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Iso Rivolta was an automobile and motorbike manufacturer in Italy, predominantly active from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. They are known for the iconic Isetta 'bubble car' of the 1950s, and for a number of powerful performance cars in the 60s and early 70s.

History[link]

Iso Rivolta was initially named Isothermos and manufactured refrigeration units before World War II. The company was originally founded in Genoa in 1939, but was transferred to Bresso in 1942 by Renzo Rivolta, an engineer and the heir of industrialists. The business was refounded as Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. in 1953 to reflect the production of motorized transport. Renzo Rivolta died in 1966, and his son, Piero, took over as managing director.^[1] At the start of 1973 the Rivolta family ceded the business to an Italian American financier named Dr Ivo Pera who promised to bring American management know-how to the firm:^[2] the business was again renamed to Iso Motors, just before fading rapidly into obscurity.

Two prototypes were shown in the 1990s, however, neither reached production.

Early years: motorcycles[link]

ISO 125

After the Second World War, the company reopened its doors, completely changing its activity. In 1948 it began to build motorcycles, scooters and motocarries (three-wheeled transport scooters/motorcycles). Among the most famous are the Furetto (1948), 'Isoscooter (1950),' Isocarro (1951), 'Isomoto (1954) and' Isosport (1953). The last Iso motorcycle was presented as the Iso 500 in 1961. Isomotos were known as expensive, but durable and well-built.

1950s: Isetta bubble car[link]

Iso Isetta Turismo

In the mid-1950s, he started to develop a miniature car for two persons and front entrance, initially with only three wheels, later, for reasons of stability, with four wheels (the two on the rear very close together): the Isetta Bubble Car. About 20,000 of the bubble cars were built at the Rivolta works near Milan. Starting in 1954, Isetta was licensed to automobile manufacturers in several countries: France (by VELAM), Spain, Great Britain and Brazil (by Romi). The most successful, however, was the German^[1] Isetta built by BMW. The BMW-Isetta went on to dwarf the production volumes of Rivolta and fulfilled the dream of mobility in post-war Germany. About 130,000 had been sold by 1962.

1960s: performance cars[link]

Together with engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and chassis builder Bertone, Renzo Rivolta began developing the Iso Rivolta IR 300, which was first presented at the Torino Show of 1962. It was an elegant 2 + 2 Coupé with well-balanced technical components and outstanding driving performance.

The 5.4 L V8 Chevrolet Small-Block engine and the transmission came from General Motors in Detroit, and the de Dion suspension and four-wheel disc braking system came from the large Jaguars of the time. This concept was maintained for almost all production cars of Iso. Starting in 1971, Ford 351 Cleveland engines replaced the GM small block.

Iso Rivolta's most well-known Gran Turismo automobile was the Iso Grifo which featured a low-slung, sporty berlinetta body by Bertone. After Bizzarrini left the project, this prototype formed the basis for his own Bizzarini 5300 GT. The Grifo Prototype was further refined by Iso, receiving a reworked, less aggressive and more luxurious body in the process, and went into production in 1965. The Grifo was powered by Chevrolet´s 327 cubic inch (5.4 litre) V-8 producing either 300 or 350 hp. In 1966 a convertible version of the Grifo was shown, but never reached production. Starting in 1968 the Grifo was also available with Chevrolet's 427 cubic inch big-block V-8; this version was known as the Grifo 7 litri and was easily recognized by the broad air inlet on the hood. Later-day Grifos, the Series II, featured concealed headlights and a slightly modified front area.

After the sudden death at Milan on 20 August 1966^[3] of Renzo Rivolta, his son Piero became the director of Iso Rivolta, aged only 25 then. Under Piero's leadership, Iso built the limousine Fidia, "the fastest four seats on wheels" (Advertisement, 1967) with body by Ghia, the Grifo 7 litri (with the GM V8 7 L marine engine) and the 2 + 2 fastback Coupé Lele (1969) with body designed by Bertone, intended as the successor to the IR 300. Iso Rivolta went bankrupt in 1974, only 1.700 Iso Gran Turismos had been built in those ten years.

Production range[link]

Data from automobile-catalog.com.^[4]

Years	Model	Power	Top speed	Notes	Image
1953-1955	Isetta	10 PS (7 kW)	85 km/h (53 mph)
1963-1970	Rivolta IR 300/340/350	300 PS (221 kW); 340 PS (250 kW); 350 PS (257 kW)	205–258 km/h (127-160 mph)	Chevrolet engine
1964	Grifo A3 L	365 PS (268 kW)	275 km/h (171 mph)
1966-1972	Grifo Lusso GL 300/340/350	300 PS (221 kW); 340 PS (250 kW); 350 PS (257 kW)	210–260 km/h (130-162 mph)	Chevrolet engine
1972-1974	Grifo IR8	325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW)	255 km/h (158 mph)	Ford engine
1968-1972	Fidia S4 300/350	300 PS (221 kW); 350 PS (257 kW)	220–240 km/h (136-150 mph)	Chevrolet engine
1972-1974	Fidia IR10	325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW)	240 km/h (149 mph)	Ford engine
1969-1972	Lele 300/350	300 PS (221 kW); 350 PS (257 kW)	220–250 km/h (136-155 mph)	Chevrolet engine
1972-1974	Lele IR6	325 PS (239 kW); 330 PS (243 kW)	245 km/h (152 mph)	Ford engine
1968-1970	Grifo 7 Litri	400 PS (294 kW)	300 km/h (186 mph)
1970-1972	Grifo Can Am	395 PS (291 kW)	270 km/h (168 mph)

Iso Grifo 90

Prototypes[link]

• 1972 prototype Iso Varedo
• 1993 prototype Iso Grifo 90
• 1996 prototype Iso Grifo 96

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Iso Rivolta Automobiles by Dutch collector Marvin van der Geld
• A short overview on Motorbase.com
• http://www.classicscars.com/chassis/iso.htm Database Chassis Number for early Iso A3C
• IsoRegistry.com information about Iso Grifo, Rivolta, Lele etc.
• Grifo 90

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iso Rivolta

Arturo Merzario

File:Merzario1.jpg Arturo Merzario in 1978.
Born	(1943-03-11) 11 March 1943 (age 69)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Italian
Active years	1972-1979
Teams	Ferrari, Williams, Fittipaldi, March, Wolf, Shadow, Merzario
Races	85 (57 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	11
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1972 British Grand Prix
Last race	1979 United States Grand Prix

Merzario with class SR2 Centenari MAC97 Alfa Romeo in 1997 FIA Sportscar Championship in Donington.

Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario (born March 11, 1943 in Civenna, Como) (real name Arturio - blunder on name registration - sometimes used on his helmet) is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972. He scored 11 championship points.

During his first season in Formula One in 1972 with Ferrari, Merzario also participated in sports car racing, winning the Spa 1000 km, the Targa Florio and the Rand 9 Hour races. After a difficult year with Ferrari in 1973, he moved to Williams and finished third in a non-Championship race in Brazil, but the Championship seasons of 1974 and 1975 proved unsuccessful. Merzario quit during the 1975 season to return to sports cars with Alfa Romeo, winning four races plus the Targa Florio again.

Merzario returned to Formula One in 1976, first with March sponsored by Ovoro, and then with Wolf, but again there were no decent results. When Merzario could no longer find a drive with established teams, he set up his own Merzario team in 1977 which struggled in Formula One for three years, initially with March cars before building their own chassis, and later moving down to Formula Two.

Merzario is perhaps most renowned for being one of the drivers, along with Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl who saved Niki Lauda from his burning car during the 1976 German Grand Prix.

In his time in Formula One in the 1970s he was often photographed wearing a cowboy hat with sponsorship patches from Marlboro.

Merzario is still active in sports car racing well into his sixties, driving mostly in an Italian prototype series.

Important results[link]

1963

• 1st Cl. Sardinia Rally - Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ

1964

• 1st Cl. Bolzano-Mendola - Fiat Abarth 1000
• 1st Cl. Trofeo Micangeli - Fiat Abarth 1000
• 1st Cl. Trofeo Lumezzane - Fiat Abarth 1000

1967

• 3rd European Touring Championship - Fiat Abarth 1000

1968

• 1st Cl. Colle di Nizza - Fiat Abarth 1000
• 1st Cl. V.Veneto-Cansiglio - Abarth 1000SP
• 1st Cl. Acqua Cerelia Cup - Abarth 1000SP
• 3rd 500 Kilometres of Nurburgring - Abarth 1600SP

1969

• 1st Mugello GP - Abarth 2000
• 1st European Mountains Championship - Abarth 2000

1970

• 1st Mugello GP - Abarth 2000
• 1st Cesana-Sestrierre - Abarth 2000
• 3rd 24 hours of Daytona - Ferrari 512S
• 4th 1000 Kilometres of Monza - Ferrari 512S

1971

• 1st Imola - Ferrari 512M
• 1st Vallelunga - Abarth 2000

1972

• 1st 1000 Kilometres of Spa (with Brian Redman) - Ferrari 312 PB
• 1st Targa Florio (with Sandro Munari) - Ferrari 312 PB
• 1st European Sport Championship 2000
• 1st 500 Kilometres of Imola - Ferrari 312 PB
• 1st 9 hours of Kylami - Ferrari 312 PB
• 6th British GP- Ferrari 312 B2

1973

• 2nd 1000 Kilometres of Nurburgring - Ferrari 312 PB
• 2nd 24 hours of Le Mans - Ferrari 312 PB
• 4th Brazilian GP - Ferrari 312 B2
• 4th South African GP - Ferrari 312 B2
• 7th French GP - Ferrari 312 B3
• 7th Austrian GP - Ferrari 312 B3·

1974

• 1st 1000 Kilometres of Monza - Alfa Romeo 33
• 3rd Presidente Medici GP - Iso Williams
• 4th Italian GP - Iso Williams
• 6th South African GP - Iso Williams

1975

• 1st 800 Kilometres of Dijion - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st Enna - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st 1000 Kilometres of Nurburgring - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st Targa Florio - Alfa Romeo 33
• 7th Race of Champions - Iso Williams

1976

• 2nd 500 Kilometres of Imola - Alfa Romeo 33
• 9th French GP - March

1977

• 1st Dijon - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st Enna - Ala Romeo 33
• 1st Estoril - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st Paul Ricard - Alfa Romeo 33
• 1st Hockenheim - Alfa Romeo 33 Turbo

1978

• 5th Adriatic GP - Chevron B42
• 6th Mugello GP - Chevron B42

1980

• 7th Donington - Bmw M1
• 8th Avus - Bmw M1
• 9th Pau - Merzario-Bmw M1

1985

• 1st Italian Prototype Championship

1992

• 1st Pergusa - Lucchini

1993

• 1st Mugello - Osella

1996

• 1st Monza - Centenari M1
• 1st Mugello - Centenari M1

1997

• 1st Vallelunga - Centenari M1
• 1st Donington - Cenetanri M1
• 1st Brno - Centenari M1
• 1st Jarama - Centenari M1

1998

• 1st Paul Ricard - Centenari M1

1999

• 1st Monza - Tampolli AR
• 1st Spa - Tampolli AR
• 1st Cl. 6 hours of Vallelunga - Porsche 996
• 2nd Pergusa - Tampolli AR

Complete Formula One World Championship results[link]

(key)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arturo Merzario