Refrigerators, Motorcycles, Microcars, Sports Coupes – All Connected in a Forgotten Italian Marque
Italian marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and Maserati are all well known to us, but there are others that after their time in the sun are no longer with us. ASA, Bizzarrini, Moretti, OSCA, Siata and Stanguellini are but a few that come to mind. There are other sporting marques, of course, that today continue to excite those among us who are looking for something different.
Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A.. is one such Italian sporting marque that started out making refrigerators and then moved on to motor scooters/ cycles, followed by diminutive three-wheelers and finally on to supercars.
Born into a family of Italian industrialists in 1908, Renzo Rivolta was destined to follow in the footsteps of his forebears. At just over the age of 30, in 1939, Rivolta was searching for a suitable manufacturing company in need of a new owner. He found one in the small Italian town of Bolzaneto, near Genoa. The name of the company was Isothermos and it manufactured refrigerators and heaters.
War was around the corner, but Rivolta was acutely aware that even in times of hostilities there would be a need to keep foodstuffs cool. Just a couple of years later and the area around Genoa was under constant and severe Allied bombardment, resulting in Isothermos being moved to a large villa near the town of Bresso, very close to Milan. Such a move coincided with an important incident in Rivolta’s life, the birth of his son Piero.
With the end of WWII, Rivolta went looking toward diversification and, being aware of the need for personal transport, purchased a motor scooter and the necessary equipment needed to build it. However, things moved slowly in post-war Italy, and it wasn’t until 1949 that the first “Furetto” scooter was on the road. Powered by a 65-cc, single-cylinder engine, the Furetto soon evolved into the 125-cc “Isoscooter.”
Rivolta’s company was caught within the burgeoning boom of the Italian motor scooter’s popularity alongside such manufacturers as Vespa, Lambretta, Piaggio and Garelli. So successful was the Isoscooter that Rivolta made the decision to sell off the fridge and heater business so that he could fully concentrate on motorized transport.
Isoscooters were soon being built alongside Iso motorcycles and they too sold well due to the dynamic post-war Italian recovery.
Microcar
The late 1940s and early ’50s witnessed the start of the “Microcar” phenomenon. Of course, small cars certainly weren’t new, as in the post-WWI period came the introduction of the cyclecar that was all the rage until the “big car in miniature,” the Austin 7, first saw light of day in 1922. Overnight the cyclecar industry was wiped out, but conversely it certainly did well for the Austin Motor Company.
It could be said that Microcars were the post-WWII equivalent of the cyclecar. However, the difference between the post-WWI cyclecars and the post-WWII microcars was that the latter provided protection from the elements. Iso’s answer was the Isetta launched in November, 1953.
Powered by a two-stroke, 198-cc single-cylinder engine, the Isetta sold reasonably well into the post-war Italian market. Looking at one today it’s easy to tell from the vehicle’s forward opening door, Iso’s refrigerator heritage. Interesting though is that the Isetta is not well known through its original manufacturer, but more so when the license to build the vehicle was sold to BMW, after which the vehicle gained popularity across Europe. The Isetta was also made under license by different manufacturers in Belgium, Spain, Brazil, France and the UK.
The Isetta gave rise to a new range of small Iso commercial vehicles that were equipped with three or four wheels and single or horizontally opposed, twin-cylinder engines. Various bodystyles were offered including enclosed truck, flatbed pickup, tilt-tray and special bodies.
Peaked Demand
By the beginning of the 1960s, demand for the Iso range of vehicles had peaked. Interestingly, Renzo Rivolta privately drove a Maserati and a Jaguar and, seeking to take his company down a different path, decided to produce a full-size luxury vehicle to compete with other Italian manufacturers.
With Ferrari and Maserati in his sights, he looked for a suitable engineer to assist him in producing the car he had in mind. By coincidence, there had been a recent walkout of talented engineers from Ferrari, one of whom was Giotto Bizzarrini, the designer of the Ferrari 250 GTO, perhaps the most famous of all the front-engined Ferraris.
With Bizzarrini on board, Rivolta seriously considered purchasing the build rights to a new sports coupe designed by Englishman John Gordon that incorporated the use of a Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine. Bizzarrini thoroughly tested the car, but rejected it. That car would eventually go into limited production as the Gordon-Keeble. However, this encounter introduced Rivolta to the many advantages of using the Corvette engine.
Bizzarrini was then literally given a clean sheet of paper to design a new car starting with a platform chassis, while Rivolta negotiated with Chevrolet’s Bunkie Knudsen and Ed Cole, which resulted in as many 327-cu.in. Corvette engines that would be needed. For the body, the job was given to designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, and to make the body Rivolta turned to long-time family friend Nuccio Bertone.
Iso Rivolta
The Torino Motor Show of 1962 hosted the launch of the 2+2 Coupe Iso Rivolta IR 300 that featured a 5.4-liter Chevrolet small-block V8, Chevrolet automatic transmission, de Dion rear suspension and the same four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes that were fitted to the Jaguar of the day. This basic setup stayed with Iso cars through to its end, except for a later change to Ford engines.
Initial reports indicate that the Iso was an easy-to-drive, quick four-seater with sufficient interior room for four six-foot blokes without difficulty. The only problem with the early cars was that the inboard rear discs tended to expand when hot and cause locking. A problem that was easily resolved with more efficient ducting to the callipers.
With his consultancy satisfied, Bizzarrini moved on to other projects such as working with ASA on its 1000 GT and, more importantly, designing the legendary V12 engine for Ferrucio Lamborghini.
Renzo Rivolta was by then busy making arrangements to market his new car, especially to the important U.S. market where a distributor in New York had agreed to take 50 cars a month. With distribution networks also established in Europe, the world looked decidedly rosy for Iso. Following the acceptance of the IR 300, a young Piero Rivolta commenced working for the family company while completing his engineering degree.
The Grifo
While Bizzarrini was free to work on other projects, his influence at Iso remained significant and he convinced Rivolta to build a new two-seater coupe, again featuring the Corvette engine, but located further back in the chassis. Initially, just two cars were contemplated, one roadgoing and the other for competition.
Construction began in late 1962 with the road car christened Iso Grifo A3/L while the other, destined for Sebring and Le Mans was named the A3/C. A Grifo ran at Le Mans, in 1964, finishing in 14th position. A total of 22 A3/Cs were built before a disagreement between Rivolta and Bizzarrini put a stop to the cooperation.
Bizzarrini’s departure did not deter Rivolta, and production moved on to the Grifo GL in 1965. Between then and 1974, a total of 413 Grifos were built with open and closed bodywork. Some 90 Grifos were also fitted with 427-cu.in. Corvette engines.
Tragedy struck with the death of Renzo Rivolta in 1966 leaving a 25-year-old Piero Rivolta to run the company. Sales remained buoyant despite difficulties with the New York-based U.S. distributor. However, it wasn’t long before it was clear that poor cash flow was causing a problem, resulting in Piero looking for ways to increase production.
The answer was found through Argentinian Alessandro de Tomaso, who hadn’t long beforehand purchased Carrozzeria Ghia. In 1967, Iso was awarded the contract to produce 10,000 Sno Ghia snowmobiles.
With renewed income, in February 1968, the new four-door Iso Rivolta S4 rolled off the production line. Just one year later, Iso introduced the four-door Fidia (dubbed the fastest four seats on wheels), but this was more of a revamped S4 after it received a less than favorable press reception.
The Lele
By the end of the 1960s, a new 2+2 Iso was on the drawing boards to replace the original Rivolta. Named the Lele, after Piero’s wife Lele, the new Iso featured sculptured lines as opposed to the rounded curves of its predecessor. The Lele went on to be the mainstay of the Iso factory and was also powered by the Corvette 327-cu.in. engine that was changed to the 350-cu.in. V8, in 1970. At the same time, change was in the air through the sale of the Iso factory at Bresso to Olivetti, with production moved to a purpose-built facility at Varedo, half an hour away.
Difficulties with the supply of Chevrolet engines arose in 1972, when Iso was requested to pay for its engines in advance of their supply. This resulted in a move to Ford who were more flexible with their credit arrangements.
During the 1970s, Iso dipped its toe into the world of Formula One. Introduced at the 1973 Spanish GP, the Cosworth-powered Iso-Marlboro IR was driven by a number of drivers, including Vintage Racecar columnist Howden Ganley, as part of a team managed by Frank Williams. At the same time, with sponsorship money from Phillip Morris, two specially modified competition Leles were constructed for drivers Ganley and Nanni Galli. Power was supplied by Ford’s 351 Cobra Jet engine suitably modified by Giotto Bizzarrini. These two cars gave rise to the Lele Sports model.
Despite what seemed a rosy situation, Piero Rivolta realized that the company needed capital and he looked to Italian-American industrialist Ivo Pera who was very accommodating. However, Pera’s profit-based management practices clashed heavily with Rivolta’s more laissez-faire style. Piero Rivolta soon saw the writing was on the wall, resigned and left the company.
John’s Interest
John Murn’s interest in all things automotive has stemmed from the influence of his father and uncle. John has a small collection of older cars that certainly keeps him busy, including a Triumph TR3A that he has had for close to 40 years, a recently restored 1933 MG J2 and a 1960 Australian motor racing special called the Decca Major that was originally loosely designed on a Lotus Eleven. He says that before he could walk and talk he was going to motor racing meetings.
“It was either with my parents or father and uncle,” John said. “I suppose that my interest in cars was nurtured by that, and since then I’ve stayed interested in the cars that I saw back then. I can just remember being taken to the Mount Druitt circuit in western Sydney and the last race there was in 1958. While Dad was watching the motor racing, I was playing with my Dinky model cars on the ground. I do have very strong memories of going to Bathurst with my father and sleeping in the family car, parked in the middle of the circuit. I don’t recall sleeping very much as people would be working on their cars right through the night.
“My first car was a 1962 Simca Aronde that my father helped me buy. He was quite protective with his cars and wouldn’t let me drive them. He said that if I would wait until I was 18 he would help me with my first. It was the early 1970s, and he worked with a bloke who raced an Aronde and thought they were great cars. So for $200 I had one, but it very quickly had wider wheels, Pirelli radial tires and four-on-the-floor instead of a column change. Needless to say, I thought I was the greatest gift to driving and cars that ever existed!
“I thought that the Triumph TR3A that followed was going to be so quick after the Simca, but it really wasn’t, plus it was more agricultural. At one stage, in the mid-’70s, I had four TR3s, but back then they were very cheap to buy and sell. Over the years, I haven’t had a huge number of cars, but there was a Rover 2000 for a time, which was a nice car, there were a couple of Land Rovers and now our everyday car is a 2004 Rover 75.”
I have known John for some years and like most of us he went down the path to marriage followed by a couple of kids. However, while John followed that well-trodden path he didn’t decide that it was time for a four-door Holden or Ford. No he kept to the cause and bought something a little different.
“Yes, we bought a Mercedes-Benz 450SLC,” John added. “It was painted in a sort of Granny Smith Apple green, which would have not been our original choice, but the car sort of grew on us and my wife ended up liking it more than I did. It was fitted with a towbar and it towed the pre-war MG to various rallies. With small kids it was a really good car, but it got to the stage that it was very tired and needed money spent on it. My wife decided that we needed a four-door car, which required a little lateral thinking on my part. My wife being Japanese, also thought that we should have a Japanese car. That turned out to be a four-door Nissan Skyline that had been imported second-hand from Japan with just 21,000 kilometers on the clock. Being turbocharged, its performance was startling and my wife loved it.”
The Iso
I had to ask the question, as how the Iso Lele fit into John’s automotive history.
“I’m not too sure,” came John’s answer. “I have liked the idea for many years of having a 1970s supercar, an Italian supercar of the era. Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Iso and De Tomaso all came to mind as they are mostly all good to look at as they stand out from the crowd. I also wanted something that I could fit my now teenage daughters into, so it had to have four seats. I had a Fiat 124 Spider way back, which I liked a lot and was my sole Italian car experience. So the idea of another Italian car really appealed.”
“I saw an Iso Lele at auction many years ago, and thought it was a real curiosity so took a real close look at it. I didn’t consider bidding on it, but it stayed on my mind for ages. Then about three or four months after I decided that I really liked the car, I came to the realization that I should have done something about it. They weren’t worth a large amount of money at the time so I sort of kicked myself. The interesting thing is that the car I saw back then was actually the car I ended up buying!
“Then I thought about selling the MG and buying a ’70s Italian supercar like a Lele, De Tomaso Longchamp or a Maserati Indy. I looked at a Longchamps, but decided that I really didn’t like that car in particular. I had been following a newspaper series titled “A Star and their Car!” and about six or so months back had turned the page and my jaw dropped when I saw that the car in an article was an Iso Lele. The owner was quite a well-known actor/producer in Melbourne, and in the article he said that he was thinking of selling the car, but only to someone who would love it as much as he did. So I made contact with him letting him know a little bit about me and to consider me should he decide to sell it.”
Surprise
“To my surprise he wrote back.” John said. “He said that he was thinking of selling the car and hoped that we could come to an agreement. That’s exactly what happened and I bought it. The car was delivered new to Australia and I have its original consignment notice, but as I can’t speak Italian I need to get it translated. As to its history, I have managed to trace it back to 1981, when it was owned by a chap who has a collection of cars including two other Isos. It was originally blue in color and was sold new in Sydney, but was subsequently painted red.
“It’s been quite well looked after including a fairly thorough restoration. However, I do understand that it sat outside for about six months with a cover over it while their home was being renovated. Unfortunately, rain water got through the cover, down the bonnet louvers, soaked into the foam air filter and into the engine, filling it. Of course the car wouldn’t start as the engine had seized solid through corrosion.
“The engine is a Corvette 350 V8 and it had to be replaced with a Chevy crate unit. Unfortunately the original engine wasn’t retained nor was the Iso sump or other Iso components.”
“So I bought the car in Melbourne and drove it back to Sydney,” John added. “Despite having to call road service twice due to ignition key problems, I found it such a delight to drive. Actually, the trip home was quite an adventure and the problem with the keys was quite amusing. When I called for roadside assistance I explained to the operator that the serviceman wouldn’t have any trouble finding me as it would probably be the only 1970s Italian supercar parked in the street, but she didn’t quite understand. Anyway, the serviceman found me and walked round and round the car a number of times and said how much he liked the look of it. He then summoned a local locksmith who came to my rescue by cutting a new key based on the number stamped on the original Iso key.
“Actually, I have found owning the Iso a little overwhelming! I am getting used to it, but I have never owned anything like it before. It is rather an exotic car and to drive it’s more of a handful than I was expecting, as it is quite a brute of a car. Driving it around Sydney, it’s a bit like taking a Rottweiler for a walk on a leash where you have to work hard at holding it back. It’s got so much potential and latent speed I do feel as if I am holding it back, but on the open road it’s just lovely to drive. It sits on the road very flat and amazingly stable. There is power steering, but it’s not overly assisted so you do have to work a little. It’s just delightful to drive.
“It’s early days for me as there are a few things to figure out like getting the air conditioning to work and just getting used to it. Previously, it was fitted with a towbar and was used to tow a Bugatti to and from historic races! I am looking forward to taking the car on long trips in the future.”
Effortless Touring
With 5.7 liters of Chevy Corvette engine under the bonnet it came as no surprise that pushing my right foot forward a little, quickly took me into license-losing territory. While tempted, I decided not to set any high speed records, but that’s really not what it’s all about.
With its leather trim all round it certainly was supremely comfortable, but what was it like through the sweeping bends and sharp hillside corners that abound in this part of Australia, west of Sydney?
Yes, stable would be a good choice of words as it certainly was. No doubt caused by the almost Jaguar-like rear suspension suitably located by the De Dion tube. Not all our roads are billiard table smooth, and when presented with a few corrugations the handling of John’s Iso Lele did its best to instil the required confidence. I tried a few of my favorite corners and the car felt that it could have handled them with more enthusiasm than I was prepared to offer.
At more than 3,500 pounds it’s not a small motor car, and probably not one for throwing around tight corners, but given its head it truly is a lovely car to drive and I would have liked to have been on John’s 850-mile drive along the coast from Melbourne to Sydney.
Historical records indicate that between 1969 and 1974 a total of 285 Iso Leles were built, of which just eight are in Australia. So thank you John for allowing me to get up close in comfortable with one.
Specifications
Body: Steel body over steel
Chassis: Steel platform
Wheelbase: 8ft 11 inches
Length: 15 feet 3 inches
Width: 5 feet 9 inches
Height: 4 feet 5 inches
Weight: 3,549 pounds
Suspension: Front-Independent by coil springs, wishbones, hydraulic shocks and anti-roll bar Rear-De Dion tube, twin trailing radius arms, transverse linkage bar, coil springs and hydraulic shocks
Engine: Eight-cylinder Overhead Valve
Displacement: 5.7 liters (4 inches x 3.48 inches)
Induction: Four-barrel carburetor
Power: 350hp at 4,800rpm
Transmission: Three-speed automatic and reverse
Brakes: Power-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels – rear inboard
