The time span between October 21, 1978 and September 4, 1995 is quite long. Very long. It is 16 years, 10 months, and 14 days. The former date represents the day I purchased my BMW Isetta. The latter date represents the day I first drove it.
When I bought the car, I did not think that it would take just shy of 17 years to get to this point. But it did. As I promised myself, the Isetta did drive in ’95.
The video of the first drive was recently unearthed after being hidden away in a closet for many years. Along with the videos posted earlier, I had forgotten I had this, and it has been fun to rediscover it. No further words are necessary. Click on the YouTube link below and enjoy the clip taken on what was a beautiful late summer day.
All photographs and video recordings copyright © 2019 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.
richardscarblog 
At last! I’m so glad you have video of this, still photos would have never adequately captured The Moment.
I particularly enjoyed the license plate you bolted on in an effort to make a RED Isetta without glass or lights appear “street legal”. I’m sure it would have fooled the authorities. The contrast to your neighbor’s XJS is a particularly striking image.
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Hi Bob, yes, well, skirting the law in a sleepy suburban NJ town in 1995 was quite different than it might be today. (Lights? We don’t need no stinkin’ lights!). At least, thankfully, the plates, registration, and insurance were in fact all legal and up to date. Come to think of it, I now recall that I WAS stopped in my town a few weeks after this first drive, and the cop said all he wanted to do was look at the car! He didn’t care about anything else….
Best, Richard
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[…] its initial drive event behind me, further work on the Isetta slowed. The notebook I kept to track my progress has very few […]
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