After the war, motoring had to get going again, and the public preferred a cheap car that had to be economical in use. The imagination of the constructors was rich in imagination. The dwarf car was born! The scooter was very successful in Italy, so there were plenty of reasons to start with a similar concept, it became a cross between a scooter, motorcycle and car. The 'Kleinwagen' came onto the market.
Became rare
Do you remember them? The Fuldamobil, the Goggomobil, Heinkel, Trojan, Vespa and Messerschmitt. There were many more brands and they were called differently, such as scooter cars, mobility scooters, dwarf cars and bubble cars.
Dwarf car virus
There are still many enthusiasts of these “giant” cars in the Netherlands. They have their own patient body, which is called 1 in 20, in this club magazine there is an opportunity to highlight more of the history of certain brands. It may be based on nostalgia, or perhaps on the technical background, or there will certainly also be an appreciation for the body shapes.
Nostalgic on the run
Martin: “Cars with a past bring me to a state of rapture, you could also say 'nostalgically crazy'. I have a nice collection in my cherished room: A Messerschmitt that I want to return to the glory of the past, but also a small series of fun Italians such as the Fiat Topolino. For me, life without these vintage cars/classics is unthinkable. I want to do as much as possible myself, enjoy owning them, and of course enjoy occasional summer trips to events.”
BMW Isetta 300
Those who do not honor the small… For many years, Martin has had a wish list in his warehouse containing the classics he would like to have. Now it is well known that desires sometimes just remain desires. But this time a special tip came in from a BMW Isetta 300 that had been parked in North Holland for years because the engine had seized up, and was therefore waiting for better times. The car was otherwise reasonably complete, the bumpers were damaged and the interior also showed some signs of wear.
100 percent original
There was immediately a special bond with the BMW Isetta. One desire could be crossed off the list, the car was purchased after negotiations. Martin has been enjoying his beautiful dwarf for more than 10 years now. His wife shared the enthusiasm and not only made the interior upholstery brand new, but also provided an exclusive Isetta bag. Now as rare as the three-wheeled Isetta itself.
Seeing this takes me back 65 years. I was 12 at the time and my neighbor had such a car and his brother later had a BMW 600. He gave me driving lessons (illegal, but it is still out of date) and shifting gears and using the clutch pedal was quite a challenge. As a result, despite the fact that I have been driving an automatic for years, I now drive my MB 219 from 1958 and have no problem with shifting and no problem with driving. The younger you learn, the better you continue to do. Applies to several sports 🙂 , such as skiing and skating.
What nonsense, these cars MANDATORY had an open roof so that you could still get out in case of damage.
Even then the law was cautious
Tax payers.
AHHAA 🤔 yes, I had one like that too, nice car, economical and could park anywhere, but had a small trunk, everyone looked after me
luckily I had a collision with it from behind, if it had been from the front I wouldn't have been able to get out, I would have been buried with my isetta, but whatever I had
a BMW R 25 and the cylinder of my Isetta fitted the R 25 and thus became an illegal R 30, I had to make a self-made thicker base gasket underneath, I enjoyed it for years to come.
So don't throw anything away 😂😂😉
Beautiful and very special car. It is a pity that such an Isetta has now fallen heavily prey to market forces and that it has become quite unaffordable.