owner’s handbook.

There are also plenty of receipts for bits and bobs over the years, primarily for what looks like a restoration in the late eighties and early nineties, which is when we think it came over here.

And, while there are lots of old MoT certificates in the history file, the Isetta doesn’t have one currently 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…

Quirky and enormous fun, the bidding on this little slice of fried British gold is expected to stop somewhere between £25,000 and £30,000 – and given the interest we expect it to attract, it might prove to be a canny investment as the demand for these seems to be rising.

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 during the current energy crisis…

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’.