THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PICTURE .
IT WAS TAKEN AT PARK AVENUE IN NYC ACROSS THE STREET FROM
WHERE MY AUNT USED TO LIVE .
BACK IN THE DAY , THE ISETTAS WERE IMPORTED BY FADEX COMMERCIAL Inc . MAX HOFFMANN WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THEM BUT
DID LIKE
THE 507 FOR SOME REASON .
THE FADEX MAIN OFFICE WAS IN NYC AND HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO
GET THE ISETTA INTO MAIN ROLES IN A FEW MOVIES .
ONE OF THOSE MOVIES WAS HOUSEBOAT WITH CARY GRANT AND SOPHIA LOREN . THIS WAS A PUBLICITY SHOT THAT CARY GRANT POSED FOR BEFORE
THE FILMING OF THE MOVIE .
THE PRODUCERS OF THE FILM THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND DECIDED THAT THE ISETTA WAS NOT RIGHT AND PUT GRANT IN A JEEP FOR THE MOVIE .
FADEX THEN TOOK THE ONE PICTURE THEY HAD AND WIDELY CIRCULATED IT IN BROCURES AND LOBBY CARDS SHOWING JUST HOW COOL YOU TOO COULD LOOK BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A BMW .
FADEX HAD A HARD TIME SELLING THE ISETTA TO AMERICANS AND WENT
OUT OF BUSINESS IN 1961 . THEY DID IMPORT A FEW 700s BUT IT WAS A
VERY FEW .
SINCE HOFFMANN DIDN'T TAKE ON THE 700 AND BMW-NA DIDN'T COME ALONG UNTILL THE 2002 WAS IN FULL SWING , THERE WAS NO ONE WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ON THE 700 IN ANY BIG WAY .
AN THAT IS WHY THE 700 IS SO RARE IN THIS COUNTRY TO THIS DAY .
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