Germany 1955-1957: VW Beetle and BMW Isetta popular
BMW Isetta
* Many thanks to Florian for making this post possible! *
During the period car sales continued to accelerate in Germany: from 494,200 registrations in 1955 (+29%) to 582,100 in 1956 (+18%) to 639,600 in 1957 (+10%). The VW Beetle follows the market’s growth and stabilises itself around 25% market share, peaking at 160,781 units in 1957.
These 3 years are the golden years of the legendary BMW Isetta, the car with a door instead of a bonnet. It sells 10,489 units in 1955, peaks at 22,543 in 1956 and holds itself to 21,129 in 1957, staying on the podium all the way. Other successful cars in Germany during the period are the Opel Kapitän and Glas Goggomobil.
Full Year 1955-1957 Top 3 Ranking Tables below.
Germany 1955:
| Pos | Model | 1955 | % |
| 1 | VW Beetle | 128,687 | 26.0% |
| 2 | Opel Kapitän | 11,830 | 2.4% |
| 3 | BMW Isetta | 10,489 | 2.1% |
Germany 1956:
| Pos | Model | 1956 | % |
| 1 | VW Beetle | 141,979 | 24.4% |
| 2 | Glas Goggomobil | 33,835 | 5.8% |
| 3 | BMW Isetta | 22,543 | 3.9% |
Germany 1957:
| Pos | Model | 1957 | % |
| 1 | VW Beetle | 160,781 | 25.1% |
| 2 | BMW Isetta | 21,129 | 3.3% |
| Citroen DS/ID | 535 | 0.1% |
Many thanks to Florian for sharing the data!
