Mark Fisher’s 1961 BMW Isetta @ Beverley Classic Car Rally

Small can be beautiful, especially when it comes to cars.

While crowds at last week’s flocked to the Rolls Royces and Jaguars, the people really in the know about cars sought out the real gems of the show.

And nothing shone out more than ’s 1961 300cc BMW Isetta.

This legendary bubble car – front opening and unrelentingly romantic – could almost have been lost among the scrum of people trying to see every inch of every well-known marque on show.

However, it was a case of once seen, never forgotten for the BMW Isetta – especially when Mark and his dad crammed into the tiny machine for HU17.net.

Mark told HU17.net: “This car is used regularly – it has been to John O’Groats and back and has done 1200 miles in a week.

“We use this all the time as there is no use a car like this being sat in the garage! We go to rallies and all sorts of meetings in it.

“I bought it 15 years ago and it took a good couple of years to restore it. Now I own four bubble cars, and you find that once you have one you have to buy more.”

Mark, from Hull, admits that people think he must be a little mad to be obsessed by bubble cars.

But when put into the context of history, it’s very easy to understand why and how bubble cars like the BMW Isetta became so popular and have stood the test of time.

Mark continued: “It was the car that saved BMW. BMW bought the rights to the car from an Italian company and moved the production to Germany.

“After the Second World War, fuel was short and this car could do 100 miles to the gallon, so it became a great car for people to upgrade to from motorbikes, especially as it was cheap to buy and run!”

Richard Hayes and Alan Lewis of Motor Works give the BMW the once over



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