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Iso of Italy began its car-manufacturing career in the mid '50s, producing the Isetta bubble cars (also built under licence by BMW) but in 1962 decided to enter the high-class GT car market with the Rivolta. A crisp Bertone-styled four-seater with a box-section frame and De Dion rear suspension, it was powered by a Corvette V8 engine, producing abundant performance - up to 140 mph was on offer with the manual gearbox. The Rivolta was well received, but it wasn't until the debut of the Grifo a year later that the fledgling supercar builder really made its mark.
By shortening the Rivolta and clothing it in a sensational Coupe body - again by Bertone - Iso now had a car to challenge Ferrari. The original 5.4-litre V8 came in two states of tune - 300 and 365 bhp - with a top speed of up to 160 mph in its most potent form. Buyers could opt for four- or five-speed gearboxes and even an automatic. Naturally, four-wheel disc brakes were deemed necessary for a car of such weight and power, and in the right hands, these elegant, well-engineered machines were as quick as anything on the road.
The ultimate version was the 390 bhp 7.0-litre, built from 1968 to challenge the Ferrari Daytona and Maserati Ghibli. Iso claimed 170 mph for this flagship coupe. For the last two years of production, Iso used Ford Cleveland V8s rather than Corvette engines. By then the company was on the rocks financially and it died amidst the fuel crisis of 1974.
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