1957 BMW Isetta 300 “Bubble Car”

Recently on a visit to the Blackhawk Museum, the author spied on display a restored 1957 BMW Isetta 300, a micro-car that due to its unique shape is known as a “bubble car.”  Originally designed by Iso in Italy the Isetta powered by a two-stroke motorcycle engine was first shown to the public in November 1953, the tiny seven-and-a-half-foot long car was a sensation. Iso made a few hundred of these cars, but most production was by license to manufacturers in France, Brazil, Argentina and Germany.

The German manufacturer, BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) introduced its version of the Isetta, known initially as the Motocoupe, in late 1955 with a single-cylinder four-stroke engine that displaced 250 cubic centimeters (CC) (15 cubic inches) and developed 12 horsepower. In early 1956 BMW added the larger 300 CC (18 cubic inches) that developed 13 horsepower to the product line.

Although the horsepower change is slight, and the top speed of 53 miles per hour (MPH) is unchanged, the 300 CC engine provides more torque and better hill-climbing ability. The engine is connected to a BMW 4-speed transmission with reverse that fed the rear two wheels and is cooled by a forced air fan. The nearly 800-pound Isetta was not designed for performance but fuel economy and a BMW Isetta could easily achieve over 60 miles per gallon of gasoline.  

Believe it or not, Isettas competed in the famed Italian road race the 1,000 mile Mille Miglia in 1954 and 1955. In 1954, Iso Isettas finished first, second, third, fourth and sixth in the economy car division and averaged over 43 miles per gallon with a winning average speed of 45 miles per hour.

a page from a BMW Isetta owners manual

As part of the licensing agreement BMW also purchased the body dies from Iso so the BMW cars are very similar to the Iso, but the deluxe versions such as the one on display in Danville, featured sliding side windows. The tubular chassis features independent front suspension with coil sprint, while the narrow rear suspension uses quarter elliptical leaf springs, and the car features four-wheel hydraulic brakes.   The design allowed a turning radius of 27 feet.

 

One of the most striking features of the Isetta is the front opening door with the hinged swing-away steering wheel and dashboard to allow passengers easy access to the bench seat. The author remembers as a nine-year old taking a ride in a BMW Isetta which was used by the local Rambler dealer, Dale Rambler, to ferry service customers home while their car was being serviced.   The BMW Isetta was marketed as an ideal suburban second car for shopping and picking the children up after school.  

After a peak of nearly 40,000 built in 1957, sales declined as BMW introduced larger cars - first the 4-seat 600 bubble car and then the model 700. In 1962, BMW manufactured the Isetta until May 1962 with a total of 161,728 built making it the most popular single-cylinder car ever built.

The fully restored 1957 BMW Isetta Model 57 Deluxe example on display at the Blackhawk Museum is finished in coral red and ivory with a folding black roof and gray and black interior.  The car is currently offered for sale at $35,000.

http://www.blackhawkcollection.com/

A hot rod  with a historic connection 
at the Autos of Alamo car show

At the “Autos of Alamo” car show held on the evening of September 18 at the Alamo Square shopping Center, the author found a unique hot rod with a connection to both hot rod history and the history of the Indianapolis 500-mile race.

From a distance this is a nice full-fendered 1932 Ford Model 18 Deluxe coupe “three window” fitted with a Sparton horn, but the outstanding feature of this hot rod is its flathead V-8 engine fitted with original Navarro 89 cylinder heads. Barney Navarro was a ground breaking early Southern California hot rodder who built hop-up parts for at his Navarro Engineering shop at 5142 San Fernando Road in Glendale California.

Rambler ad scanned from the September 1967

 issue of Motor Trend magazine

For five years Barney Navarro raced on the United States Auto Club (USAC) championship racing circuit, principally at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with an unlikely engine – a Rambler straight six engine as used in the Rambler American passenger car. Barney sleeved the engine down from its original 199 cubic inches down to 183 cubic inches and turbocharged it. A Rambler advertisement in Motor Trend magazine in September 1967 claimed that the engine developed over 550 horsepower.

Unfortunately the chassis in which the engine was installed in for its 1967 debut was a bit long in the tooth; the first rear-engine Watson chassis which powered by a Ford DOHC V-8 engine was driven to second place by Rodger Ward in the 1964 Indianapolis ‘500.’

 Les Scott's official Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

Navarro bought the car in 1966 from racer Norm Hall who had raced it unsuccessfully during the 1965 USAC engine fitted with an Offenhauser engine. The Rambler-powered car was entered in the 1967 Indianapolis ‘500’ for Kokomo Indiana rookie driver Les Scott who passed his rookie test but failed to qualify for the 33-car starting field.

Over the next few years, Barney Navarro continued to attempt to qualify at Indianapolis with Scott as the driver although other notable drivers tried it. In 1968, after Scott failed his refresher test journalist turned racer Ken Titus crashed the Navarro Watson in practice.

In 1969 Mike Moseley who drove for Wilke Racers and AJ Watson took the car for a “test hop” to help sort of the handling but in the end Scott and the #50 Navarro Engineering Special failed to qualify for the ‘500.’ Later during the 1969 USAC racing season Al Loquasto tried to qualify the car at two races, and  Southern California road racer Dino Dioguardi did not qualify for the starting field at the 1969 season-ending “Rex Mays 300.”

Ace midget car pilot Arnie Knepper drove the red white and blue “Navarro American Motors Special” in practice at Indianapolis in 1970 but did not attempt to qualify. Later that season both Les Scott and Denny Zimmerman unsuccessfully tried to qualify the car for the inaugural ‘California 500’ at the Ontario Motor Speedway in September 1970.

Dave Strickland's official Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

The following year the Navarro Rambler-powered car now fitted with twin turbochargers finally made the starting field for a USAC race and ran in both heats of the “Rafaela Indy 300” held in Argentina, driven by midget racing stalwart Dave Strickland. The #50 car was flagged in 19th place in the first 153-mile heat race, and 15th in the second heat 8 laps behind the winner.  

After adjustments made during a tire test session at Phoenix improved the old chassis’ handling, the team went to Indianapolis with high hopes. Dave Strickland passed his rookie test, but the over-stressed Rambler engine then reputed to develop 700 horsepower had reliability issues and eventually Strickland stepped out of the car after a practice incident. 

The Navarro-owned Rambler-powered Watson chassis reappeared at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1972 as the “Roughneck Drilling Special” driven by hard-luck racer Leon “Jigger” Sirois, who practiced the car but never made a qualifying attempt.

During the 1980’s Barney Navarro sold the 1964 Watson chassis less its unique engine back to its original driver Rodger Ward who had the car restored to Ford DOHC power with its original 1964 livery as the “Kaiser Aluminum Special.” 

Barney Navarro a true hot rod and racing innovator passed away two days after his 88th birthday in August 2007 but his company carries on and sells modern examples of Barney’s original castings.    

Color photographs by the author
Black & White photographs courtesy of the IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Studies Indianapolis Motor Speedway Collection