"Shut The Front Door: The Isetta Story" Part I - Iso And The Egg That Hatched A Sports Car Legend

"Jonee" (Jonee) 09/15/2016 at 13:13 • Filed to: Isetta, Microcars, Iso, BMW

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The phrase “outside the box” gets bandied around a lot, especially in today’s “disruption” culture. But, how often does something come along that really is completely outside the box? And, what is this box anyway? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! says the phrase came from the 9 Dots Puzzle which has to be solved by literally drawing outside the “box.” Here’s Wiki’s version.

So, the box is an imagined constraint. A barrier that isn’t really there. There isn’t a box around the nine dots, we just put one there because I think we have a natural attraction to borders. Boxes, both actual and metaphorical, are cozy and safe. It’s why cats like boxes. Cars are literal boxes, but I think the imagined one in their case is precedence. Once the one, two, or three box design came along, that’s what cars basically looked like forever. Whether it’s a sedan, minivan or SUV, the basic outline of all cars is the same. Square in front for engine or luggage, square in middle for people, square in back for engine or luggage. There’s variations obviously, but at their most rudimentary, that’s what a car’s always been. And that’s how we liked it. Until an Italian refrigerator magnate decided the world was ready for something different.

Renzo Rivolta was the son of a wealthy Milanese industrialist who was keen to expand upon his father’s success. Fresh out of engineering school, he bought a small maker of refrigerators and space heaters in Genoa called Isotherm that had come up with a cheaper, simpler way to manufacture the things. He built the company up expanding their market to outside Italy. The success allowed Renzo to indulge his love of motorized speed. He raced motorcycles, cars, and boats, once winning the Pavia-Venezia inboard engine boat race. He was also savvy enough to keep his company running throughout the war when Mussolini then the Nazis sucked dry and destroyed Italy’s industry. In 1942, after his factory was damaged by Allied bombs, he moved the business to an 18th Century family villa in the small town of Bresso to protect it from advancing armies. A year later, with the help of loyal locals, he hid the company’s assets from the retreating Germans who were taking whatever they could from the beleaguered Italians.

After the war ended, sales of refrigerators and heaters declined. They were luxuries people just couldn’t afford. Renzo had already been thinking of a way to transition the company to his passion, things with engines, and saw it in a desperate need for cheap transportation. While at the Milan Exposition in 1947, he saw a small scooter called the Furetto (Ferret, in English, which is awesome) that was being built by the tiny Giesse company.

It was basic and pretty stupid looking and I don’t know what the man who would later give us the Iso Grifo saw in it with its minuscule 2 horsepower 65cc motor. But, somehow, Renzo saw potential and bought the company, moving its production line to Bresso. Along with the scooter came its designer and engineer, Gianfranco Scarpa. When the Furetto went on sale as an Isothermos in 1948, the underpowered, rickety thing was an utter failure.

With the sleek and stylish Vespa coming out at the same time, the ugly Iso didn’t stand a chance. Renzo even demanded a bunch of unsold ones be buried. So, Rivolta ordered Scarpa to completely revise the thing.

The scooter got a more substantial frame and body, and an all new 125cc split cylinder two-stroke that was built in house and based on an auxiliary motor used to start Fraschini aircraft engines. The double piston made the engine more efficient by making sure that all fuel is burned in the cylinder, as well as producing more torque especially at low speeds.

The new scooter was a big improvement, but its looks were no match for the Vespas and Lambrettas that were now buzzing all over the country. Still, while expensive, they were well built, and sold in enough numbers for Renzo to expand into more models. He dropped the “thermos” part of the name since it was confusing, and began producing small motorcycles called Isomotos; and Isocarros, three-wheeled utility vehicles.

Larger, more powerful versions of the twingle engine were also made. Renzo Rivolta was finally in the motor vehicle business. But, as a new decade began, he knew the future wasn’t in things with two wheels that left the driver out in the open. The war weary public, however, couldn’t yet afford proper cars. So, Rivolta wondered if it was possible to build something that was halfway between a scooter and a car. Primitive microcars had begun to appear in Germany and France, and Renzo knew that Fiat was in the process of coming up with a replacement for the venerable Topolino. So, when he was approached by an engineer wonderfully named Ermenegildo Preti who had an idea for a completely unconventional vehicle, he jumped at the opportunity.

Preti was a prolific builder of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and later Director of the Department of Space Aero Politecnico di Milano.

From Dauntless Aviation’s website via Google.

Preti also understood the need for cheap transportation in his war ravaged nation. Italian cities being what they are, he wanted to build the most compact, and inexpensive, car possible. One of his his first ideas was to do away with two side doors in favor of one front door, which kept the width down to the exact size of two (small) adults and one child sitting shoulder to shoulder to shoulder. He had actually used this idea on one of his gliders, the AL 12, which had a nose that was hinged on one side exposing the cockpit. Expanding on this idea, he figured it would be safer if all occupants could exit right onto the sidewalk, so he made his design as short as possible, the production version was just 7’ 6” long, so the car could be parked nose to the curb. When Ermenegildo showed up at the Iso factory with a scale model, Rivolta’s secretary cracked up and reported that some nut was there carrying a wooden watermelon. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Preti’s original designs, or wooden watermelons, exist, but I can only imagine it must have seemed like an insane idea. But, so crazy it just might work.

This is from 1954. Possibly a patent, or maybe production blueprint? I got it from an auction site interestingly.

To make improvements on Preti’s idea, Rivolta hired a young designer named Pierluigi Raggi, about whom not much seems to be written, unfortunately, although both guys are described as “volcanic.” Apparently Preti would come up with ideas and rough sketches, and it was Raggi who turned them into something workable. Preti was never happy with how Raggi interpreted his ideas, and Raggi thought Preti should have stuck to planes without engines. Only a couple of the original drawings, and no prototypes, seem to exist, so it’s hard to tell exactly how the design evolved. But, one of Rivolta’s demands was that on the inside, the car should be as comfortable, and conventional as possible. As with his later cars, he thought it should be designed from the inside out.

Whatever the exact process was, they definitely thought outside the box. They seem to have started with two people sitting on a bench with a door in front of them and then encased them in an egg. No boxes whatsoever.

To keep to Renzo’s demand for operational orthodoxy, it has a regular ol’ steering wheel, and the gear shift layout is a normal H-pattern; both features that weren’t present in a lot of micros like the Messerschmitt. The brakes are hydraulic, it has 12v electrics. Suspension up front is a fancy independent Dubonnet type, with leaf spring in the rear.

At the suggestion of Giovanni Michelotti, they also gave it as much window as they could. There’s wraparound plexi in back, and big side windows with just the little triangle vents opening. All cars would also come with a large, cloth sunroof. All this airiness gave you the feeling of being in something bigger than you were.

It has a light, but sturdy, tubular triangle frame; and 10” wheels which made it much more stable than cars like the Fuldamobil which used 8 inchers.

The engine was a version of the twingle from the Iso 200 motorcycle expanded to 236cc’s and making 9.5 horsepower. The first drivable prototype was completed in 1952 and it was actually a 3-wheeler. Everything worked so well, though, that they shredded the rear tire, so they decided to add a fourth wheel. The back wheels were positioned close together to add stability without the need for an expensive, and heavy, differential. One of the car’s cleverest features, thought up by Preti at the last minute, was a universal joint at the bottom of the steering column to allow it to fold away with the door making getting in and out easy. Also, the engine, in a way that could be described as MR, was placed on the right side of the frame in order to counter balance the weight of the driver. It was attached to a 4 speed transmission that drove the rear axle with two chains.

The body is shaped steel welded to a tube skeleton. Raggi gave it the accent line down the side to create fenders and alleviate the watermelon effect. One of the coolest features are those shark gill vents on the engine cover.

The Isetta was first presented to the public in the fall of 1953 at the Turin Auto Show and it was a mindfuck as you’d expect. No one had really ever seen anything like it. Messerschmitts had been on the road in Germany for only a few months, and most Italians had never seen one. So something as tiny as an Isetta that actually kept you out of the weather was a revelation. And it had a certain stylish charm that made it like a Vespa of cars. It was priced slightly lower than a Topolino at the equivalent of $650, which was affordable to a lot of people. Renzo expected to build 50 a week and said the price would drop after production ramped up. However, Fiat, which was in the process of developing the 600 which would already cost about $100 more than the Isetta, objected to the Italian government which put pressure on Iso, so the price never changed.

Renzo knew he was on to something, and felt the little car could solve the problems of cities all over the continent. He also knew that the pressure from Fiat meant that the Italian market was going to be limited, and he was right. So, he also showed the Isetta in Paris and Geneva where it was every bit as much a sensation. The international press raved about the car with England’s The Motor saying, “ Boldly and cleverly unorthodox, simple but by no means crude, diminutive but quite good looking, the Isetta may well prove to be pioneering a development as important as that of the motor scooter… ” They even loved the way it drove saying, “ Fast cornering reveals complete stability, with little body roll and quite a definite under-steer characteristic. ” Of course when you say, “fast cornering” in regards to an Isetta, the “fast” part is relative. Still, sounds like a hoot and I can attest that it is. Driving an Isetta is as unique an experience as you’d expect. 0-30 (yes, 30) takes about 13 or so seconds, but that doesn’t really matter when you’re in something the size and shape of a giant pumpkin. The steering is really quick and direct, and these Italian cars had a really nice gearbox, believe it or not, with synchros on each gear. Of course, you’re acutely aware of the fact that is no car in front of you, just your knees, and some thin steel and glass.

Preti and Rivolta in their creation.

To the public, the Isetta was something out of science fiction. A cutting edge look at the future, and is like a space pod compared to the ancient Topolino and the other jalopies sputtering around the countryside. Plus, it was light years ahead of other microcars in terms of refinement. But, for whatever reason, initial sales were slow. Outside the box looks good from inside the box, but actually venturing out there yourself is scary. As ordinary as it may have been to drive, the Little Iso still looked like an egg and that was kind of weird.

In 1954, to promote the car, Rivolta entered four Isettas in the Mille Miglia endurance race. They started first and finished last, but all four cars did complete the 1,000 mile race, averaging 43 mph, a pretty remarkable achievement. They were awarded special trophies for the being the coolest, pluckiest cars in the race, no joke.

Coming in last, but first in all our hearts.

The publicity didn’t help, though. And, when Fiat came out with the 600 and 500 in succession, the Isetta was doomed in Italy. A commercial Autocarro version was built, but it only picked up a few sales.

Renzo had his backup plan, however. At that motor show in Geneva there was another car. The V8 powered and luxurious BMW 502, also a sales flop.

No one could afford this car, lovely as it is.

Its builders were in a similar predicament as Rivolta’s company. BMW needed a new start, and Renzo wanted to begin building cars like the ones that had thrilled him in his youth. But, he needed money to realize that vision. Iso only sold around 5,000 Isettas between 1953 and 1956. But, Iso, obviously wasn’t done. And neither was the Isetta.

Stay tuned for part II where the little egg rescues everyone’s favorite Bavarian motor work from its postwar doledrums!

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dogisbadob > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 13:29

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Awesome writeup!

Wasn’t the shift pattern backwards on these cars? Or was that only in the later BMW version?

3 1
2 R

or

4 2
3. 1 R

Jonee > dogisbadob 09/15/2016 at 13:33

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Thanks!

Jonee > dogisbadob 09/15/2016 at 13:52

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The BMW one was your bottom pattern. The Isos didn’t have reverse, but I actually can’t remember what the pattern was.

RallyWrench > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 14:24

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Great article on a great little car, looking forward to part 2! I know a guy locally with one, though I’ve never tried it. I think the Iso version definitely has more eyeball than the BMW. I didn’t know they ran (and finished!) the Mille, that’s remarkable! I’ll have to look for 1/43s of those cars.

Jonee > RallyWrench 09/15/2016 at 14:34

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Thanks! Do they have an Iso, or a BMW? They really are fun, you should give it a try. I was driving one a couple weekends ago at a little microcar get together. Yeah, I love the original Isettas better than the BMW’s, they’re much swankier, but BMW definitely made the car more practical and livable especially when they went to the sliding windows. My absolute favorite Isetta variant, though, is the French Velam which I’ll go into in part II. It was a completely unique design since Iso had sold all their tooling by the time the French got their license to build it.

dogisbadob > RallyWrench 09/15/2016 at 14:34

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A 1/18 Isetta is a 1/43 anything else :p

RallyWrench > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 14:56

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Oh, it’s a BMW, should have specified that. I’d really like to have a go in it sometime. Thanks again for the article!

RallyWrench > dogisbadob 09/15/2016 at 14:57

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Fair point, I could justify breaking my self-imposed 1/18 moratorium for that.

Jonee > RallyWrench 09/15/2016 at 15:06

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A 1/43 Isetta that came from somewhere in the Netherlands will be making a cameo in part II.

dogisbadob > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 15:10

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Micro machines!

RallyWrench > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 15:16

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Nice!! I just got a big-ass box of 1/43s & other surprises from the Netherlands...

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Jonee 09/15/2016 at 16:11

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Awesome article!

It’s really interesting to read about the early days of the Isetta, since a lot of articled I read in the past just stated that BMW bought the design from Iso, and not much else.

Jonee > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 09/15/2016 at 16:17

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Thanks!

Yeah, I had to do a lot of digging to find out the origin story. And there’s a lot of conflicting info out there. Which is weird for something so iconic.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/16/2016 at 07:48

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Dude, I need to work! Couldn’t stop reading! Awesome blueprint, can’t you digitalize that one?

I really like that tagline of the Furetto. Great piece Herr Eisen, you should do this more often. Don’t have us wait another month for part due !

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/16/2016 at 15:49

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Thanks! It was a pretty fascinating research project. It was hard coming up with info about its initial development as I told you. I feel like the story of the two guys working on designing it is a good one. Might make a fun movie. I should do more research to see if there’s anyone around that knows more details.

Lo scooter perfetto! I like a tagline that rhymes. What rhymes with Wanke r l? Part II will be here next week, not to worry. What do you mean digitize the blueprint? This is where I found that image. I wonder if someone bought it.

https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/35895181

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/16/2016 at 16:35

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I can imagine this one taking quite some time and energy, excellent job. Making a screenplay of it could be working.

Ah, I see I mis-read the

I got it from an auction site interestingly.

part. You just got the picture, I thought you got the blueprint hanging on the wall after you bought it from an auction site!

We’ve got to leave out the strike through r . What about Mongol ?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/17/2016 at 00:02

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Yeah, it took months. I got some period magazines that helped. And Dwergautos. The BMW part is much easier .

I should have been more clear. I got the image from an auction site. I’d like to have it hanging on my wall. There might be repros of it.

Frank’ll? Who is a famous Frank we can get to endorse us? “Frank’ll Buy a Wanke rl”! Ah, it won’t turn strike through off. You get the idea.

How does Mongol rhyme with Wankerl? Ha. Typical Kinja. Using it on an IPad is a nightmare.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/17/2016 at 02:41

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I tried to get that picture digital but the source is a bit secured. It is great.

What about Frank Drebin? Excellent ambassador!

Just use your imagination and pronounce Wankerl weird to make Mongol work!

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/17/2016 at 03:32

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There’s this image, which is kind of the same thing, but that’s a BMW. I like the arrows showing the heat. I don’t know where it’s from officially, but the original is very large.

http://www.smcars.net/threads/bmw-is…

Detective Drebin might be good for the Karenjy.

Ah, I see. In the same case, you could also say “uncle.” Maybe we could use Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/17/2016 at 05:24

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SM -cars? Do they think it’s that hard to drive such an epic thing???

Don’t forget to add O.J. Simpson in the campaign!

My Uncle drives a Wanke r l . We’re on track now!

torque > Jonee 09/18/2016 at 20:30

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Excellent article Jonee! This is definitely front page deserving stuff! & Agreed, sounds like there was a classic designer vs. engineer story in the Isetta’s development, which is very interesting.

I’ve long though there’s a market (though perhaps like post WWII Italy small), in the US for a modern “not quite car” microcars if it followed the Isetta formula of being well designed, small, safe, inexpensive (purchase price & operation) and frankly electric (future of cars really is electric). I do think it would have to be a 3-4 seater though, so more along the lines of the Isetta 600.

Which makes me think about Apple & if they do end up making a car, what it will be like, given they’ve supposedly purchased only 1 car (Fiat Multipa) for inspiration...

Which reminds me, there’s an older gentleman at the MN Automotorplex that has a ton of micro cars, lots of (BMW) Isetta 300s, 600s, 1 Subie 360, 1 or 2 Metzerschmitt, and a few others (Ford Henry + WWII Willys, etc..). I always love walking through his garage.

Jonee > torque 09/18/2016 at 21:00

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Thanks, torque! I wish there was something Isetta-esque available today. One thing that doomed it is still true today: there’s a stigma to driving a tiny, funny looking car. I’m comfortable with it, but most people aren’t. I see a bunch of 500e’s out here in L.A. That’s close to what you’re talking about. It’s helped by a lot of incentives. I’m also very curious about the Apple car because of the Multipla thing. That car really was a masterpiece of packaging. Helped by almost no regulations, of course.

That sounds like a great collection. I wonder if I know who that person is. I’ve had a 600 and a several 360's. Never at the same time, though.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/19/2016 at 00:36

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I don’t consider it masochistic to drive an Isetta, but some people might.

I wish George Kennedy were still alive. O.J.’s still in jail, but he should be easy to get when he’s released. His old ads pretty much built Hertz Car Rental.

That’s a great slogan. Who doesn’t want to be like their cool uncle?

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/19/2016 at 02:45

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He’s still in jail? That trifle was ages ago! He did Hertz?

Can’t we use cousin It as well? He drives a Messerschmitt.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/20/2016 at 00:24

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Well, he never went to jail for the murders. He was arrested for stealing back some of his old football memorabilia in Las Vegas from a dealer. And they gave him a sentence ten times longer than any other person would have gotten in the same situation because he’s O.J. Simpson.

Ha. “Cousin” doesn’t rhyme with Wanke r l. But, we can use him. Maybe Lurch, too.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/20/2016 at 03:03

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Ah yeah, now I remember! Didn’t know he was sentenced that long for such a small misdemeanor. I’ve got to watch Police Squad! again. I know that has the old Nordberg but man did I love that.

Even Cousin It wil easily fit. There you go. Still working on the one for Lurch.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/21/2016 at 00:08

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Police Squad was so hilarious. I haven’t seen it in a long time, either. I remember watching it when it was first on t.v. It was awesome. There’s a show on now called Angie Tribeca that is similar, actually, and is quite funny. It has a female “Drebin.” O.J. was actually a good Nordberg in the movies. It’s weird to watch him now, though. Like Bill Cosby.

It should be “Even Lurch will fit with room for Cousin It.” If Cousin It can fit in a ‘Schmitt, he better fit in a Wanke r l.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/21/2016 at 02:50

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Hmmm... Angie Tribeca... With Karen Fillipelli ! Haven’t seen the Naked Guns for decades either. We didn’t have the exhausting coverage of O.J.’s “behavior”, I’m not sure it will have the same effect on me. I can’t watch The Cosby Show anymore anyway. Not for Bill’s escapades but that one is really outdated somehow.

Vorsprung Lurch Technik . Well...

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/21/2016 at 03:27

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I recently watched a big documentary about O.J. and all that stuff. It was interesting. He really murdered the hell out of those people. But, I also don’t put it past the L.A. police from those days trying to frame him. I was never the biggest Cosby Show fan to begin with, really. But, I liked Cosby. Fat Albert was a favorite cartoon of mine, and I used to listen to his comedy albums. But, he sure sounds like a creep.

Haha. Now that’s a catchy slogan! With a picture of Lurch driving a Wanke r l.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/21/2016 at 06:22

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I loved his sweaters. And the fact NONE of those kids ended up with a decent career afterwards, now how could that happen? Never heard of Fat Albert .

Well, it also emphasizes our “connection” with Auto Union (for their pioneering the Wankel engine). Just not sure if Audi will be happy with our campaign...

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/22/2016 at 23:35

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Yeah, it is weird. They were America’s favorite family. A few of the kids had ok careers. What was the deal with the oldest daughter? I certainly never saw her again. She was barely on the show to begin with. You’ve never seen Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids??? What kind of upbringing do they give you guys over there?

It was a really good cartoon from the 70's that was based on one of his old comedy routines about this guy he knew. I think The Cos did all the voices on the show.

The publicity from Audi suing us would be worth it.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/23/2016 at 03:54

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I think I only ran into Theo once in a while in some shady tv-show. And Vanessa. That oldest daughter was weird, probably just to show the world they were such a normal family: She was studying far away at a -probably- good school, wasn’t that the reason? They were fairly popular over here.

There is no bad publicity, now is there...

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/25/2016 at 23:29

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Theo hosted some low budget game show for a while, I think. I guess he never did much acting after that. Didn’t the oldest daughter move back later on with her idiot husband? I remember him better than her. Maybe she graduated and came home when Lisa Bonet went to A Different World .

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/26/2016 at 04:26

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A Different World !!!! Totally forgot about that one. Was Lisa Bonet in all seasons? Oh, that idiot husband, how on earth did she end up with that guy? It really was all about teaching the youth how the world was, wasn’t it?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/27/2016 at 01:21

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No, it looks like she was only in the first season or two. It’s amazing it lasted to 5 seasons. I don’t know anyone who watched it. I guess people just kept the t.v. on the same channel when The Cosby Show finished.

Was it? Are there really people as dumb as that dude? I suppose that’s how fathers see their son-in-laws.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/27/2016 at 02:58

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Maybe we were not the targeted audience. There were plenty of Afro Americans in it. Wasn’t That still a thing in America, wasn’t Cosby one of the first shows that featured Afro Americans while being watched by all?

I’m sure I’ll hate my son-in-law. No one is good enough. Bill should have looked down on the kid way more.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/27/2016 at 03:22

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There were shows in the 70's that everyone watched that were focused on black families. Sanford & Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons . It’s weird that in the 80's, besides Cosby and the other show, we went backwards a bit.

Not for that princess, no. My dad isn’t crazy about one of his son-in-laws, but he really is an idiot. I don’t understand what my sister sees in him. He can be nice, but he’s mostly stand-offish and odd. And he is dumb, but not a complete moron like the guy on Cosby . My other brother-in-law everyone likes. He’s an asshole, but he’s good hearted so, we all like him.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/27/2016 at 05:06

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So who of those two is with the terrifying MG sister?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/27/2016 at 23:55

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The asshole that we love. The dummy and my other sister live in New Jersey. He always wanted to be a cartoonist, but he has the lamest sense of humor of anyone I know. It’s unbearable.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/28/2016 at 05:24

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Haha, just make him a storyboard, or doesn’t he draw any good either?

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/29/2016 at 03:15

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He draws ok. He’s no Charles Schulz, but he can draw a cartoon. Not as good as he thinks he is, though. Just like his jokes.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/29/2016 at 04:33

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He has to have stuff online: Do Share!!! I can use a good laughter.

Jonee > Jobjoris 09/30/2016 at 03:20

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As far as I can tell, there isn’t anything online. I’m not even sure he’s on Facebook, actually.

He is, but he doesn’t have any of his comics up. I’ll see if I can find one. He always does his own invitations and Christmas cards, and stuff like that.

Jobjoris > Jonee 09/30/2016 at 04:53

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Well, just show him my move-notification by my brother. That’s the stuff people pay for ;-)

I’m getting more curious every minute. Especially about his humor.

Jonee > Jobjoris 10/02/2016 at 02:44

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Ah, yeah. That reminds me of his stuff. Your brother is better, though. The humor is really corny. Like it makes you feel embarrassed for the human race.