Patination state
Octane|September 2023
A 'weathered' 1960s Italian hybrid GT might not be most people's choice as an everyday family classic, but engineer Peter Fareham is not most people
James Elliott
Patination state

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.

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.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA OCTANESe alt
Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically
Octane

Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically

China now dominates the automotive world in a way even Detroit in its heyday would have struggled to comprehend.Helped by Government incentives, the new car world is dominated by China's industries: whether full cars that undercut Western models by huge amounts, ownership of storied European brands such as Lotus and Volvo, or ownership and access to the vast majority of raw materials that go into EV cars, its influence is far-reaching and deep. However, this automotive enlightenment hasn't manifested itself in the classic world in any meaningful way - until now.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024
Jem Marsh
Octane

Jem Marsh

The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
Vandamm House
Octane

Vandamm House

A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
Making light
Octane

Making light

Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Octane

FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
Before the beginning
Octane

Before the beginning

This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration

time-read
9 mins  |
October 2024
Ben Cussons
Octane

Ben Cussons

As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
Octane

BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES

We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2024
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
Octane

Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg

As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
Flying the Scottish flag
Octane

Flying the Scottish flag

Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024