Iso Fidia

Iso Rivolta
Iso Rivolta Fidia (1971)
Iso Fidia
Production period:	1967-1974
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Gasoline engines : 5.4-5.8 liters (239-261 kW)
Length:	4970 mm
Width:	1780 mm
Height:	1320 mm
Wheelbase :	2850 mm
Empty weight :	1620 kg

Rear view of a Fidia

Interior (1971)

The Iso Fidia , initially called Iso Rivolta S4 or Iso Fidia 4S (4 Sportelli = 4 doors), is a four-door sports sedan from the Italian car manufacturer Iso Rivolta , which was produced in small numbers between 1967 and 1974.

The concept

During the year 1966 developed Piero Rivolta , who after the death of his father Renzo Rivolta the management of the northern Italian sports car manufacturer Iso Rivolta from Bresso in Milan had taken the idea of the established Gran Turismo - sports car 300 Iso Rivolta a four-door sedan supplement. The main reason for this was the success of the Maserati Quattroporte I (at that time the fastest sedan in the world at 225 km / h), with which the new iso sedan was to compete.

The chassis of the IR 300 with independent suspension on double wishbones at the front and De-Dion axle at the rear, the wheelbase of which was slightly lengthened, served as the technical basis of the sedan . The exterior design of the car was independent and deviated more from the conventional than that of the comparatively restrained coupé . The design was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro's studio Ital Styling , who worked here as a subcontractor for Carrozzeria Ghia . For the design of the bow, Giugiaro took on some elements of De Tomaso Mangusta , which he had designed shortly before. A special feature of the ISO limousine was a belt line that sloped behind the A-pillar and then rose again in front of the C-pillar , which is sometimes described as the cow-hopping belt line in British usage . The rear edge of the rear doors was angled back. Because of this and a very gently sloping rear window , the C-pillar was unusually wide; it stood in striking contrast to the filigree A and B pillars . This design feature attacked Pininfarina more than three decades later the Maserati Quattroporte V again.

The drive of the Fidia also corresponded to that of the IR 300. Iso also used American V8 engines here.

• First, the Iso Fidia a 5.4 liter, 5.7 liter later had eight-cylinder - V engine from General Motors , its output of 355 SAE hp (265 kW is given). A manual, fully synchronized four-speed gearbox from General Motors was offered as standard for power transmission ; if desired a manually shifting, five-speed gearbox was ZF or Powerglide - Two-speed automatic transmission from General Motors available. A little later, the Powerglide automatic was replaced by a new three-speed automatic, the "Turbo Hydra Matic 400", which was also supplied by GM.

• From 1973 the sedan made the switch to Ford engines that had also been carried out in other models of the brand . Since then, Iso has installed a Ford eight-cylinder engine from the “Cleveland” series, with a displacement of 5.8 liters and 325 SAE hp (242 kW). Standard power transmission was now the manually shifted five-speed transmission from ZF; alternatively, a three-speed automatic transmission from Ford ( Cruise-O-Matic ) could be ordered.

Numerous add-on parts came from Italian suppliers . The initially installed square headlights came from the Fiat 125 Special , later there were round double headlights. The taillights, which were also used on the Lamborghini Espada , came from the first series Fiat 124 Coupé .

Model history

Iso Rivolta's limousine was presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main in September 1967 . Initially it was called Iso Rivolta S4 . For marketing it was important to present the car as a combination of sportiness and comfort; which is why the model was described in a sales brochure as “Le quattro poltrone piu veloci del mondo” (“The four fastest armchairs in the world”). In 1968 an Iso Rivolta S4 cost 51,315 DM or 56,900 SFr.

Two years later, the S4 was given the name Iso Fidia , without any major technical or optical modifications associated with the renaming. The new name should be reminiscent of Phidias , a master builder from ancient Greece. Accordingly, the “new” model was presented in Athens in February 1969 .

In 1971, the Fidia received a new interior that was essentially identical to that of the Iso Lele . Instead of a massive, wood-clad dashboard , one saw a unit covered with leather ; the surrounding fine wood strip was much smaller and continued in the door panels . The new dashboard was significantly more elegant, but also less practical. The instruments were now scattered and partially covered by the Nardi steering wheel .

From 1973 the Fidia received V8 engines from Ford. In 1974 (according to other sources: 1975) production was stopped.

The production

The Iso Fidia was not a commercial success. In nine years a total of only 192 (according to other sources 194) copies were made, 12 of which were right-hand drive.

As long as both vehicles were produced in parallel, the Fidia was clearly in the shadow of the Maserati Quattroporte I. However, Iso Rivolta did not manage to achieve higher distribution figures even after the Maserati was discontinued. In 1971 only 15 vehicles were produced, in 1972 there were 21 and in 1973 another 20.

The reasons for the lack of success are complex. The press repeatedly pointed out the lack of prestige of the brand and the fact that the Fidia with its drive technology from the US American series, which was perceived as undemanding, did not reach the level of thoroughbred Italian sports car brands such as Maserati or Ferrari . Iso suffered from this criticism, which was particularly widespread in the European market, as did other manufacturers of “hybrid” models, in particular de Tomaso . There were also numerous points of criticism that were factually established and repeatedly taken up in driving reports. Motor magazine thought the car was poorly made and constructed carelessly in detail; For example, the unsuitability of the windshield wipers, which are said to be far too small, and the low speed of the electric windows were criticized. In addition, the car is much harder - and therefore more uncomfortable - tuned than the Maserati Quattroporte.

Trivia

Known Iso Fidia owners were Pete Townshend , Sonny Bono , James Last and John Lennon . The latter two had two Fidia one after the other.

Competitor

• De Tomaso Deauville
• Jaguar Mark X
• Jaguar XJ V12
• Maserati Quattroporte I.
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3
• Monica 560
• Monteverdi High Speed ​​375/4

literature

• Georg Amtmann, Halwart Schrader: Italian sports cars. Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 .
• Steam ship. Driving report of the Iso Rivolta Fidia In: Motor Klassik. 2/1999, p. 50 ff.
• The duel. Comparison test Jaguar XJ 12 Series I against Iso Rivolta Fidia. In: Motor Klassik. 7/2001, p. 48 ff.
• Money no object: Aston Martin Lagonda vs. Bitter CD vs. De Tomaso Deauville vs. Iso Fidia vs. Maserati Quattroporte. Comparative test of Italian four-door cars In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. Issue 9/2008, p. 60 ff.

Web links

Commons : Iso Fidia  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Jan Baedeker: Iso Rivolta Fidia: The fastest four armchairs in the world. classicdriver.com, April 20, 2012, accessed May 31, 2013 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani, Società Editrice Il Cammello, 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 305.
2. ↑ Iso Rivolta Fidia sales brochure. lov2xlr8.no, accessed May 29, 2013 . 
3. ↑ Passenger car price list . Iso SpA Automoveicoli. In: autoparade . No. 1 (spring / summer). A. Eugen von Keller Verlag, Bonn 1968, p. 45 .
4. ↑ ^{a b} Classic Cars. 9/2008, p. 65.
5. ^ Georg Amtmann and Halwart Schrader: Italian sports cars. Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 , pp. 203 f.
6. ↑ James Last: My Life. Heyne 2007, TB edition p. 117.