1959 BMW Isetta

1 Door Motocoupe U/K

0.3L 298CC 18Cu. In. l1 GAS OHV Naturally Aspirate

Manual

578497

Clear

GAS

Up for sale with low reserve is this nice BMW Isetta. It is an older restoration with recent updates to the brakes, body, transmission and engine. This is a matching numbers car – that is, engine, body and frame carry the same serial number. This car has had an interesting history, having been delivered by BMW to the dealer in Montevideo, Uruguay in late 1958. It was delivered in the color that it is painted, now – Ivory. (A copy of the message from BMW confirming this is included with other documentation that will be part of this sale.) The auto was delivered apparently in a partially knocked down state to allow for some local content to be added to the basic car. Details of the local content are not entirely clear, but apparently includes the rear bumper, rear glass and interior, but none of this is actually documented anywhere I could find. This Isetta starts, runs, drives, shifts, steers and stops as intended. All of the electrical items (lights, signals, horn, starter, wiper, etc.) are fully operational although the turn signal switch does not have as positive a detent as it should. The body is very solid and there is no rust on the floor or battery box. The underside of the body has been painted the same color as the rest, but it is not as detailed as the top side. There are a few paint cracks visible on the body due to rough handling at some point and a very slight dent on the right side headlamp housing. There are several small chips or imperfections in the paint. The frame is painted a semi-gloss black. This was a body-off restoration at the time, around 2003 to 2005. The indicated mileage on the odometer must have been changed or altered sometime during its life. Odometer disclosure is exempt by Federal Law for a vehicle of this age. On the other hand, I have never heard of an Isetta that could accumulate the total as shown! The rear bumper assembly is different compared to most USA spec Isettas, (mainly lacking the useless bumperettes) but the arrangement there appears to be original to this car. The interior is very nice, mixing a blue leatherette / vinyl with a blue plaid cloth. The sunroof is excellent as well. You will note by the photos that this car has the desirable ‘tropical’ door which allows air flow to be directed into the passenger compartment or to the windscreen. This car does not have the heater / defroster unit normally mounted to the dash panel on USA Isettas, perhaps as a concession to the climate in Uruguay, but the control cable is present next to the choke control. An excellent feature of this car is the correct style tread pattern on the 4.50 x 10” tires. The spare wheel / tire is also included and is also matching in tread pattern and wheel color. There are improvements that could be made and details that could be added to enhance the appearance and value of this car. That is why I have set the reserve value low to allow room for the new owner to take on these issues. As with any such sale of a vehicle, especially one as old as this, there is no guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied. The buyer will be responsible for transportation of the car from its current location 12 miles north of Pittsburgh, PA. Of course I will assist in that effort and make myself available for your collection of the car – or for your inspection of it prior to the close of the auction. Payment will best be handled by wire transfer after a PayPal deposit of $500 is made. I will request the deposit by 3 days after the close of the auction with full payment within 7 days. Also included in the sale is a box of documentation including shop and restoration manuals, other technical articles and references for parts suppliers. I hold a clean Pennsylvania Antique vehicle title in my name. Refer to my eBay feedback which is over 500 total as buyer and seller with 100% positive reports.On Mar-21-14 at 17:12:20 PDT, seller added the following information: Seller has lowered the reserve.