TERMINOLOGY IS IMPORTANT. For example, the term 'rat-rod' always makes me wince a little. It conjures images of someone spending a great deal of money on making a car mechanically awesome, but then consciously giving it a weathered sheen of deceit, probably created by someone in a railway arch wielding an oxy torch and wearing nothing more than a maniacal grin. Don't get me wrong, I actually rather like rat-rods; it's just that, thanks to the recent inexorable rise of preservation, the wilful misrepresentation that the rat-rod name implies has become an unfair catch-all. That's why I am so pleased that the phrase 'patinated restoration' has arisen. It's far from my favourite word-combo, admittedly, but it does at least draw that vital distinction between the acts of painstakingly conserving a car or deliberately distressing one, even if it is to the same visual effect.
This car is very much in the former camp and is a prime example of why such a distinction is warranted. The rare Iso Rivolta GT is freshly back on the road, mechanically pristine and about to embark on a new life in the UK, yet still proudly wears all the scars of its former lives.
Iso is your typical fridges to riches story. Renzo Rivolta bought Isothermos - a specialist in helping you make things hot or keep them cool in 1939 and, almost immediately post-war, decided to branch out. His company graduated from white goods to two-wheeled transport via microcars and on to supercars before Renzo died suddenly aged 66, the company passing to son Piero and lasting another decade before its terminal demise.
Two stand-out successes helped to put the Bresso, Milan, company on the map: first the Isomoto scooter, a credible rival to Lambretta and Vespa, and then the Isetta bubble car, after it was licensed to BMW. His next step a full-four-seater luxury GT - was bold to say the least, but success was coming easy, so why not?
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Pro route to faster lap times
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+
The power to corrupt
2024 Aston Martin Vanquish
Hyperactivate!
1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.
The best watch in the world
We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp
A star is reborn
This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin
SAYONARA GT-R
After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high
Shiro Nakamura
Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’
LIGHT SPARKS
How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?
