1968 ISO Fidia S4

The Iso Company went from building microcars to supercars, with its Isetta bubble car quickly followed by performance automobiles in the early 1960s. The Giotto Bizzarrini-designed Rivolta coupé was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1962, with styling performed by Carrozzeria Bertone and penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Fidia was based on the two-door Rivolta but its wheelbase was stretched by approximately 150mm. It received four-door styling that was graceful, sleek, purposeful, and modern and continued the attractive and aggressive styling of its predecessors. Introduced in 1967, the Fidia came equipped with Chevrolet engines of 5.4 or 5.7 liters. Near the close of production, 35 Fidias were installed with 5.8-liter Ford V8 engines.

The Iso (Iso Rivolta Fidia) Fidia S4 used an independent front suspension and a deDion rear axle. Stopping power was by four-wheel, power-assisted disc brakes with an inboard setup at the rear. They were luxurious and well-appointed, with polished wood, hand-stitched leather, and a purchase price that rivaled the contemporaneous Rolls-Royce. Most were built in left-hand-drive configuration, and approximately 16 being right-hand drive, the first being sold to John Lennon in 1967, and two being S4s and seven with Ford power. The total production of Iso Fidia models was approximately 192, built between 1967 and 1975.

With the original Chevy engine, the Iso Fidia was capable of sprinting from zero-to-sixty mph in approximately seven seconds. In the early 1970s, General Motors required payment in advance of shipment, so Iso switched to the 5.8-liter Ford V8 backed by either a ZF five-speed manual or Ford's 'Cruise-O-Matic' automatic.

Introduced in September of 1967 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, approximately 15 examples had been built at the time of the press launch in Athens. Initially called the 'S4,' its name was later changed to Fidia, sometimes spelled 'Phidias' after the Greek sculptor, painter, and architect. Due to its name association with Greek history, Iso management held the press launch in Athens, where a single car was made available to members of the press. Unfortunately, many journalists described the car as making a 'horrible pinking' noise, attributed to the low octane fuel in Athens.

The Iso sales literature claimed the Fidia was 'le quattro poltrone piu veloce del mondo' - 'the four fastest seats in the world'. This was the only four-door model produced by Iso. In 1971, the interior was updated in a similar fashion to the Iso Lele. A leather dashboard replaced the prior wooden unit, and a large Nardi steering wheel was placed in front of a variety of instrumentation.

The early 1970s witnessed oil prices dramatically increase and wild fluctuations in the market due to oil embargos. In the United States, the late 1960s witnessed vast increases in horsepower as the muscle car era was in full swing, however, safety concerns increased insurance premiums, and new regulations quickly brought this to an end. The industry adjusted as consumers began demanding larger and more luxurious automobiles. Horsepower fell as overall lengths grew. The Iso Fidia was uniquely positioned to capitalize on the luxurious, four-door, high-horsepower, grand touring niche market. Although this market arena was not overcrowded, the Iso Fidia found itself competing with such legendary nameplates as the Maserati Quattroporte, which had built its reputation in this market since the early 1960s. The total production of the Fidias reached 192 units, with 56 of those built during the final three years.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2020