Iso Rivolta IR 300 History

Presented at the 1962 Turin Motor Show, the IR 300 marked Iso's transformation from microcar maker to luxury sportscar house. Renzo Rivolta wanted a practical grand tourer — refined enough for daily use, quick enough to shame more exotic Italian rivals, and priced between a Jaguar E-Type and a Ferrari. The styling was entrusted to a young Giorgetto Giugiaro, then working at Carrozzeria Bertone, who produced a clean, elegant 2+2 coupe body. Chassis engineering was led by Giulio Alfieri (later of Maserati fame), with early input from former Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini.

The key to the IR 300's performance and price was its drivetrain: a 5.4-litre Chevrolet small-block V8 producing 300 hp, mated to a BorgWarner four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. The combination gave the 1,300 kg car a top speed of around 220 km/h. A higher-output IR 340 variant followed, tuned to 340 hp. Of the 797 total units produced, 630 were IR 300 specification and 167 were the IR 340.

Production ran until 1970, at which point Iso replaced the IR 300 with the more modern Lele 2+2. The IR 300 established the template every subsequent Iso would follow: bespoke Italian coachwork over an American V8, offering a compelling alternative to prancing-horse orthodoxy.