In 1953 the Isetta was introduced by the Italian Iso Automotoveicoli Spa, a company founded in 1939 with the name Isothermos for the production of heaters and refrigerators.
After the war, Iso started manufacturing motorcycles and later, in the ‘60s, fast Grand Tourism cars fitted with powerful American V8 engines.
In Italy, the production of Isetta stopped in 1955, but the car continued to be manufactured under licence by BMW, which sold it throughout Europe.
The car on show is a German built 250 Isetta, also called motocoupé for its compact size.
The round shape was similar to that of a helicopter cabin and the passenger compartment was sufficient for two people. The front opening of the single door was rather unusual, which the steering wheel and the steering column were fixed to.
The participations of the Italian Isetta were famous in the 1954 Mille Miglia (with the victory in the special performance ranking) and 1955 Mille Miglia.