Always a supporting role, but with the aura of a protagonist! The legend of the "egg-shaped car"

Isetta on display in the BMW Museum. (Photo provided by the author)

In the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, there is a cute little yellow egg-shaped car. It often opens its "front face" and the steering wheel moves forward, revealing the simple seat without seat belts at the back. About 70 years ago, this unique car entered the lives of thousands of ordinary Germans and witnessed Europe's difficult recovery from the ruins after World War II.

Isetta has Italian blood

World War II destroyed countless lives and wealth. After the war ended, fuel became as scarce as food. Therefore, large luxury cars developed before the war became outdated. People needed cars that were not too fast, but could meet their transportation needs and did not consume too much fuel. As a result, mini cars ushered in a brief "golden age".

In Italy, engineer Renzo Rivolta transformed an electrical appliance factory into a motorcycle manufacturer. After great success, he decided to build a cheap and simple microcar.

In 1953, a small car named "Isetta" appeared in front of people. It has an egg-shaped body, only 229 cm long and 137 cm wide, but it can carry two adults and a child, as well as the luggage they need for camping. People enter the car through the open "front face", and if a traffic accident occurs, they can escape by cutting the canvas roof. The same engine as the motorcycle makes its fuel consumption only 4-5 liters per 100 kilometers. But the only drawback is that it takes half a minute to accelerate to 50 kilometers per hour after starting, and the maximum speed is only 75 kilometers per hour.

The BMW version of Isetta is a big hit

But the fuel-saving advantage alone was far from enough to impress those who had just enough money in their pockets and wanted to buy a car. They preferred the equally small Fiat 500C sedan that "looked more like a car." Undoubtedly, the Isetta did not sell well in Italy. However, BMW in West Germany bought its production license and a whole set of production lines in 1954.

BMW engineers redesigned the details of the Isetta, replaced the engine with the model used by BMW motorcycles, and improved performance. When the "BMW version" of the Isetta went on sale in April 1955, people were pleasantly surprised to find that the fuel consumption of this car was reduced to 3 liters per 100 kilometers, and the speed was slightly higher than the original version, reaching 85 kilometers per hour.

Since then, BMW has been constantly improving the Isetta. For example, in 1956, West Germany revised its traffic law, and vehicles with engine displacements of no more than 300 ml could save a lot of taxes. So BMW engineers developed an engine with a displacement of 298 ml, specifically for the Isetta. After replacing the new engine, the Isetta could not run faster, but it was no longer afraid of steep slopes. The mountainous areas of West Germany and neighboring Austria welcomed many campers driving Isetta.

Isetta accidentally becomes a tool for escape

When Isetta was selling well in West Germany, the "Cold War" between the United States and the Soviet Union for world hegemony became increasingly fierce. West Germany and East Germany, especially Berlin, which was divided into two parts by the two countries, were the forefront of the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1961, East Germany built the Berlin Wall to prevent people from going to West Berlin, which belonged to West Germany. But in order to see their relatives on the other side, many East Germans would rather risk their lives to cross this high wall.

The unique structure of the Isetta made it an unexpected means of escape. There was a partition behind its seat, and an "unused" space between the engine and the transmission system, which was just enough to accommodate a thin adult. The gasoline smell from the engine was just enough to cover up the human smell, deceive the noses of the military dogs, and make the East German guards believe that there was only a driver from West Germany in the car. Relying on this unexpected method, the nine East Germans successfully arrived in West Germany, and then slowly "restored" their stiff bodies and left this small shelter.

As West Germany and even the whole of Europe recovered from the destruction of the war, the legend of Isetta also came to an end. However, in recent years, there have been reports of a "re-engraving" Isetta in Germany from time to time. The high fuel prices and the progress of pure electric vehicles have made this small car born for energy conservation show its value again. Perhaps in the near future, we will see Isetta on the road again.

(The author Ma Zhiheng is an independent researcher of the history of science and technology and science museums, and a member of the China Science Writers Association)