August 03 2009   Source: Bryan Joslin

BMW May Launch Isetta Brand to Market Electric Cars

BMW has been developing a small electric car, which it will share with MINI. Coincidentally, the BMW Museum has begun leaving miniature Isettas around the city of Munich as gifts to its residents. Reading between the lines, it appears that BMW may re-launch Isetta as its own brand specifically to market electric vehicles.

The original Isetta was designed by the Italian company Iso, and BMW built them under contract powered by their own motorcycle engines starting in 1954. The small egg-shaped car sold more than 170,000 copies from 1954 to 1965, including a larger variat known as the 600.

Much like the MINI brand, Isetta would give BMW a unique, iconic brand on which to showcase its new technology without diluting the brand equity of its main unit, BMW cars. Presuambly, the "New Iestta" would be an all-electric, compact city car with a BMW-like feel.

Nothing has been officially announced, but a reliable insider at BMW who regularly leaks advanced information has indicated that the company has a renewed interest in the Isetta name. With the Frankfurt Motor Show weeks away, anything is possible.