The Isetta furnished BMW with a readily-saleable economical car, particularly popular in 1956 and 1957 when the Suez Crisis interrupted oil supplies to Europe. Over the eight years that it remained in production, more than 160,000 were built, not counting Isetta production that continued in France, Belgium, Spain, and Brazil. It can be argued that the Isetta was a vital ingredient in BMW’s post-war recovery, enabling the embattled firm to weather the death of popular, conventional passenger cars.