by Mike –
Factory entered Iso Isettas finished first, second and third in the economy class at the 1954 Mille Miglia.
The Isettas averaged more than 43 mph during this grueling 1,000 mile race.
After World War II cheap short-distance transportation was needed in Italy and all of Europe. Renzo Rivolta, the owner of Iso, wanted to fill that need with the Isetta.
The Isetta has been an influential design for low cost, fuel efficient city cars.
This Mille Miglia Iso Isetta race car was displayed at the Iso celebration on April 27 & 28, 2013 in Bresso, Italy.
Thanks Mike for this great info on the Isetta’s Mille Miglia history. Fantastic finish: 1,2,3 !!! Do you know how many others in their class entered? Where the entries “factory work cars” or private? The Isetta was engraved on my mind when as a child in Argentina I first saw it. I remember my uncle buying one in 1954-55 and getting a ride in what was at that time a very exciting little car. My uncle would get so mad when often the local teenagers would pick the car up and move it…either on the curb or the sidewalk…it would only take 4 or 5 young guys to pick it up. The front end is very light and the bumpers are just right height to reach down, hold on to the them, and let your legs do all of the work. Great memories.
The price on these are going way up. Last year there was, what looked to be, a perfect restored sample at the Meccum Auction in Anaheim CA. I kept bidding past my pre-decided limit of $30K and stopped at $33k…I think it sold around $36k WOW that is a lot of $$ for what is, in todays US highways, a very limited vehicle. The color combos are so cool on thee cars. Put several of these together in a drive and you have what my wife calls “a bunch of jelly beans on the highway”.
Thanks Mike for the pictures and your reporting.
Roger,
I do not know how many cars were in the same class as the Isettas in 1954 but I believe all of the Isettas were factory cars.
That is a great story about your Uncle’s Isettas. Do you have any photos?