HOW MANY ISETTA'S?

by Tony Marshall (published in the Isetta Gazette July 1980)

How long is it since you last saw an Isetta on the road? I am not talking about rallies or other meetings, but refer to unknown Isetta's that you just meet in your travels. I bet it's quite a while since this happened. For this reason it would seem quite reasonable to assume that the numbers of Isetta's are dwindling. Well, a few moments thought made me wonder if this is really true. I do not have details of the number of Isetta's we have on the register at the moment, and I believe that many members do not respond to the questionnaire sent out with their re-application form, so the register may not be able to be relied on to give a true picture. However, I can tell from letters received, or from what I am told, that there are still many Isetta's out there that have not yet found their way into the Club.

As a point of interest, the last time I came across an Isetta just by chance was last month. I was driving my Messerschmitt up to the International Messerschmitt Rally at Kettering, and came upon a dark red Isetta parked with the front end in a bus shelter! Naturally, I stopped to investigate, and found it was one of our members, Steve Willis, drying out the brake drums which had filled with rain water.

I have found several other Isetta's, usually as a result of having been given information. Bob Jones told me about a four wheeler in a recovery yard at Sudbury. I followed this one up and came up with an intriguing tale. The car in question, 182 KMF, had been pushed by the local vandals into a stream, but damage done to it was very little. In fact, I could see no trace of water, and the only blemish was a scratch on the side. It is interesting in that it is a German built 1957 bubble window, supplied for the British market. It is in far better condition than so many isetta's, but nobody seems to want it. The police had it removed from the stream, but cannot trace the owner as it has not been transferred to the computer records. All they can do is hope that the owner will claim it back. Naturally, I have tried to ensure that the club will be kept informed.

Another recent find was only a short distance from my home. It is a 300 three wheeler of about 1960 vintage, although it bears the number NMO 44 F which was issued in 1967. For some reason this car has been re-registered at that time. The car is not in use, and is in a bad way. Generally shabby with a smashed windscreen. However, the owner has not yet come around to my persuasions that he should join the club.

Down in East Grinstead is a really sad Isetta. It is a 1961 RHD (reg: 202 BLC) in very poor condition. The body, strangely, is quite rust free, and the engine seems sound except for the carburettor which shows signs of having been ablaze! However, it is badly bent and it is debatable whether satisfactory repairs would be practical. I would like to try, but cannot get permission to remove the car from its present location.

Added to all of these is one I heard about only yesterday. This is at Ashford, Kent, and seems to have been abandoned. I await more news of this one.

Edwin Hammond recently came up with another Isetta, and, like his first acquisition was inextricably linked with scrap. Not that he paid for it with scrap, like the first one, but it was found sitting on top of a lorry laden with scrap.

Asif all of this is not enough, just glance quickly through the cars for sale in 'Bubble Mart'. Four cars for sale by non members, plus a few others that are. Perhaps someone has a suggestion to make more outsiders aware of the club, and to generate enthusiasm so that we can not only find homes for all those cars, but enrol new members at the same time.