Behind The Scenes: 1962 BMW Isetta
April 22, 2021
Our charming 1962 BMW Isetta has just launched and we’re already getting a lot of love for the micro sized car. Opening up the small
1962 BMW Isetta
Great Things Come In Small Packages
March 25, 2021
We’ve got some seriously tiny cars in the workshop at the moment. They may be small but they are…or will be, mighty. On the whole,
Arriving soon: 1953 Francis Barnett, 1962 BMW Isetta, 2000 BMW Z3 3.0
March 10, 2021
We are very excited to reveal 3 incredible machines arriving in our workshops very soon. First up we have our beautiful 1953 Francis Barnett Rigid
Behind The Scenes: 1962 BMW Isetta
April 22, 2021
Our charming 1962 BMW Isetta has just launched and we’re already getting a lot of love for the micro sized car.
Opening up the small front door, it teeters on its hinges in a fridge like fashion, revealing a steering wheel and gears attached to the inside of the door, which present themselves to you as you get in. Sitting on the front seats which are fashioned to look like a comfortable tartan bench, the seating area leaves little room for a passenger. Everything about this car is dainty and charming, and is set to trigger nostalgia in many.
The BMW Isetta offers a great solution to crowded cities and difficult parking but isn’t one you’d be pulling handbrake turns in. Certainly amid a pandemic, a bubble car seems suited to the days of socially distanced car meets.
Rumour has it, just after the war, BMW were struggling. They were making big saloons and high end sports cars in the hopes that they could attract wealthy buyers, but it came at a cost. A cost that almost finished one of the biggest brands in the world today.
They then discovered the Isetta. The Isetta was already in production by another company and BMW worked out that it was far cheaper to buy the rights to building this incredible car rather than try to produce something similar, so that’s exactly what they did.
And here we have it, one of the quirkiest classic cars ever to have graced our roads, our 1962 BMW Isetta ‘Bubble’ Car.
A huge hit in the 50’s with over 160,000 units sold, ours being one of the later models, a 1962, means it has the upgraded high displacement engine, pumping out a massive 298cc, producing a colossal 13bhp. With a recommended top speed of 46mph and achieving an impressive 63 miles per gallon.
The Isetta was not popular in the UK until a three-wheeled version was introduced. Although three-wheeled vehicles are more prone to rolling over, there was a financial advantage: they could evade automobile legislation and taxation by being classed as three-wheeled motorcycles and could be driven with a motorcycle licence.
In 1962, Isetta of Great Britain stopped production of the little cars so ours being from the final year makes this very rare classic even more special. A very collectable classic, this lovely Isetta would be a welcome addition to any garage. Pick up your tickets today for a chance of winning this fun little classic.
Great Things Come In Small Packages
March 25, 2021
We’ve got some seriously tiny cars in the workshop at the moment. They may be small but they are…or will be, mighty. On the whole, many classic cars are smaller than what’re we’re now used to. Thanks to a series of design decisions or simply just smaller engines, some of the early classics were manufactured almost half the size of modern-day cars. The Fiat 500 was designed for tight Italian roads, the Austin nippy was only a few steps after the horse and carriage and powered by a small engine, and the BMW Isetta bubble car coming in at only 2.3m long and 1.4m wide, was an engineering vision into the future of solo city travel. A design that never really took off and stayed firmly placed in the 60s and 70s, but none the less has made them desirable collectables today.
We’ve recently received a slightly worse for wear Isetta Bubble Car. With only the shell and chassis intact, we are in talks with the owner over how he wants this restoration to be managed.
There’s also been a small orange truck parked up by the ramp, which after thorough inspection and service is ready to go back to its owner, Loick Ranson. This little motor belongs to Craig’s 4-year-old son called Loick.
We had a rather unusual delivery on Friday evening. The trailer pulled up as the afternoon light cast a golden haze over the workshop, and with it, came this unique classic…
This bubble car, unlike the other, is in pristine condition. Gordon has even taken it for a drive! Stay tuned to find out what we have in store for this classic Isetta.
Arriving soon: 1953 Francis Barnett, 1962 BMW Isetta, 2000 BMW Z3 3.0
March 10, 2021
We are very excited to reveal 3 incredible machines arriving in our workshops very soon.
First up we have our beautiful 1953 Francis Barnett Rigid Trials bike. A perfect addition to the Hangar to sit beside our 1961 Francis Barnett Trials 85. The current owner has kindly taken some photographs of the bike prior to us taking ownership…just to keep us excited!
We are planning to collect later this week so we will have more images to share with you very soon.
A very rare find is our 1962 BMW Isetta ‘Bubble Car’. Purchased some time ago for a family member the car was very rarely used by the current owner and therefore has been offered to Bridge Classic Cars to find a new home.
And our 2000 BMW Z3 3.0 Widebody. A fantastic colour combination of Silver with two-tone red and black leather interior. The car has covered just 27,000 miles from new and it’s one to enjoy now knowing that it will be future collectible. Prices of the Z3 are already starting to rise and the desirable 3.0 litre engine is no doubt one to keep hold of for as long as you can.
