The incredible story of Velam Isetta, the French “yogurt on wheels”

If there is a well-known microcar in automotive history, it is the BMW Isetta, a model that, as is well known, saved the German brand at a delicate moment. The history of the Isetta is well known, as is its Italian origin. However, there was a lesser known French version. This is the story of Velam Isetta, the “yogurt on wheels”.

The origin of the Velam Isetta dates back to 1955. Ten years had passed since the end of the Second World War and Europe was beginning to prosper, in large part, thanks to aid from the Marshall Plan, which had irrigated several countries on the continent with billions of dollars to rebuild.

The 1950s was also the decade of the creation of what we now call the European Union, from the Declaration of Robert Schuman on May 9, 1950 and the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, in 1951, until the signing of the Treaties of Rome on March 25, 1957, which gave rise to the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community.

But, despite the growth that the main European economies began to experience in those years, the automotive industry was going through a difficult time. The car was a very expensive product and very few families had access to it.

Many manufacturers had an outdated model range, with even pre-war models. Such was the case of the Fiat 500, known as Topolino (not to be confused with the 1957 Fiat 500) or the Volkswagen Beetle.

Iso Rivolta creates the Isetta

In this context, the Italian company Iso Rivolta devised a practical, small and, above all, very economical car that would allow Italian society to be motorized. The Isetta was the idea of ​​Ermenegildo Preti, a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, with experience in aeronautics, under design by Pierluigi Raggi.

Presented at the 1953 Turin Motor Show, the Isetta responded to what was known at the time as an autoscooter, that is, a small car equipped with a moped engine.

It was about building a vehicle that was something more than a motorcycle, but without being a car, since these were very expensive. In the Isetta, it was all there: the concept of an affordable vehicle, a motorcycle engine, the absence of a differential that increased costs, space for two people, comfort and ease of access.

Its design was unmistakable and Preti’s knowledge of aeronautics can be seen in it. The ovoid shape of it completely set it apart from the rest of the automotive landscape of the time.

immediate success

All this translated into immediate commercial success and great acceptance by the public, when the Italian company began production of the Isetta in 1953. A year later, on May 2, 1954, the small utility took part in the mythical Mille Miglia, with Cipolla and Broschi at the wheel.

After 22 hours, 4 minutes and 52 seconds, the Isetta finished the race in 176th place, out of 182 registered participants. In addition, four other cars managed to finish the test.

However, despite its strong irruption, the joy did not last long. Fiat launched the 600 on the market in 1955 and, two years later, the car that was truly going to revolutionize and motorize the Italian population arrived, the Fiat 500.

This was precisely the death sentence for the Isetta, since it cost more or less the same as the Cinquecento, but it offered more comfort: four passengers, more power, performance, better performance… It was a “real” car with a vocation familiar.

On April 30, 1955, Iso SpA Milano announced in the Italian magazine Auto Italiana a collaboration with BMW and with a French light vehicle brand, Velam. But the sale of international licenses actually masked a fragile financial situation.

Velam Isetta, the French “yogurt on wheels”

As in other European countries, in France there was a great interest in small and cheap cars and the Isetta fit perfectly into the philosophy of Velam (Véhicle Léger à Moteur), a company that had its headquarters at 11 rue Ledoux, in the Paris 16th arrondissement.

When the leaders of the French brand saw the Isetta at the Turin Motor Show, they were amazed and decided to buy a license to manufacture it in France, as well as marketing rights in Belgium and Spain.

To assemble it, the French brand negotiated with Anthony Lago, owner of Talbot, for the transfer of part of its workshops in Suresnes, in the Île-de-France region. The agreement benefited both parties, since Lago was also looking for profitability, as his brand new Lago Grand Sport coupe, with a six-cylinder engine, which cost 2,775,000 francs, did not sell well.

In May 1955, Velam’s work revolved around a prototype. The designers tried to define a body that allowed the use of elements that were easy to press and weld. Unlike the BMW Isetta, the French version used a more modern monocoque chassis (just like the Italian Isetta).

Another difference from the German Isetta were the front wings, which could be removed. However, the French version did not retain the small fins present on the Italian and German Isetta.

Presents in Paris

On October 7, 1954, under the vaults of the Grand Palais, the 41st edition of the Paris Motor Show was held. There, Velam’s management presented to the press the final version of “yogurt with wheels”, as it would later be baptized.

The car maintained the characteristics of the Isetta de Iso, such as the front door to facilitate access and that the driver, when getting out of the car, stepped directly on the sidewalk. This door surprised many, since when it was opened, the steering column and the dashboard also moved.

It also kept the separated backrests, with an optimal width for the passenger, the waterproof fabric sunroof that slid backwards and dimensions perfectly adaptable to urban traffic that even allowed parking perpendicular to the curb.

The front design was reminiscent of an amphibian, due to the light groups that protruded from the sides of the body. At the rear was a large panoramic window that offered good visibility and lighting.

Inside it was very minimalist, it could only fit two people and a piece of luggage, as long as it was soft and, if possible, small.

The price was set at 297,000 francs and many took an interest, paying a deposit of 20,000 francs.

A few months later, in the spring of 1955, many customers who had reserved an Isetta were concerned about the lack of news, but after the agreement with Talbot, the situation returned to normal. Production went from 20 to 22 units per day, and by the end of December 1955, 1,224 units of the Velam Isetta had been assembled.

Two-stroke engine, two cylinders and 9.5 CV

The Velam Isetta was powered by a two-cylinder, 236 cc, air-cooled, carburetor-fed, right-side overhang engine. It developed 9.5 HP of power at 4,500 rpm, directed to the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission with toothed clutch and reached 80 km/h.

Unlike BMW’s Isetta, which had a single-cylinder four-stroke engine, the French version used a two-stroke engine. This was a problem, as it required the driver to mix the gasoline and oil, a dirty and tedious task.

As for the monocoque chassis, it mounted an independent front suspension, based on a system of rubber rings supplied by Neiman, while at the rear, having such a narrow track width, it did not require a differential.

Velam Isetta failures

There were so many technical limitations of the little “yogurt” that they put its commercial development at risk. In addition, the noise in the passenger compartment was so loud that spending time driving it became unbearable. Another problem came from its rudimentary finish and poor waterproofing.

Faced with these problems, the designers installed a more successful soundproofing system and proposed a version with a removable rear section.

However, the tweaks that were made did not allow the Isetta to achieve the expected success, despite the fact that the sales of economy cars increased in the mid-1950s, due to the fuel restrictions due to the Suez crisis.

The numbers of the Isetta did nothing but dwindle: from the 4,886 units sold in 1956 it fell to only 1,005 in 1957. A year later, in 1958, the president of Velam, Michel Cromback, presented a renewed version, the Isetta Velam Écrin , characterized by a two-tone body, a better interior distribution and equipped with a radio.

But none of this served to cover up the great problem of its two-stroke engine, tremendously noisy and which required the driver to take care of measuring the fuel.

Of the Écrin variant, barely 500 units were registered, at a rate of 380.00 francs. To put that amount in context, a Citroën 2 CV Type A, much more practical and versatile than the Velam, cost a little less: 374,000 francs.

In the late 1950s, Frenchmen looking for a budget car could turn to several more useful options than the Isetta, such as a second-hand Renault 4 CV or the new 2 CV itself.

During the years it was in production, just over 7,000 units were assembled. Finally, in January 1958, the French company realized that the Isetta had little future and abandoned the idea of ​​being a car manufacturer.