Iso Lele Guides, Photos and Videos

The Iso Lele (or Iso Rivolta Lele) was a sports coupé produced by the Italian automobile maker Iso Automoveicoli S.p.A. between 1969 and 1974. The Lele, being a 2+2-seater, filled the gap between the Grifo and the Fidia. It shared its powertrain with its siblings: a V8 engine and automatic gearbox from GM (unless a manual). Bertone styling was used, as with the Grifo (but not the Fidia). The car is named after Lele Rivolta, wife of Piero Rivolta (son of Iso company founder Renzo).

The Chevrolet V8 5,354 cc (326.7 cu in) engine produced 300 hp (224 kW) in automatic version and 350 hp (261 kW) with manual transmission. The manuals originally used the General Motors Muncie wide-ratio 4-speed gearbox, but later switched to a ZF 5-speed unit.

In 1970 the engine capacity was increased to 5,736 cc (350.0 cu in). An equal maximum power (300 or 350 hp) but the torque distribution was improved and thus the elasticity of travel.

In 1972, after about 125 Leles had been built, General Motors demanded that Iso pay in advance for the engines. Iso chose to replace the Chevrolet engine with Ford's Cleveland V8. The automatic transmission also became Ford, while the manual (a 5-speed transmission) remained unchanged. In 1973, the standard version (now known as Lele IR6) was flanked by Lele IR6 Sports, with an engine enhanced to 360 hp (268 kW) and only available mated to the ZF 5-speed transmission. About 165 Ford-engined Leles had been built by the time production wound up in 1974.

Following the agreement with Philip Morris that led to the creation of the Iso-Marlboro brand in Formula 1, Philip Morris commissioned Iso to construct 2 specially modified Leles for their Formula 1 Team Drivers Howden Ganley and Nanni Galli. Modified by Eng. Bizzarrini these two cars were stripped of sound deadening, power steering etc. to reduce weight. Both cars had a unique dash layout that did not appear on any other Lele. Bizzarrini then modified the 351 Cobra Jet engine to produce over 360 HP. Painted in Marlboro Red with Marlboro badges on the front fenders Ganley's car debuted on the Iso Rivolta stand at the 1973 Geneva Auto Show. Galli's car was painted in white. The exterior styling cues from these two cars were used to create the Lele Sport which also had a modified version of their dash layout. Philip Morris also commissioned at least two more cars for promotional purposes to resemble the Marlboro cars given to its drivers. These cars were essentially Lele Sports with Marlboro badges on the fenders. They were equipped with power steering, more padding in the seats and other comforts that were stripped out of the drivers' cars.

The production of Lele ended in December 1974, with the closure of Iso.

The Lele was produced 285, subdivided as follows:

Complete article available at this page.