1966 Iso Rivolta IR 300 Coupé

Coachwork by Carrozzeria Bertone Registration no. not registered Chassis no. 360297D Engine no. GM 378 2870

Footnotes

Bubblecar manufacturer Iso joined the ranks of supercar constructors in 1962 with the launch of the Giotto Bizzarrini-designed Rivolta coupé at the Turin Motor Show. Renzo Rivolta's Isothermos company had begun life pre-war making refrigerators, turning to the manufacture of scooters, under the Iso name, after the war and thence to the highly successful Isetta bubblecar. Interviewed for Octane magazine (issue 151) Renzo's son Piero recalled that his father liked fast cars but could not find one that really suited him: one that was fast, comfortable and reliable. "He decided that Iso should produce a fast car that was genuinely useable every day, and priced somewhere between a Jaguar and a Ferrari." The result was the Rivolta.

Styled at Carrozzeria Bertone by Giorgetto Giugiaro and powered by a 327ci (5.4-litre) Chevrolet V8 engine, the four-seat Rivolta employed a steel platform chassis featuring independent front suspension, a De Dion rear axle and disc brakes all round. Iso's first supercar set the pattern for those that followed: Bizzarrini-designed chassis, Bertone coachwork and Chevrolet engines, its future developments including the long-wheelbase, Ghia-styled Fidia four-door saloon, the muscular, short-wheelbase Grifo and the Rivolta-replacement Lele. Iso's most successful model, the Rivolta was produced up to 1970, by which time a total of 797 cars had been built.

Records show that only 13 Iso Rivolta Coupés were manufactured in right-hand drive configuration, making this one of the rarest examples worldwide. Built in 1966, the car was first registered in the UK in 1967 and has been in the current ownership for the last 12 years. Over this time the car has been carefully prepared as a track day/race car to FIA Appendix K specification. It boasts a fresh 327ci engine built by Martin Saville, a Muncie-style four-speed gearbox and a recently rebuilt, limited-slip, 3.54:1 ratio rear axle. All mechanical aspects including the brakes, suspension, special fuel tank, cooling systems and all ancillary components have been replaced. Hardly used since completion, the car has participated in the HSCC Historic Touring Car series and with HTP papers would be eligible for many of the most prestigious events.

Presently not registered for road use, the Iso comes with its original green logbooks and all original parts including trim, seats, wheels, etc should a new owner wish to return it to a more standard specification. With the current owner now retiring from racing, the Rivolta is in excellent condition and ready to be used. This is a wonderful opportunity to acquire one of the rarest examples of 1960s Italian performance cars.