Swiss Brothers Get Ready to Refloat the Bubble Car

Chief Operating Officer Oliver (L) and his brother Chief Marketing Officer Merlin Ouboter of Swiss Microlino AG pose beside an electric-powered Microlino car in Kuesnacht, Switzerland on July 13, 2018. Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH—With its quirky egg shape and minimalist interior, the bubble car was a symbol of cheap and cheerful mobility on European roads in the 1950s and 60s.

Today, two Swiss brothers are developing a new version of the two-seater, a full 56 years after BMW halted production of its famed Isetta after churning out more than 160,000 vehicles.