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> it's about our smallest car, the 1957 or '58 BMW Isetta. It finally moved >under it's own power for the first time since we bought it way back in 1993! >From Dave: >Now, in case you don't know, it's [Dave's Isetta] powered (if you can call it that) >by a single cylinder, 300cc air cooled engine, producing 13.5 bhp on a good day. Ah, you touched off a flood of nostalgia (bless you!). In 1959, an army buddy and I toured Washington, D.C., in his Isetta...with, of course, the front door open for the perfect view. (Dave, you may have to explain that to those who aren't familiar with the vehicle) The Isetta was one of a flood of mini-cars that put Europe on the road following WWII. Wonderful examples of minimalism were the Fiat 600 and then the 500s (replacing the Topolino), the Rennault 4CV, the Citroen 2CV, the marvellously named Gogomobile, and a number of quaint English motorcycle/cars such as the Morgan three-wheeler. Most of those vehicles would, if sitting beside your T3, make your car appear to be a limousine! The fun with the Isetta when parking at the curb was to drive it forward (head-on) into the parking space..the back end wouldn't stick out into the street. These cars were diminuitive, but they were affordable and put Europe on wheels. Few of them had engine displacement over 600cc and few could attain a top speed of 60mph. And to show how the our standards have changed, even the Fiat 500s and 600s were sold as 4-passenger family cars. Dave, few people will understand (or care) what an interesting car you have in the Isetta. Some of us, however, cerainly will. May you keep it forever! (or sell it to me...). BTW, I drove to work in my Sqbk this morning (there's your T3 content)... Phil dillard@suu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe? mailto:type3-request@vwtype3.org, Subject: unsubscribe