My maths school teacher had one of these. It did not seem that unusual at the time even though there were few on the roads. Nobody laughed at him for having such a 'car' and we were well versed as school kids at picking on people.
I wish cars could be more like the Isetta and less like tanks. With driver aids such as ABS and the like we could have electric cars like the Isetta with safe roads. However the horse has left the gate on that and we are doomed to a future of vehicles built like tanks.
Small vehicles have been killed by regulation. No chance to build a two-stroke engine anymore, at least for a car. Expensive crash test regs. Noise and pollution regs. And, if you do electric, heavy batteries.
You may be correct about crash and other safety regulations, but the BMW Isetta was powered by a 250cc single cylinder four stroke engine adapted from a motorcycle. That class of engines is quite alive and kicking, they have substantially increased in power output in the mean time.
I wish cars could be more like the Isetta and less like tanks. With driver aids such as ABS and the like we could have electric cars like the Isetta with safe roads. However the horse has left the gate on that and we are doomed to a future of vehicles built like tanks.