After almost 20 years, the Iso Rivolta Grifo 90 is back again. Photographed in front of Villa Erba in Cernobbio during the Villa d’Este Concours, Mako Shark (an Italian Company dealing with high-tech manufacturing) presented the latest version of the Iso Grifo 90.
By Alessandro Gerelli
Color photos by Alessandro Gerelli
The Iso Rivolta company was born in 1939 in Bresso, a small town just bordering Milan in the north of Italy, and was characterized by an amazing variety of production during its life. They made refrigerators, water heaters, motorbikes, small city cars, sport cars, and other sundries, most of which were manufactured after the end of WWII. The founder, Renzo Rivolta, was as interesting as the product line. He even built the factory in the park of his villa!
The story of Iso Rivolta was short but characterized by the production of very elegant sport cars in competition with more famous makes like Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, and Jaguar. The company concentrated on only a few models: the GT, Grifo, Lele, and Fidia.
The GT was an elegant coupe designed by Bertone with four comfortable seats and a large luggage compartment, and powered by a Chevrolet 5.3 liter engine, making it capable of very high performance.
The Grifo was introduced in 1964 as the sport version of the GT. The body was again designed by Bertone but in two-seater form. In 1968, a new version of Grifo was introduced with a larger 7 liter engine giving stunning performance, called the Can-Am. The body was characterized by a huge air intake on the hood and the “7 liter” badge. An even faster version of the car based on the same mechanics was produced by Bizzarrini.
Other models followed: the Lele, a two door, four-seater with an elegant body in 1969 and the Fidia, a luxury four-door, in 1970. A Formula One car was built by Iso Rivolta in 1973 and raced by Williams, but the results were rather poor and the required investments too high. The oil crisis and competition caused a dramatic crisis, which resulted in the sale of the factory by the Rivolta family. Production stopped in 1974.
There were several attempts to resurrect the Iso name but the most interesting was the Iso Rivolta Grifo 90, built, according to Winston Goodfellow, “after numerous requests during the GT car boom of the late 1980s.” Designed by Marcello Gandini and engineered by Gian Paolo Dallara, the Grifo 90 was ready for a debut in 1991, just in time for another severe recession. It is this car that serves as the basis for the new Mako Shark Iso Grifo seen at Villa d’Este this year.
The Iso Rivolta Grifo 90 was shown to press in June 1991: Piero Rivolta was present together with Marcello Gandini, Gian Paolo Dallara and Piero Sala (see Winston Goodfellow’s “Iso Rivolta” book). Insert: Piero Rivolta with the Iso Varedo.
Iso Grifo 90 interior reflects the high performance nature of the Iso.
The body style has changed little from the 1990 version aside from modern wheels and tires.
Designed by Marcello Gandini, the Iso 90 still looks great 20 years later. Piero Rivolta has approved the car for production as an Iso Rivolta and twelve have been built.
The Iso 90 features a LS6 8cyl V90 engine with a 6 ratio M12 gearbox, but using a carbon on steel frame, improved braking and cooling systems, and a more luxurious interior.
Also on hand was an Iso Grifo for comparisons. Both set the engine far back in the chassis.
Iso Grifo A3, in bare aluminum. The lure of an American-engined car with an Italian body has driven many to the brink.
Books
Flavio Campetti, Da Iso a Iso Rivolta, Giorgio Nada Editore
Winston Goodfellow, Iso Rivolta, The Men, The Machines, Giorgio Nada Editore
Unfortunately the front view of the “new” Iso looks like a styling proposal from the 70’s or 80’s. It makes me think of the crisp japanese styling of the past without much to get emotional about. A return to the drawing board might be in order. The previous design is a hard act to follow.