Just as the Vespa motorbike was the ideal solution to crowded, urban streets, the BMW Isetta was the perfect design for the times.

Iso S.p.A. of Italy had the design, and BMW had the engine; the 4-stroke 247cc single-cylinder from the R25 motorcycle. Clever BMW ads featured the tall, suave Cary Grant as proof that anyone could fit inside the Isetta and that it had celebrity appeal. Actually, the Isetta was a car for the masses, the perfect design for post-war Europe. From 1955 to 1962, BMW produced 136,567 Isettas.