Presentation to the press

of the Iso-Rivolta car

"Fidia"

Athens, February 13, 1969

Press Release
From: Iso Rivolta S.p.A.. 20091 Bresso (Milano) tel. 9.200.891 - Trough: Aldo Chiappe Studio P.R. Via L. Manara 15 Milano te. 705025 - 780485
For several years past, the ltalian automobile production was lacking a luxury car combining both prestige and comfort and speed, with a completely new shape and with lively performance. This gap was filled by Iso-Rivolta. The managing director of the Bresso plant has in fact presented on February 13, 1969, to the press and to the economic world, a new car, called Fidia, meeting these requirements: the line and the style of which have suggested the choice of such a glamorous name as that of the greatest sculptor of classic Greece. The Fidia combines both the characteristies of speed of a sport car and the line and comfort of a luxury grand-touring car. The mechanical features are similar to those of ''S4 '' : a Chevrolet Corvette 8 cylinder motor, of 300/350 HP, developping a speed of 220/230 Km/h at 5000/5800 tours. Fuel consumptions is 18/19 lt. /100 Km. The gear can be either with four or five speeds (Z. F. ) or automatic; brakes are of the disc type with servo booster. Undoubtly, the most remarkable quality of Fidia is its aerodynamic body, designed by Ghia, which is quite unusual for so far produced high class cars, and that at first sight looks like a sport car. Fidia instead has 4 doors and on the back seat can easily take place three persons.
To the interior a particular care was given, so as to satisfy the demands of the most exacting people, wishing at the same time high speed and all features of a sport car, and the comfort of a high class car. Five seats in velvet or leather, completely restyled to improve the lateral hold; the center console leaving more space to the front seats. The Fidia is equipped with electrically operating air coiditionning. Fidia is obviously a car intended for an exclusive elite, because of its price, which is however justified by the quality of the car and by the production in very small series (Iso produces about 250 cars a year), which enables the buyer to have a custom made car. Finally there are two other interesting peculiarities: Fidia like all other Iso Rivolta models emits clean exhaust, thanks to a new American apparatus of gas purification, and its structure is conceived to offer the maximum security to the driver on whatever kind of road.

The Fidia

The Fidia, a new model from Iso-Rivolta, was conceived to satisfy the needs of a public, who, along with high mechanical performances of great precision and speed, demands esthetic characteristics and driving and travelling comfort. The Fidia is a 4-door grand-touring car, which seats five people comfortably. The form of the seats was studied in order to make the lateral hold better, assuring a comfortable position to the person who travels. The seats are made entirely of a rubber foam material, less subject to losing its shape than the traditional upholstery with springs. The, width of the center console was studied especially to afford the passage of warm or cool air to the rear seats, giving at the same time ample space to the front seats. The airconditioning is assured by a "Frigette" apparatus in the front, which has 3 anterior vents on the dashboard. In the rear it has 2 little butterfly vents. The regulation of the emission of warm and cool air is commanded electrically. The interior coverings are of excellent leather. or velvet, in the following colors (by choice). beige, brown, red, dark blue grey, or other colors upon request, The body of aerodynarnic line was designed by Ghia. The Fidia is produced in an enormous variety of bright, dark and metallic colors, in addition to other colors upon the request of the client. The Fidia like all other Iso-Rivolta cars, was designed to offer the maximum security, remedying in part, as well, the possible driving imperfections of the person at the wheel. It is, in fact, a firm conviction of the maker that an autovehicle should serve the driver, offering the guarantee of stability in every moment, and on every type of road.
Selling conditions: delivery term : 60 days - Prices:
Fidia Berlina L. 6.600.00 - 276.580 roadtax: L. 6.934.000 on road
Fidia Berlina Auto. L. 6.700.000 - 276.580 roadtax: L. 7.038.000 on road

The Fidia technical data

The Fidia design

The Fidia of Iso-Rivolta is a 4-door grand-touring car, with an absolute purity of line. There is nothing which is not there for a purpose. Consider, for example, the hood so streched out, long, agressive, how it connects with the body of the car and with it makes an aerodynamic line. For whoever likes rigid architecture, even in cars, Fidia is an example. You know how hard it is to combine the many needs of a car of this category with a sharp masculine design - Iso-Rivolta has done it, and the final result is proof. From the windshield to the rear window, it is a courageous line which slashes through space. The whole vehicle enters the wind because it is cutting, strong, precise. The design of the side of the automobile is exact, without formal dubbings. Which means that experience, genius and courage have been united. The windows, the air vents, the lighting everything is essence and functional. The interior, as well, is luxuriously sober, comfortable, livable, made for sensitive sport-steering, if you like, relaxing if you prefer. Fidia by Iso-Rivolta, is power-dressed in line. It is elegance which expresses masculine agressivity.

Phidias the sculptor

CLASSIC GREEK SCULPTURE
The age of classic Greek art ranges from the year 450 to 323 b. C., but undoubtedly, the years of the golden age of Pericles (449-429) not only begin Greek classicisme but they are the years richest in men who reached full artistic maturity, that perfection of exquisitely balanced forms with the nobility and strenght of shape. The three great sculptors of the period - Myron, Phidias and Polyclitus, are followed in the post-Periclean age, by the new expressive research of Scopas and Praxiteles, and the claim of the "canone policleteo" made by Lysippus, will open up new ideals in dramatics and plastic virtuosity of the Hellenistic art.
Phidias, the sculptor most dear to Pericles, is perhaps the most well-known of the golden age. He was Athenian, born around 490-485 b.C. He began by painting and went on to sculpturing bronze, marble, gold and ivory. His three most well-known works are. the Zeus of Olympia, of which there is no remaining copy. It was done in about 448, and was included among the Seven Wonders of the world. Because of the greatness of its size (14 meters with the base) and its artistic refinement. it was considered to be one of the canonical symbols of Zeus, and it influenced all succeeding creations. The Athena Parthenos, sculptured with the same monumental technique as that of the Zeus of Olyrnpia (12 meters) was done for the cell of the Parthenon. A copy from the Roman period, at present preserved in the Museum of Athens, is perhaps the Athena of Varvakion. Unfortunately, we can see these masterpieces of Phidias only from Pausania's description of them (which is probably the most trustworthy). But the greatest evidence of Phidias art comes to us from the remains of the friezes of the Parthenon, fragments of which are scattered amongst the British Museum, the Louvre, the Vaticah Museums and the Museum of Athens. Only a few pieces have remained in place. Phidias was given the job of superving the construction of the Parthenon. (He also underwent a trial, having been accused of taking some of the precious materials which were meant to be used for the sculpturing). It is rather difficult to judge how much help he contributed. The job of decorating the Parthenon was enormous if one considers that its sculptures, with the metope, the statues of the two pediments and the continuous frieze on the walls of the secos covered 333 meters of the decoration. It is possible to recognize the hand of different artists in the formation of the 92 metopes (around 445 b. G. while the mark of a marvelous unity of taste and inspiration that of Phidias - cornes out in the continuous lonic frieze (about 440 b. C. symbolizing the great procession of the Panathenaca. The procession, which moved along two converging lines to the two sides of the temple, came to a climax on the east, at the side of the entrance door, with the great scene of the Gods of Olympus, joined together by Athena for the feast in her honour. Last are the sculptures of the east and west pediments (completed about 432 b.C.) when Phidias had by that time abandoned the supervision of the construction. The first of these represented the wonderful birth of Athena the second, of which very little is left, was of the fight between Athena and Poseidon for the posession of the Attica. More than just from one fragment or another, the genius of Phidia is found in the general atmosphere, from the common elements to the singular sculptures of the Parthenon: the nobility, the truth, the strength, held up by a rigorousness and a still archaic expressions of Greek genius, the apogee of the Athenian splendor.

Iso Rivolta S.p.A.

* Head Office & Plant : 20091 - Bresso (Milano) tel. 9200891 *Company Capital : Lit. 500.000.000 (interamente versato) *Beginning of Activity : 1939 *President : Sig. ra Maria Aurelia Barberi Rivolta *Managing Directors : Dott. Ing. Pierattilio Rivolta Barberi & Prof. Dott. Ercoli Staffico * Board of Directors : Sig. ra Maria Aurelia Barberi Rivolta & Dott. Ing. Pierattilio Rivolta Barberi & Prof. Dott. Ercoli Staffico
* Plant : 50.000 mq of surface, of which more than 20.000 covered. *Employees : 30 employees and 125 workers
* Branch Offices and Assistance : ISO S.p.A. AUTOMOTOVEICOLI - pIAZZA pITAGORA 8 - 00197 - roma
* Italian Agents :
- SUPERGARAGE VANTI DI WIDMO VANTI Via Irnerio 12V 40126 Bologna & Via Isonzo 57 40033 Casalecchio di Reno
- BONERA CARLO Via Lechi 1 25100 Brescia
- aUTORIMESSA LISI Via G. B. Vico 10 50136 Firenze
- BIAGGINI Piazza Rossetti 36r 16100 Genova
- GE. GAR. AUTO S.a.s. Via M. Serao 3 20144 Milano
- ZANNERIO GIORGIO Piazza San Pio X 9 31100 Treviso
- SOC. A.S.S.O. Via XX Settembre 79 06100 Perugia
- GARAGE REVI Viale Turati 6 22053 Lecco
- GASPARINI M. Via Piave 172 30171 Mestre (Ve)
- SUPERAUTO S.a.s. Via Buonarroti ang. Via Foscolo 1 20052 Monza
- GIRARD LORENZO Corsa Vitt. Emanuele 125 10128 Torino (547607/535377)
* Importers :
- BELGIUM : ANC. ETS. GUERRET 416 Chaussee d'Alsemberg Bruxelles
- FRANCE : ETS. SONAUTO 22Rue Paul Valery (Veuillet) 16 23 Av. de la Porte de Ternes (Mouche) 17 Paris Tel. ETO 7257
- GERMANY : AUTO BECKER Suitbertusstrasse 150 4 Dusseldorf tel. 343034 Telex 858874
- JAPAN : YNARIKAWA & CO. L.T.D. Central P.O. Box 49 D Osaka
- HONG KONG : MACCHETTI LTD. G.P.O. Box 15073 Hong Kong Tel. 224286
- ENGLAND : TROJAN LIMITED Trojan orks Purley Way Croydon-Surrey Tel. 2499 Telex 21138
- AUSTRIA : JAGUAR DAIMLER 1040 Wien 4 Wiedner Hautstrasse 57
- LEBANON : EMILE TABET Chian Rue Zaccour Boulevard de L'Aerodrome Im. Tayar Beyrouth tel. 273366
- HOLLAND : SMELT N.B. Smelt Wibaustraat 139 Amsterdam Tel. 943131
- SPAIN : AUTO SPORT Calle de Balmes 184 Barcelona Tel. 2279300
- SWIZTERLAND : ZENTRAL GARAGE di L.C. ROGGERO Sihlfelstrasse 10 8003 Zurich Tel. 357835
- USA : G.T. MOTOCAR CORP. 23 West Ave. SO Norwalk Connecticut
- USA : Dr. UGO QUAZZO ISOCARS CORPORATION 120 Wall Street New York NY 10005 Tel. WH 4 - 1054
N.B. In all the countries where there is an importer, there is also a sales organisation with distributing agents throughout the country.

The story of Iso Rivolta

THE STORY OF ISO-RIVOLTA, 1939 - Under the initiative of Renzo Rivolta, the "Isothermos" is born, for the production of refrigerators, boilers and electric radiators. 1946 - Radical change in the productive process: Iso produces motorscooters, motorbycicles and covered three wheeled vehicles.1953 The "Isetta" is born, a revolutionary vehicle, frorn an esthetical, technologiqal and functional point of view, that could be considered the pre-birth of the city car. The national market is not prepared for the innovations brought on by the "Isetta", and the patent was sold to BMW. In Germany the "Isetta" aroused a remarkable success. 1952-63 In this decade the production of motorscooters and motorbicycles surpassed a million models. 1962 - The first automobile is produced, the body by Bertone, which stands out completely from the normal national production. This is the Iso-Rivolta GT, coupe, a grand-touring car, luxurious in its finishings and designed for an elite high-class public. 1964 - Derived from the GT coupe, comes the Iso-Grifo luxurious. two-seats coupe, decidedly a sportscar, with a body of a new conception, designed by Bertone. 1966 - Piero Rivolta Barberi becomes the director of the Company at the death of his father Renzo.
1967 To satisfy the needs of a public who demands a vehicle with a greater transport capacity, the "S4" is introduced. This is a four-door grand-touring car, derived from the sportscar models and which joined , thus , these characteristics to better comfort in the interior. 1968 A new version of the Iso-Grifo is introduced, with slight modifications in the body, but with a 7, 000 cc. motor and 400 CV, which develops a speed of 300 Krn/h at 5,200 RPM 1968 Following an agrement between Iso-Rivolta the Ghia and Rowan Co. the "snow cat" was produced. This is a vehicle which runs on a track, and can move up to 70 Km/h on snowcovered areas. 1968/69 The Fidia is born. It is a luxurious 4-door car, with a body by Ghia,which makes use of certain characteristics of the S4" conveniently bettered, not only for comfort but also for high mechanica performance.

The production of Iso Rivolta