Stars liked Fidia — Road & Track didn’t

0 0 November 17, 2024 Edit this post

by Bill Buys

BEATLE John Lennon had one, so did Sonny Bono -- but the big Fidia sedan was not one of the finest cars from the House of Iso.

The Italian car maker produced some magnificent machines during the 1960s and ’70s, starting with the Rivolta IR, five consecutive Grifos from 1963 through 1970, a couple of Fidias from 1968 to 1974 and a trio of Leles up to 1974, when it all came to a halt.

There was also a brief romance with Formula 1 in 1973 when Frank Williams ran the Iso-Marlboro cars, much later to morph into today’s Williams F1 team.

But Iso fired up again in 2019 with a limited edition model called the GTZ. Only 19 were made.

All the big Iso cars had mainly Chevrolet V8s, but some, like the Fidia, had Ford power.

The Fidia was a luxurious saloon that Piero Rivolta imagined might rival Maserati’s successful Quattroporte.

It was a good looker, the only four-door model that Iso ever made.

It had a traditional tubular chassis, de Dion rear suspension, four-wheel disc stoppers and power initially came from a 5.4-litre Chevrolet V8.

Then disputes with GM led Iso to change to a 5.8-litre Ford V8.

Either powerplant would take the Fidia to 100km/h in less than 8 seconds and on to a 225km/h top speed.

The Fidia was unveiled at the 1967 Frankfurt motor show as the Rivolta S4, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and marketed as ‘Le quattro poltrone piu veloci del mondo’ (The four fastest seats in the world).

Also, for what it’s worth, Fidia had the world’s largest windscreen ever fitted to a production car.

In 1969 one was sent to the influential Road & Track magazine for a review – which backfired.

“Brilliant conception with much lost in the execution,” the mag said.

It went on to say: "The finish inside and out is simply not up to par for a five-digit price tag.

"In fact, we would consider it unacceptable in a $5000 car. (The S4 was priced at $14,300).

"Most annoying features were the old-fashioned mohair upholstery -- we thought they’d used all that up in the 1942 Chevrolets -- the dingy and ill-fitting carpets and so forth.

‘The test car’s doors didn’t fit well, the right sun visor wouldn’t stay up, the Ducellier window lifts are impossibly slow, and none of the windows can be lowered completely out of sight.

"‘Weatherproofing is almost as bad.

‘The windshield wipers have the most ridiculous excuse for a wipe pattern we ever saw.

‘The heater (from which we could get no heat), though apparently sharing the air-conditioner’s three-speed blower, only gets one speed for itself, and the A/C itself is no model of generous cooling capacity."

But it wasn’t all bad. Road & Track did also said the car was at its best in long-distance touring.

"Its 26.4-gallon (120 litres) fuel tank gives it a range of nearly 400 miles (644km) between fuel stops; its relaxed engine, superb directional stability and good stopping capabilities impart confidence and serenity.

"But it is not as serene as it should be, for its front doors leak air and its final drive makes quite a hum.

"The Iso is certainly not on good behaviour around town; the steering, though precise, is best classified as Armstrong and takes 4.75 turns lock-to-lock and the turning circle is all of 41 feet (12.5 metres)! We understand power steering is on the way – it’s needed badly."

So the car’s structure was stiffened up to improve panel fit, the interior was given a complete makeover with new seats and a fresh dashboard design, and more soundproofing was added to stem the amount of road noise entering the cabin.

So significant were all the changes, the Rivolta S4 was given a new name: Fidia, after the Greek sculptor Phidias.

A few months later a Fidia was again sent to Road & Track, and the revamped Iso got some better words.

"The interior is of a much higher quality, while the spring rates have been changed to give a better ride without sacrificing road holding.

"Also, the fitment of nylon bushes in the half-shafts minimise noise levels," the mag said.

But the Iso company was already struggling and Piero Rivolta walked away in 1972, shortly before the oil crisis hit in ’73.

It was no surprise when Iso closed down at the end of 1974, with the last car to leave the factory being a Fidia.

The first one with right-hand drive was bought by John Lennon, which begs the question: was the Beatles hit ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ perhaps inspired by his Fidia? Or ‘All You Need is Love”?

Only 192 were made in six years. How many arrived in Australia is not known, but there was one in Perth, known to have visited the workshop of Leon Magistro’s Autodelta company at one stage.

They don’t seem to fetch much these days.

While the Grifo models routinely sell for north of US$1 million, the last Fidia I saw for sale, by Bonhams, had a tag of just US$17,920.

Fast forward to 2019 and hey, the Iso brand has resurfaced.

Third-generation coachbuilder Andrea Zagato and third-generation Iso GT car constructor Marella Rivolta, met, fell in love, got married and built a limited edition new supercar.

Their description:

"Zagato presents the GTZ: the car which marks the rebirth of Iso Rivolta brand. Limited to just 19 units (nine of them already sold), this Gran Turismo has been designed as a tribute to the iconic Iso Rivolta A3 of 1963.

"Italian pure “cloth” from the Milanese Atelier, and a powerful American “heart”, since the mechanical base is the Corvette Z06, for a timeless result, beautifully expressed through a Neoclassic design.

"All-carbon fibre body, 6.8 litre supercharged engine, the GTZ is a masterpiece for more than 4500 Iso Rivolta Club members and owners worldwide.

"Car collectors are at the soul of the project. Zagato will deliver the first GTZ in October, (2021) releasing the official press contents."