Javillac
In a desolate Europe After World War II, there was a proliferation of small micro cars as the most economical solution to transport the middle class and to keep afloat many companies that could not afford to develop or market more conventional and higher-class automobiles.
Germany, which found itself in the worst situation of all countries after the conflict due to incessant bombing, was one of the places where the most cars of this class were manufactured. BMW, which used to build exclusive sports cars, was also forced to produce its own microcar.
1955: BMW MANUFACTURES THE ISETTA
Surprising BMW did not develop its own microcar, but rather manufactured one under license. In 1953 the Italians from Iso presented the little Isetta, whose production was soon taken to other European countries, such as the VELAM French, or Borgward Iso Española in Spain.
BMW also managed to acquire the license and the necessary tools to build the Isetta, making this car the first new model presented by the brand after the end of the war. 
Its price, which was 30% lower than the popular one Volkswagen Beetle, made The BMW Isetta became a real sales success that the brand needed so much, with more than 160.000 cars manufactured in Germany, and another 30.000 in the United Kingdom manufactured there under license.
The BMW Isetta did not use the two-cylinder two-stroke engines of Italian origin, using instead single-cylinder mechanics of 250 and 300 cubic centimeters, depending on the version.
1957: THE BMW 600 ARRIVES
The same year in which the popular SEAT 600 In Spain, BMW introduces a car of the same name, this time outside the ISO threshold, although the car was clearly based on the Isetta, with practically the front half of the car inheriting the same components from this one. Features such as the iconic front door were maintained. 
This car represented the technical and commercial evolution of the Isetta 250 and 300, but unlike these, It was not a bestseller.. The BMW 600 still had a very peculiar design, but it was more like a car, both in appearance and performance, its price was also very similar to that of other cars, being slightly cheaper than a Volkswagen Beetle.
The 600 had four seats, accessing the rear seat through a door located on the right side. The new chassis featured a new semi-independent rear suspension, marking the first time BMW had used this technology in its cars.
The car was more luxurious and comfortable than the Isetta, with special praise for the gearbox by the motor press of the moment, with the gear lever now located in the center of the vehicle floor, and not on the left side as was the case in the microcar.
The mechanics of the 600 were mounted in the rear of the car, and came from the BMW R67 motorcycle, a two-cylinder boxer-type engine of 582 cubic centimeters and 19,5 HP of power, which allowed the 565 kilo vehicle to reach 102 kilometers per hour.
But all these improvements failed to captivate the public, who for a slightly larger financial outlay could buy a Volkswagen Beetle, which had better performance and characteristics than the BMW, for this reason. Only 34.813 units of the 600 were sold. 1959 until late.
As a curiosity, some units of the BMW 600 were exported to the United States, and after production ceased in 1959, an Argentine brand called De Carlo manufactured 1.413 units of this car in that country until 1961.
However, This car of little commercial success laid the foundations for a car that would save BMW of an economic situation that was about to make her integrate into Mercedes-Benz.
Based on the mechanical principles of the 600, BMW commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to create an attractive two-door car that would become a real sales success and would be the German firm's last economical car. This was the bmw 700.
So, although the BMW 600 is one of the most unknown and rarest cars in the history of the brand, it did its bit essential for the survival of this firm. 
Photographs: BMW
