BMW Smartcar

Mercedes-Benz Smartcar, the idea behind the very short smart car is that the vehicle is easy to park. It is short enough to allow it to be parked front-in where a conventionally sized car would have to parallel park. City drivers may find a benefit of the Smartcar's size. Fuel efficiency in the city is lower than the 5-seat. The concept is good, having a small car in cities is just the perfect solution where big cars roamed, solving the difficulties in maneuvering through tight roads, and the problem of parking's too.

Believe it or not, BMW already has a smartcar over 50 years ago! This is the BMW Isetta 250. Although not originally designed by them, they obtained the licensing to manufacture the car. They redesigned the powerplant around a more reliable BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine making 13 hp. Although the major elements of the Italian design remained intact, BMW re-engineered much of the car.

The top speed is 53 mph, and it gets 63 miles per gallon. Small (only 7.5 feet long by 4.5 feet wide, or something like 228 by 168 centimetres) and egg-shaped, with bubble type windows, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry and in the event of a crash, the driver and passenger were expected to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung out with the single door, as this made access to the single bench seat simpler. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel located below. A heater was optional, and ventilation was provided by opening the fabric sunroof.

The first BMW Isetta rolled off the line in April of 1955 and in the next eight months, some 10,000 of the "bubblecars" were produced. BMW built over 136,000 Isettas. Of the cars made by BMW, about 8,500 were exported to the U.S. of which it is estimated 1,000 still survive. A very well-kept example can be seen at the entrance to the Malta Classic car museum in Qawra. Elvis Presley bought a red Isetta as a Christmas gift for his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. In 1962, they stopped production of the little cars but continued to produce Isetta engines until 1964.

Source : www.bmwworld.com
Source : www.microcarmuseum.com

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