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Iso-Rivolta IR 300 - Italian luxury coupé with American horsepower

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Created on June 21, 2012

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - elegant und schnell sieht das GT-Coupé aus

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - ein eleganter Wurf von Giugiaro in Diensten von Bertone

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - klassische Coupé-Form mit grosser Fahrerkabine und viel Glas

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - eindrucksvolle Frontgestaltung

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - das Heck sieht weniger charakteristisch aus als die Front

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - klassische Heckansicht im Stil der Zeit

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - klassischeSilhouette

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - das edle Interieur des Gran Turismo

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - edles Interieur mit Holz und Leder

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - Drehzahlmesser, bis 7'000 Umdrehungen sollte man aber mit dem GM-Motor nicht gehen

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - schöne Zusatzinstrumente geben über den Gesundheitszustand des Motors Auskunft

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - Kippschalter für Zusatzfunktionen

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - der Motor kommt aus der Chevrolet Corvette

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - kein Zweifel, dies ist ein Iso-Rivolta

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - Iso-Markenzeichen auf dem Kühlergitter

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - Entlüftung des Motorraums und Bertone-Schriftzug

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - Schriftzug hier ohne Bindestrich

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - auch Bertone hinterliess sein Emblem auf dem bei ihm gebauten Iso

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Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1970) - die Zentralnabe wird mit diesem Hammer gelöst

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ISO-Rivolta (1963) - Durchsichtszeichnung

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ISO-Rivolta (1963) - Auf- und Seitenriss mit Abmessungen

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - klassische Frontgestaltung

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Heckansicht des ersten Sportwagenmodelles von Iso-Rivolta

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - auf der Rückbank konnte man es aushalten

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - der Sportwagen basierte auf einem Plattformrahmen

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - der Sportwagen war mit Borrani- oder klassichen Sportfelgen lieferbar

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Silhouette des neuen Sportwagens

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Präsentation auf der Rennstrecke

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Probefahrt auf der Rennstrecke

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - wohnliches Interieur

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ISO-Rivolta (1963) - die Produktionsstrasse des GT-Coupés

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ISO-Rivolta (1962) - Arbeiten an der hinteren Teil des Chassis

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ISO-Rivolta (1963) - Blick in die Produktionshallen

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ISO-Rivolta (1963) - mit klassischen Proportionen gesegnet

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ISO-Rivolta (1964) - auf dem Genfer Automobilsalon von 1964

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ISO-Rivolta (1964) - Blick auf die De Dion-Hinterachse

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ISO-Rivolta (1964) - die Form glänzt durch Schlichtheit und stille Eleganz

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ISO-Rivolta (1964) - die 300-PS-Version im Kurztest der Automobil Revue

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ISO-Rivolta (1965) - das sportliche Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett

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ISO-Rivolta (1967) - klassisches Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - Die komplette ISO-Familie - Grifo und GT

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Iso Rivolta (1967) - Der Luxus-GT rivalisierte Ferrari und Lamborghini

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Iso Rivolta (1967) - Als das Cockpit noch aus analogen Anzeigen und Schaltern anstatt Touchscreens bestand

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Iso Rivolta (1967) - Knapp bemessener Platz im Fond

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Iso Rivolta 300 (1967) - Drehmoment satt

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Iso Rivolta (1967) - Kofferraum mit mässig Platz

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - hat auch nach sechs Jahren Bauzeit nichts von seiner Eleganz eingebüsst

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - Interieur strahlt Luxus aus

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - klassische Coupé-Form

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - Lenkrad und Armaturenbrett - so muss ein GT aussehen

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ISO-Rivolta (1968) - Testwagen in italienischem Ambiente

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ISO-Rivolta (1969) - das am längsten gebaute Iso-Modell

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Summary

In 1962, Renzo Rivolta presented a classic Gran Turismo with an American Chevrolet heart but Italian design and construction spirit. Despite good reviews, the fast coupé did not sell as many units as hoped, but nevertheless remained in Iso-Rivolta's construction program for over eight years. This report describes the history of its development and portrays an example from 1970 in detail, supplemented by many historical illustrations and five original brochures.

This article contains the following chapters

Ahead of the competition
Italian design
Italian engineering
American drive technology
Oriented towards the luxury class
Impressed by the trade press
Eight years of construction
Classic Gran Turismo without airs and graces
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Oswald Kolle (German-born enlightenment pope, journalist, car and producer of films such as "The Miracle of Love") drove one, and a whole host of other celebrities did the same. They bought and loved the Iso-Rivolta luxury coupé by Renzo Rivolta. The Isetta is generally associated with BMW, but it was Rivolta's company Iso that brought the almost spherical car onto the market in 1953. And even successfully entered it in the Mille Miglia. But even when Renzo Rivolta presented the Iso Rivolta GT in 1962, he was still one step ahead of the competition. Allejandro de Tomaso was still thinking about racing at the time and Ferruccio Lamborghini only presented his 350 GT a year after Renzo.

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