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A Rare Italian/American FIA Race Car – The Iso Rivolta IR 300

This is a 1966 Iso Rivolta IR 300, it’s a rare car with Italian and American ancestry that was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone and engineered by former Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini – the father of the Ferrari 250 GTO.

Unlike its more exotic Italian peers, the IR 300 is powered by a reliable and easy to fix Corvette V8 producing 300 bhp and giving the car performance on par with (or better than) many of its peers.

Fast Facts – The Iso Rivolta IR 300

The Iso Rivolta IR 300 would be the first gran turismo automobile built by Iso Rivolta, it was released in 1962 and sold until 1970. The model name simply stands for “Iso Rivolta 300 hp” – as this was how much power the Chevrolet-sourced V8 produced.
The IR 300 was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro who was working at Bertone at the time, he would go on to be widely regarded as the greatest automobile designer of the 20th century.
The engineering of the car was done by Giotto Bizzarrini, a former Ferrari engineer who had developed many of the greatest Ferrari road and race cars of the era – including the 250 GTO.
The IR 300 shown here has been modified for competition use, it’s been prepared as a track day/race car to FIA Appendix K and it’s eligible for many prestigious events.

From Bubble Cars To Supercars

Iso Rivolta started out back in 1938 as Isothermos of Bolzaneto in Italy, a company that made refrigerators and heaters. It was bought by Renzo Rivolta in 1939 and later suffered serious damage in bombing raids during WWII.

Above Video: This film takes a look at the history of the Iso Rivolta IR 300, it also offers some wonderful footage (and audio) of the car being driven. Please turn on closed captions (CC) for language options other than German.

Immediately after the war Renzo Rivolta set about pivoting the company and producing small, inexpensive motorcycles and scooters – they were in much demand after the war as the country worked to get back on its feet.

A few years later in the early 1950s Renzo Rivolta developed the Iso Isetta, a bubble car (or microcar) that was designed to be halfway between a motorcycle and a small car in terms of cost.

Though it was never much of a sales success in Italy, Rivolta licensed the design to a number of manufacturers in different countries, the most lucrative being Germany, where BMW produced over 160,000 examples of the design for local consumers.

By the 1960s Renzo Rivolta wanted to rub shoulders with the likes of Ferrari and Jaguar, he established Iso Rivolta and in 1962 released the first Iso luxury GT car – The IR 300.

This would be followed by the Iso Grifo and the Bizzarinni-developed Iso Grifo A3C, a Le Mans capable racer and a true successor to the 250 GTO.

The Iso Rivolta IR 300

As the first of the production GT cars from Iso, the IR 300 has always been special. The fact that it was designed by one of the greatest automobile designers in history, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and engineered by the father of the 250 GTO only add to its allure.

The secret to the speed of the Iso Rivolta IR 300 was the 300 bhp Chevrolet Corvette V8, giving the car more than enough power to compete with the best of the day.

Bizzarinni developed a pressed steel and welded panel chassis for the IR 300, it had independent unequal-length double A-arm front suspension with de Dion rear suspension, and unusually for the time it had four wheel disc brakes.

Power would be provided by a 5.4 liter V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette producing 300 bhp. The use of the Corvette V8 made engine sourcing easy for Iso, spare parts were similarly simple to order, and there were no problems with engine reliability or complex maintenance.

Initially the engine was fitted with a 4-speed manual transmission, a 5-speed manual and an optional 3-speed automatic would follow.

The IR 300 was first publicly displayed at the 1962 Torino Motor Show, it was positively received though some were perhaps a little perplexed that the father of the Iso Isetta bubble car had also conceived of this new luxury GT car.

The car was designed by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, he would go on to become (arguably) the greatest car designer of the 20th century.

A total of 797 examples of the Iso Rivolta IR 300 would be built up until 1970, 167 of these would be the IR 340 with the uprated 340 bhp engine option.

The 1966 Iso Rivolta IR 300 Race Car Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1966 Iso Rivolta IR 300 that has been significantly modified for vintage motorsport competition. It came from the factory as one of just 13 that were ever built in right-hand drive, and it was first registered in the UK in 1967.

The current owner has had the car for 12 years, they have carefully prepared it as a track day/race car to FIA Appendix K specification. It has a newly rebuilt Corvette V8 engine built by Martin Saville, a Muncie-style 4-speed gearbox, and a limited-slip differential.

The car has competed in the HSCC Historic Touring Car series and with its HTP papers it will be eligible for many of the most prestigious vintage racing events in the world.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual Italian/American racer you can visit the listing on Bonhams here. It’s due to roll across the auction block on the 24th of June and the price guide is £50,000 – £60,000, which works out to approximately $61,400 – $73,700 USD.

Images courtesy of Bonhams

The post A Rare Italian/American FIA Race Car – The Iso Rivolta IR 300 appeared first on Silodrome.

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The Chicago T-Shirt By The Tucker Corporation

This is the new Tucker Corporation Chicago t-shirt, it uses the original design that was stenciled to the sides of the delivery and maintenance vehicles used by the Tucker Corporation back in the 1940s.

These shirts were created by Sean and Mike Tucker, they’re the great-grandsons of company founder Preston Tucker, and they’re doing a remarkable job of keeping his legacy alive and well in the 21st century.

If you look closely, you’ll see the stencil logo design on the door of this truck – this was the source of this new t-shirt design.

Both Sean and Mike work in the automotive industry, with Sean on the engineering side and Mike on the business side. Back in high school they won the Chrysler Corporation’s “Build Your Dream Vehicle” competition in 1998 with a modern version of the iconic Tucker 48.

In more recent years the two Tuckers have worked on restoration projects of genuine Tucker 48s, and they became founding members of the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage collection.

Above Film: This is documentary tells the story of Preston Tucker and the remarkable Tucker 48.

Part of the funding for the work the two men do comes from their line of official Tucker merchandise, they have t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and more available to buy on their web store.

This t-shirt is their newest design, its design is an exactly copy of the original, and you can now buy it on your choice of either a black or maroon t-shirt with sizing ranging from S all the way up to 3XL. They cost $19.99 USD each, and they come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Sean and Mike Tucker.

Visit The Store

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For Sale: A Timeless Jaguar XJC – Proceeds Go To The Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal

The Jaguar XJC is a sporting two-door grand tourer released by the British automaker in 1975 and sold until 1977, this short production run and the 10,000 or so that were made make it one of the rarest production Jaguars from the era.

The XJC you see here has had an extensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration, it’s now being offered for sale to benefit the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal – a charity providing food, water, shelter, and healthcare to many of the 5+ million people who have fled the conflict.

Fast Facts – The Jaguar XJC

The Jaguar XJC is said to be one of the rarest production Jaguars made, with just 10,426 made over two years between 1975 and 1977.
The XJC was the final Jaguar to have been developed with input by Sir William Lyons, the company founder before his retirement.
The short wheelbase four-door Jaguar XJ sedan formed the platform for the XJC, with the “C” appended to the model name to denote that it’s a coupe. Longer doors were developed as well as a pillarless design, and you could order an XJC with either the XK straight-six or the Jaguar V12 under the hood.
The car shown here is a 1976 Jaguar XJC, it’s fitted with the multiple Le Mans-winning XK straight-six which sends power to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual with overdrive. The XJC has independent front and rear suspension, and disc brakes all round.

“The Finest Jaguar Ever”

The development of the Jaguar XJ was well underway in the mid-1960s, it was to be a new car for a new decade, replacing the aging Jaguar Mark II and S-Type as the company’s luxurious new four-door sedan.

This is the Jaguar XJ four-door sedan, the car that was designed in the 1960s to take Jaguar into the 1970s. It would remain in production for an impressive 24 years. Image courtesy of Jaguar.

The development was overseen personally by company founder Sir William Lyons, sometimes referred to simply as “Mr Jaguar” due to the fact that he ran the marque for decades and became inextricably linked to it.

The new XJ was lower, sleeker, and faster than the sedans that had come before it. It was still luxurious of course, but in a sporting way that would have broad appeal. The car was given a unibody design, independent front and rear suspension, and disc brakes on all four corners, with the rear discs inboard.

The first production XJ was released in 1968 and sold until 1973, it’s now retroactively known as the Series 1. It was followed by the Series 2 and the Series 3, as well as the XJC, and it remained in production for 24 years in total until 1992.

At the time of its release Jaguar ran a marketing campaign calling their new XJ “the finest Jaguar ever produced,” and there can be no doubt that they were right – though the E-Type faithful might have a thing or two to say about it.

The Arrival Of The Jaguar XJC

Sir William Lyons and the team at Jaguar had always intended for there to be a two-door version of the XJ sedan, early styling mockups had been completed in the late 1960s however it wasn’t until 1975 that the car was released.

The interior is beautifully appointed, with ample leather, carpeting, wood trim, and chrome.

Both long and short wheelbase versions of the XJ four-door sedan had been developed, the XJC would be based on the short wheelbase version. The B-pillar was removed entirely and one lengthened door was fitted to each side – the doors were made by joining together two standard XJ doors to make them longer.

One of the biggest development problems with the XJC was the wind noise caused by the side widows being pulled outwards at their tops by aerodynamic forces as the car was underway. It took a long time for a solution to this to be found, a new mechanism that forced the windows inwards and into the rubber seals when closed.

Chassis rigidity was another issue on prototype cars, it was caused by the removal of the B-pillars however various strengthening additions were made to the XJC to stiffen it to match the XJ.

Finally by 1975 the car was ready, it was released in the Series 2 XJ platform and offered in four major configurations – Jaguar XJC 4.2, Jaguar XJC 5.3, Daimler Sovereign, Daimler Double Six. The 4.2 and the Sovereign were powered by the XK straight-six and the 5.3 and the Double Six were powered by the V12.

For reasons unknown, all XJCs were given black vinyl tops. It was on trend in the mid-1970s though as tastes have changed many have been removed, with the roof then painted to match the car.

Both manual and automatic gearboxes were offered though almost all got the automatic, this was intended as a grand tourer after all.

This XJC is powered by the 4.2 liter version of Jaguar’s XK straight-six, an engine that won at Le Mans three times in the 1950s.

Production ended in 1977, though some unsold cars are said to have been sold as 1978 models in the following year.

The Jaguar XJS had been released in 1975 and it was supposed to be Jaguar’s halo car, no one knows exactly why the XJC was discontinued but it was almost certainly something to do with its sibling GT coupe.

The 1976 Jaguar XJC Shown Here

The XJC you see here is one of the nicest examples we’ve seen come up for sale in recent memory, likely because it’s been through an extensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration which included a conversion to the 4-speed manual (with overdrive) transmission.

The car is finished in jet black, perhaps the only color to truly suit the original black vinyl roof. The interior is finished in red leather with matching carpets, and there’s all the wood trim and chrome you might expect from a classic Jaguar interior.

As mentioned in the introduction, this XJC is being sold with the benefits going to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal – a charity providing food, water, shelter, healthcare, and protection to many of the over 5 million people who have fled the conflict in their homeland.

If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can visit the listing here, it’s due to roll across the auction block with H & H Auctions on the 22nd of June with no reserve.

Images courtesy of H & H Auctions

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A Land Cruiser FJ45 With An 80-Series Chassis And A Tundra V8

This vehicle started life as a 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45, in more recent years it was rebuilt and it now rides on a Land Cruiser 80-series chassis with uprated suspension, and it’s powered by a 4.7 liter 2UZ V8 from a 2001 Toyota Tundra.

We haven’t seen another FJ series quite like this, it maintains its Toyota heritage but benefits from a more modern chassis, much improved suspension and brakes, and of course it’s all powered by a vastly more powerful Tundra V8.

Fast Facts – A Custom Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45

The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 was the gasoline-engined, long-wheelbase version of the J40 series of 4x4s from the Japanese automaker.
Toyota introduced the J40 series in 1960, it would be available in both diesel (BJ) and gasoline (FJ) versions, with different wheelbases getting different numerical codes ranging from 40 up to 47.
The J40 series would remain in production until 2001, when the last factory producing them in Brazil switched to newer models. In much of South America the J40 Land Cruiser is one of the most respected 4x4s on the road, if not the most respected outright.
The FJ45 Land Cruiser you see here is one of the most memorable custom builds we’ve seen in recent memory. The man behind it paid great attention to keep it all in the family, using Toyota parts extensively in the rebuild.

The Land Cruiser J40 Series

From its roots as a Jeep clone during WWII the Toyota Land Cruiser has risen to become one of the most respected four-wheel drives in the world. No other vehicle in the world can truthfully claim to be the ride of choice for both upper-middle class soccer moms and Middle Eastern warlords.

This vehicle comes with both hard and soft tops, and the interior has been completely customized.

Toyota first released the J40 back in 1960 as a replacement for the outgoing J20 series, it would grow to become one of the most recognizable 4x4s in the world and it would stay in production for an astonishing 40+ years.

Today we’re seeing a surge in interest around classic four-wheel drives and as a result their values have been skyrocketing. It was once possible to buy old Land Cruisers, Land Rovers, Broncos, Scouts, and Range Rovers for peanuts, but now they can sell for low six figure sums.

Although there are many other historically significant Japanese four-wheel drives the J40 series is still king of the hill, and it’s still influencing Toyota product design today over 60 years after it was first offered for sale.

The Custom Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 Shown Here

The FJ45 you see here has been significantly modified from its original form – in fact it’s now essentially made up of parts from three distinct generations of Toyotas.

This FJ45 is now powered by a 4.7 liter 2UZ V8 from a 2001 Toyota Tundra with a matching 4-speed automatic transmission.

The project started with a 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 that the owner had kept for over 25 years. He sourced a Toyota J80 series chassis for the build and the 4.7 liter 2UZ V8 from a 2001 Toyota Tundra with a matching 4-speed automatic transmission.

The chassis of the J80 is a notable upgrade over the original J40 chassis, it’s more modern, it’s stronger, and it has coil springs rather than leaf springs – potentially offering a better ride and perhaps more importantly, better wheel articulation where driving off-road.

The body was removed from its original chassis and stripped of paint, then repainted in DP90 primer and painted in two-stage Antique Sage Pearl. The bed was shortened 18 inches and a pair of steel half doors were fabricated.

The suspension was raised 3″ and an Icon Slinky system was fitted, including 2.5″ reservoir shock absorbers, custom-made coil springs, adjustable panhard bars and rear links, and Slee Off-Road trailing arms.

The truck now rides on Walker Evans Racing 17″ beadlock wheels which are mounted with 40 × 13.50″ Goodyear Wrangler tires, with Aisin manually locking hubs up front.

This new set up made a power steering system highly advisable, and so a new hydraulic system was added which included a 105 series Land Cruiser steering box.

This truck now rides on Walker Evans Racing 17″ beadlock wheels which are mounted with 40 × 13.50″ Goodyear Wrangler tires.

Disc brakes were fitted at all four corners, capping the chromoly axles, and the differentials are fitted with 5.29:1 gear ratios. The four-speed automatic transmission sends power back through a a Marks part-time four-wheel drive conversion kit with an air-shifted crawl box.

The vehicle comes with a rebuilt interior including Mastercraft low-back bucket seats, a custom steering wheel, a lockable Tuffy center console, a Vintage Air Hod Rod HVAC system, and a custom dashboard housing back-lit Dakota Digital gauges and LED bulbs.

Both hard and soft tops come with the FJ40, and it’s fitted with custom front and rear bumpers, with a Warn 8,000 lb winch with a synthetic rope up front.

This eye-catching FJ45 is now for sale on Bring A Trailer, if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/custom-toyota-land-cruiser-fj45/
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A 1/3 Scale Ferrari F40 Body Shell For Display

This is a 1/3 scale fiberglass Ferrari F40 body shell that is said to have been taken directly from an original model produced by Pininfarina/Ferrari for auto shows and dealers to promote the then-new model in the late 1980s.

This model measures in at 170 cm long, which works out to 5.57 feet in the old numbers, and it’s finished in Nero Black – an underrated color that looks just as good as the shade of red offered on (almost) all new F40s from the factory.

Today many look back on the F40 as one of the greatest supercars of all time, and one of the best mid-engined Ferraris, it’s also notable as it was the last Ferrari personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. He died just a year after the car was introduced.

The Ferrari F40 had many celebrity owners, including Sylvester Stallone who also seems to have had a matching racing suit. Image courtesy of Ferrari.

The design of the Ferrari F40 was completed by Pietro Camardella under the supervision of Aldo Brovarone at Pininfarina. The engineering was led by Nicola Materazzi, the F40 was a far more analogue take on the supercar concept than the Porsche 959 – one of its key competitors.

This analogue nature of the F40 has endeared it to countless enthusiasts over the years, in the world of modern supercars that are bristling with electronic driver aids the F40 seems incredibly simple (and perhaps pure) by comparison.

This 1/3 scale body model would be ideal for display, possibly on a pedestal, on the floor, or even mounted up on a wall. It’s due to be offered by Bonhams on the 24th of June at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with a price guide of £1,200 – £1,700, which works out to approximately $1,460 – $2,070 USD.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.