Introduced in in 1953, the diminutive Isetta captured the automotive hearts of post-war Italians. A few years later it was licensed by BMW and extensively reworked and engineered into the model you see here - the Isetta Moto Coupe DeLuxe. It had a slightly bigger engine than the original - still only 300cc - and sliding side windows rather than the original's glass bubble. The rear wheels had a much narrower track than the front making it look like a three wheeler from some angles. It's a foot shorter than a Smart with the really unique feature of having you enter and exit through the front. The whole front face hinges open to one side like a giant refrigerator door - even the steering wheel pivots aside to allow you to get inside by stepping over the front bumper. It was quite sucessful and was pressed into commercial service with a tiny pickup truck variant. I shot this fine example at the Pebble beach Concours d'elegance in Monterey last week.
