 | |
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | Bresso, Italy |
Key people | Renzo Rivolta (founder) |
| Products | Automobiles, Motorbikes |
ISO Rivolta is an Italian car and motorbike manufacturer active [1] in the motor vehicle sector since 1938. Over the years, the company has taken various names, including Isothermos, Iso Autoveicoli Spa in 1952, Iso Rivolta in 1962, Iso Motors in 1973 and, in 2017, a return to ISO Rivolta.
ISO Rivolta has its origins in Isothermos of Bolzaneto, a factory producing electric heaters and chillers, purchased by the engineer Renzo Rivolta in 1939 and moved to Bresso in 1942, after a bombing raid on Genoa destroyed the offices. Immediately after the end of World War II, Renzo Rivolta decided to devote his company to the production of motorbikes, a type of market that offered significant commercial profits in those years.
The Iso scooter was one of the company's early vehicles. It was equipped with a twin-cylinder engine inspired by the 125 Puch. Together with the Isomoto, the company was encouraged to add new versions and models such as the Isocarro, Iso GT, Iso Sport and Iso Ciclo.
In 1957, developing a project created on behalf of Maserati, the company replaced the now obsolete Iso 125 with a new model (Iso F/150) with more compliant lines that did not disappoint expectations. It remained in production until 1962, when the Iso company limited its production solely to cars. In 1961, a final 500 cm³ motorbike with a boxer engine was presented, but never went into production.
In the early 1950s, Renzo Rivolta developed the concept for a car that was halfway between a car and a motorbike, to bridge the gap between the classic motorcycle and the cheapest Italian car of the time, the Fiat Topolino. The idea was to create a motorbike with a body in order to have a vehicle that was equally as economical, but with the protection offered by a normal car.
The company register changed to Iso Autoveicoli and in 1953 the Isetta was launched. The Isetta featured a distinctive "egg" shape, and was powered by the engine already fitted on the Isomoto 200, albeit increased to 236 cm³ with an aluminum cylinder and chromed cane. It was a sort of cabin scooter, with four wheels (the two rear were fixed, closer to each other) and a cockpit for two passengers, with only one way in: the front door, which was designed to be the car's nose as well, including the windscreen and steering wheel.
The Isetta was not a great success in Italy. Therefore, Renzo Rivolta decided to license the project abroad. The result was the VELAM Isetta for the French market and the Romi Isetta for the Brazilian and South American markets in general, and then the BMW Isetta. The Bavarian company was far from being a healthy company due to an unfavorable post-war reorganization and the unsuccessful high-end models it offered after the war. The launch of the BMW 250, i.e., the BMW-branded Isetta, was much more successful than in Italy. In the end, a total of 160,000 units were produced and sold.
At the end of 1956, production of the Iso Isetta ceased. In the meantime, the Bresso-based company produced the Iso 400, a small, more conventional car with a three-volume body that remained at the prototype stage.
At the beginning of 1957, Iso ended its activities in the fields of microcars and motorbikes. Renzo Rivolta aimed to take a new direction and, from the ashes of Iso Autoveicoli, founded Iso Rivolta — a car manufacturer targeting the narrow market of high-end Gran Turismos, with production halfway between the GTs of the German or American school and the GTs of the Italian school.[ clarification needed ]
The real transition to passenger car production took place in 1962 with the public presentation of the Iso Rivolta IR 300, a luxury coupé designed by Bertone (through Giorgetto Giugiaro’s sketches) with a chassis developed by Eng. Giulio Alfieri and powered by a V8 engine from a Chevrolet Corvette. The 300 in the name indicated the engine output: 300 hp. From that moment on, it was also clear what kind of cars the Iso would produce: high-performance grand touring cars with top-level[ citation needed ] finishes.
In 1963, the Iso A3 was built and exhibited on the Iso Rivolta stand at the Turin Auto Show. Intended for racing with the acronym A3/C, it was entrusted to Giotto Bizzarrini, who was hired by Iso as a track engineer. The bodywork, on the other hand, was made at Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena using 1,700 rivets. In fact, the second Iso model was nicknamed "millechiodi". In 1965, the "berlinetta" version of the A3 was sold to the actor and singer Johnny Hallyday, who helped make it a lifestyle icon.
With the start of sales in the United States and the signing of a stable powertrain contract with General Motors, the company began the production of a new lineup of models based on the GT 300 chassis (standard, extended or shortened). The result was the Grifo sports coupé (1965), with engines from 5.4 to 7 liters, the Fidia luxury saloon (1968) and the Lele 2+2 grand tourer (1969) designed by Marcello Gandini, chief designer at Bertone.
By the end of 1971, due to the unfavorable economic conditions imposed by GM (demanding advance payment for the engines, which had to be purchased in bloc), the company adopted Ford Cleveland engines. Competition from prestigious brands, especially Maserati and Aston Martin (but also, for some models, Ferrari and Lamborghini), and the oil crisis of 1973, put Iso Rivolta in financial jeopardy.
At the beginning of 1973, the Rivolta family listed the company on the New York Stock Exchange. An agreement with Philip Morris and the young team manager Frank Williams led to the formation of the Iso-Marlboro Formula 1 team (the original name of Frank Williams Racing Cars).
The business name of the company changed to Iso Motors & Co. due to the raking in of the stock exchange shares made by the Italian-American Iso Pera. After producing 10,000 ISO snowmobiles, the Rivolta family eventually gave up ownership.
The costs of managing the team, the drop in sales due to the economic and social crises in the first half of the 1970s and conditions in the U.S. market (where the company was late in obtaining the status of "Small Manufacturer", which applied less stringent sanctions standards) led to the end of car production on December 31, 1974.
In anticipation of the impact of the oil crisis on granturismo cars, the Rivolta family decided at the end of 1972 to partner with the ORSA company, a modest industrial plant founded by a small group of Sardinian entrepreneurs on the outskirts of Cagliari, equipped for the small-scale construction of retro-style open cars. For this purpose, the Spring model assembly lines were taken over from SIATA, which had closed its doors. Since the Fiat 850, on whose chassis the Siata Spring was built, was no longer in production, an agreement was made with SEAT, which was still building it in Spain.
The "'Museo ISO Rivolta" is a project that has been in development for years, with a plan to inhabit the former warehouses of the historic factory in Bresso. It was intended to collect motorbikes and cars. In 2008, the municipal administration dedicated a newly built street in the former factory area of Bresso to the Isetta.
One of the two surviving warehouses of the Bresso factory has housed the new post office of the municipality since 2013.
In 2017, after an initiative by Atelier Zagato, the Iso Rivolta brand was brought back into life and had its name turned into ISO Rivolta. It was first placed on the Vision [2] concept car, created to race virtually in SONY PlayStation's GranTurismo and adopted by over 120,000 gamers.
This success led to the Rivolta family's decision to revive the company with its first GT model of the new millennium: the GTZ. [3] The design and production of these exclusive collectible cars were entrusted to Zagato. The technological partnership with GM's Chevrolet Corvette for the project is a historic one, with only 19 GTZs to be produced.
Data from automobile-catalog.com. [4]
| Years | Model | Power | Top speed | Notes | Image |
| 1953–55 | Isetta | 10 PS (7 kW) | 85 km/h (53 mph) |  | |
| 1963–70 | Rivolta IR 300/340/350 | 300 PS (221 kW); 340 PS (250 kW); 350 PS (257 kW) | 205–258 km/h (127–160 mph) | Chevrolet engine |  |
| 1964 | Grifo A3 L | 365 PS (268 kW) | 275 km/h (171 mph) | Chevrolet engine |  |
| 1966–72 | Grifo Lusso GL 300/340/350 | 300 PS (221 kW); 340 PS (250 kW); 350 PS (257 kW) | 210–260 km/h (130–162 mph) | Chevrolet engine | |
| 1972–1974 | Grifo IR8 | 325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW) | 255 km/h (158 mph) | Ford engine | |
| 1968–70 | Grifo 7 Litri | 400 PS (294 kW) | 300 km/h (186 mph) | Chevrolet engine (427) |  |
| 1970–72 | Grifo Can Am | 400 PS (294 kW) | 300 km/h (186 mph) | Chevrolet Engine (427 & 454) |  |
| 1968–72 | Fidia S4 300/350 | 300 PS (221 kW); 350 PS (257 kW) | 220–240 km/h (136–150 mph) | Chevrolet engine |  |
| 1972–74 | Fidia IR10 | 325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW) | 240 km/h (149 mph) | Ford engine | |
| 1969–72 | Lele 300/350 | 300 PS (221 kW); 350 PS (257 kW) | 220–250 km/h (136–155 mph) | Chevrolet engine |  |
| 1972–74 | Lele IR6 | 325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW) | 245 km/h (152 mph) | Ford engine |  |
| 2019- | GTZ | 659 PS (485 kW) | 298 km/h (185 mph) | Chevrolet engine |  |
Maserati S.p.A. is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Maserati was initially associated with Ferrari. In May 2014, due to ambitious plans and product launches, Maserati sold a record of over 3,000 cars in one month. This caused them to increase production of the Quattroporte and Ghibli models. In addition to the Ghibli and Quattroporte, Maserati offers the Maserati GranTurismo and two SUV models, the Maserati Levante and the Maserati Grecale. Maserati has placed a yearly production output cap at 75,000 vehicles globally.
The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name also given to other similar vehicles.
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans. Many iconic car models, such as the Ferrari 250 GT, Jaguar E-Type, and Aston Martin DB5, are considered classic examples of gran turismo cars.
Zagato is a coachbuilding company. The design center of the company is located in Terrazzano, a village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy.
Bizzarrini S.p.A. was an Italian automotive manufacturer. In 1964, the company was founded by former Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Iso engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. The company built a small number of highly developed and advanced sports and racing automobiles before failing in 1969. In 2020, it was announced that the name had been acquired by Pegasus brands, together with plans to restart production.
Giotto Bizzarrini was an Italian automobile engineer who was active from the 1950s through the 1970s.
The Bizzarrini Strada, is a sports car produced by Bizzarrini from 1964 to 1968. Sold as an exceptionally low slung, two-seat coupé, roadster, and track-tuned "Corsa" racer, it proved to be Bizzarrini's most successful model.
The Lamborghini 350 GT is a grand tourer manufactured by Lamborghini between 1964 and 1966. It was the first production vehicle produced by Lamborghini. The 350 GT was based on the earlier Lamborghini 350 GTV and was equipped with a 3.5 liter V12 engine and a 2-door coupé body by Carrozzeria Touring. The 350 GT debuted at the March 1964 Geneva Motor Show and production began the following May. The success of this model ensured the company's survival, establishing it as a viable competitor with rival manufacturer Ferrari.
The Iso Grifo is a limited production grand tourer manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. between 1965 and 1974. Intended to compete with Grand Touring offerings from Ferrari and Maserati, it used a series of American power trains and components supplied by Chevrolet and Ford. Styling was done by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, while the mechanicals were the work of Giotto Bizzarrini.
The Vision Gran Turismo program is a series of concept cars for the Gran Turismo video game series, developed by a cross-section of the world's top automobile manufacturers. These cars appeared originally in the video game Gran Turismo 6, and later made an appearance in each subsequent Gran Turismo installment, all developed by Polyphony Digital. For the most part, they apply present-day technology and materials, with a handful of notable exceptions that utilize novel propulsion and aerodynamic technologies. Their appearance as free update content has been staggered since the launch of GT6 in 2013, with each one being available for download upon release.
The Iso Lele is a grand tourer that was produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Iso Automoveicoli S.p.A. between 1969 and 1974. The Lele, being a 2+2-seater, filled the gap between the Grifo and the Fidia while sharing its powertrain with its siblings. The styling was done by Marcello Gandini of Bertone. The car is named after Lele Rivolta, wife of Piero Rivolta.
The Turin Motor Show was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1938 having shared it with Milan and Rome until that time. From 1972, the show was held biannually and in 1984, it moved into Fiat's shuttered Lingotto factory.
The Fiat-Abarth 750 is a compact sporting series of automobiles manufactured by the Italian manufacturing firm Abarth & C. of Turin, Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. The cars used the floorpan and often the bodywork of the Fiat 600 but were fitted with Abarth's modified engines. Abarth also offered a number of bodyworks by other designers for the 750 and its derivatives, most famously Zagato but also Allemano and others.
The Iso Rivolta is a grand tourer introduced in 1962 by Italian automobile manufacturer Iso Automotoveicoli S.p.A. Company chairman Renzo Rivolta and his colleague, former Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, saw it as a gran turismo in the original sense of the term, designed for long and memorable journeys. It was the first luxury automobile introduced by the company which formerly specialised in affordable motor vehicles. For motor racing, an entirely different variant was made which bore a strong resemblance to the 1962 model Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan and was homologated as a touring car.
Renzo Rivolta was an Italian Engineer.
Neri and Bonacini, also known as Nembo, was a small carrozzeria and mechanic shop based in Modena, Italy, active from the late 1950s to around 1967. Founded and run by Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini, the shop worked on and produced bodies for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati road and race cars, both in an official capacity for those manufacturers and for private owners. Their best known projects are the Ferrari 250 GT-based Nembo spiders and the Lamborghini 400GT Monza. Neri and Bonacini also designed a car under their own name, the Neri and Bonacini Studio GT Due Litri. Two prototypes of this car were made between 1966 and 1968 but it never entered series production. The shop closed around 1967 when Bonacini went to work for De Tomaso and Neri started his own shop, Motors-World-Machines (MWM).
The IsoRivolta Zagato Vision Gran Turismo is a concept car that was introduced in October 2017 at the Gran Turismo booth during the 45th Tokyo Motor Show. It is part of the Vision Gran Turismo and is inspired by the Iso Rivolta, a coupe that Iso produced from 1962 to 1970. It is designed by Italian coach builder Zagato and the concept car uses a 6.2 liter V8 from Callaway. The original car from the 1960s also used an American powertrain: a Chevrolet V8 engine. Zagato was open to start producing the car in very limited numbers and had reportedly open a short list for potential buyers.
The AMC AMX/3 is a mid-engine sports car from American carmaker American Motors Corporation (AMC), which was presented in March 1970 and was to be produced in Germany by Karmann from 1971. With this car, AMC wanted to compete with the similarly designed De Tomaso Pantera, that Ford sold in the USA. The car's body and drivetrain were originated and developed by AMC, and it was styled by Dick Teague. For the chassis and suspension development AMC consulted and partnered with Italian suppliers. The design was at first falsely attributed to Giotto Bizzarrini, but only specific components like certain suspension parts actually came from him. In addition, Italdesign, Autocostruzioni S.D. were also involved in the development. In the end the car never reached full production when, shortly after the official presentation, AMC abandoned the project without giving any reason after about half a dozen cars had been made. Several attempts to revive the design, including a limited production license proposal without AMC's involvement, branded as the Bizzarrini Sciabola, were unsuccessful. Later an AMC AMX/3 chassis formed the technical basis for the 1972 Iso Varedo concept car.
The IsoRivolta GTZ is a two-door sports car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Iso Rivolta in collaboration with design studio Zagato. First shown as a concept named the "IsoRivolta Zagato Vision Gran Turismo" in the popular racing game Gran Turismo Sport, an official unveiling was made at the 2021 Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace. The GTZ is inspired by the Iso A3/C, a 1964 Le Mans class winner which like the GTZ also has a Chevrolet power plant. The car uses a LT4, producing 660 hp and 881 N⋅m (650 lb⋅ft), with car being capable of a 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 315 km/h (196 mph). Production is strictly limited to 19 units, most of which have already been sold.
The Bristol 406 Zagato is a British-Italian sports car that combines the technology of the Bristol 406 Saloon with a body designed and built by Zagato. This special model, often considered eccentric, was commissioned by Bristol dealer Tony Crook and was produced in very limited quantities. It is known for being lighter, smaller, and faster than the factory-bodied base car. In addition, some older Bristol chassis also subsequently received similar Zagato bodies. Today, the 406 Zagato is considered one of the most expensive classics within the brand’s lineup.
| Active manufacturers |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defunct manufacturers |
| ||||||||||
| Design, engineering, and coachbuilding | |||||||||||
| Components |
| ||||||||||
| Foreign subsidiaries | |||||||||||
| Related topics | |||||||||||
