How many BMW Isettas are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 137,496 on the road Built 1954-1963 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The best known of the bubble cars: an egg-shaped two-seater whose whole front swings open as the door, steering column and all. The design came from Iso in Italy, and BMW built it under licence from 1955 with one of its motorcycle engines. It sold well enough to help keep the company alive.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1958: 11 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 2 |
| 1955 | 1 |
| 1956 | 1 |
| 1957 | 9 |
| 1958 | 11 |
| 1959 | 3 |
| 1960 | 2 |
| 1961 | 2 |
| 1963 | 3 |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 34 still registered, the BMW Isetta is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 44th of the 53 BMW models and equal 1,469th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.