BMW - BMW Isetta
The background to the BMW Isetta starts in Italy with Renzo Rivolta (later famous for the Iso cars) manufacturing motorcycles after the war. In the 1950's Rivolta was collaborating on a small city car, which became the Iso Isetta Tourismo, Isetta meaning "little Iso". It was powered by the 2 cylinder Iso motorbike engine, having 2 wheels close coupled at the rear, so the Isettas are 4 wheeled machines. Launched in late 1953 Iso built some 20,000 of these Isettas, but the little cars also got licenced to many manufacturers outside Italy, including BMW (BMW also did some licencing of their own). Cars were also made in France, Spain, Belgium, Brazil and Argentina. In all some 130,000 are thought to have been made.
BMW made some changes by using their own single cylinder four stroke 250, and gradually over the years altered and evolved pretty much every detail. German law allowed them to be driven under a motorcycle licence, and when the rules changed allowing an increase in capacity the new engine was increased in capacity by 300cc, which made the Isetta so much more practical. Later a longer wheelbase BMW600 came along with the twin cylinder 600cc engine from the BMW R67 motorcycle.
The 4 wheeled BMW Isetta originally had 4.80x10 tyres, whereas cars built under licence from BMW fitted the smaller 4.40x10 tyre which is the size you will see quoted anywhere you care to look! But certainly the German built cars were fitted with 4.80x10. Fast forwarding to the 21st Century the radial tyre option made by Blockley Tyre Company is the 145R10 size (inflated diameter 492mm and overall width 147mm) which is the radial equivalent of 5.20x10 so these Blockley 145R10 tyres will be a good alternative to the 4.80x10 cross ply tyre. This 145R10 tyre has been made tubeless capable, but on these earlier wheel rims tubes are often required so we also make a superior quality thick butyl inner tube, unlike anything else made today, Full details of this fantastic steel belt construction, good handling period correct looking 145R10 tyre for the BMW Isetta can be seen at the link below:
