1974 Iso Fidia
Iso Fidia (or Iso Rivolta Fidia), initially Iso Rivolta S4, was a four-door sedan from the Italian automobile maker Iso Automoveicoli S.p.A..
The Fidia, first presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967 and produced between 1967 and 1975 was the only four-door model from Iso. Production only got underway some time after the initial presentation of the car, and its European press launch which took place in Athens.
The car was marketed as a unique combination of comfort and sporting performance, and the slogan that appeared in sales material was Le quattro poltrone piu veloci del mondo“ (“the four fastest seats in the world”).
The body design was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro (then at Ghia). The interior featured polished wood and hand-stitched leather. High development costs drove the purchase price higher than that of a Rolls-Royce. The Fidia’s main competitors were other luxurious and sporty sedans like the Maserati Quattroporte. The second Fidia made (and the first with right hand drive) was purchased by English rockstar John Lennon: the car had celebrity appeal.
The Fidia, like other Iso cars, was originally powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine, and was quite quick off the line (0-60 in around 7 seconds). By 1973, after General Motors demanded payment in advance of shipment, the engine supplier had been switched and cars were delivered with a Ford 5.8 litre V8, matched with a ZF five speed manual gear box or with Ford’s own ‘Cruise-O-Matic’ automatic gear box.
In Detail
| type | Series Production Car |
| production years | 1974 – 1974 |
| built at | Italy |
| price $ | $ 14,500 |
| engine | V8 |
| position | Front |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | OHV |
| fuel feed | 1 HO Carb |
| displacement | 5766 cc / 351.85999 in³ |
| bore | 101.6 mm / 4 in |
| stroke | 88.900002 mm / 3.5 in |
| compression | 8.6000004:1 |
| power | 242.39999 kw / 325 bhp @ 5800 rpm |
| torque | 474.5 nm / 350 ft lbs @ 3800 rpm |
| redline | 6100 |
| body / frame | Aluminum |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| wheel type | Steel |
| front brakes | Disc |
| rear brakes | Drum |
| curb weight | 1625.3199 kg / 3580 lbs |
| transmission | 3 Speed Automatic |
| top speed | ~233.31 kph / 145 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~7.5 seconds |
| 0 – 1/4 mile | ~16 seconds |
