Before designing the body for the 2+2 Lamborghini Jarama which I looked at a couple of weeks ago, Bertone’s Marchello Gandini was commissioned to design what was intended to be a one off 2+2 body for an ISO Rivolta IR300.

Piero Rivolta was so impressed with Gandini’s new design that he had the one off put into production lending his wife’s name to the new ISO Rivolta Lele which was launched in 1969 powered by a Chevrolet V8 tuned to either give 300hp or 350 hp.

In 1972 after General Motors demanded payment for it’s motors prior to shipping ISO Rivolta switched to using Ford Cleveland motors in it’s Grifo, Fidia and Lele models with the Ford powered Lele becoming the Lele IR6 with 325hp of which 130 were built from 1972 until ISO Rivolta went bankrupt in 1974. Around 20 Lele IR6 models with manual transmissions were built with their Cleveland motors tuned to give 360 hp and these were known as IR6 Sports.

In all 285 ISO Lele’s, of all types, are thought to have been built including 3 or possibly 4 cars commissioned by Philip Morris for ISO Marlboro F1 drivers Howden Ganley and Nanni Galli along with associated promotions.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wife’s New Clothes” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.