1972 ISO Rivolta Fidia

Finished in what we think is the very best specification of them all – mid-range dashboard and the 5.7-litre Ford V8 engine – this left-hand-drive example is one of fewer than 60 cars ever built to this specification.

It’s probably even rarer than that: the survival rate of the 192 thought to have been made is appalling; the vendor, who keeps a keen eye on the market, tells us that he has only seen around 15 come up for sale in Europe in the 12 years he has owned this one.

He’s also a highly experienced, professional automotive engineer of the old school. He bought his Iso in Italy a dozen years ago with a duff engine and immediately dispatched it to a mate of his in London who specialises in rebuilding American engines. A big cheese in the Iso world gave it the thumbs-up too, saying that it was the most original, solid and unmessed-about-with examples he’d ever seen.

But, life got in the way, and it ended up being with the specialist until 2015 when completion of works, and a £15,000 bill, signalled that it was finally ready to be enjoyed.

Well used to repairing and restoring high-end, hugely complex cars from the sixties and seventies, the owner is something of a mechanical perfectionist and he’s ensured that everything else works as it should too, which will come as a huge relief to those of you who are thinking of popping in a bid.

But, he’d bought an Aston Martin Lagonda to tinker with while the Iso was being repaired, and fell for it so hard that the Rivolta Fidia wasn’t getting the use it deserves. This means it’s time to pass it on to someone who has the time and motivation to give the car the love it deserves.

His loss will be your gain as this is a stunning opportunity for someone to get their hands on an ultra-rare Italian supercar – and for not a lot of money…

Finished in the very period colour of Copper Bronze, few cars scream 1970s like the Iso Rivolta Fidia. Low and elegantly proportioned, the four-door Fidia shows straight flanks and a decent shine to it. No rust, either, not even on the edges of the wheelarches, which must make it almost unique among its brethren.

The care with which Iso built the car is obvious; while the early cars might have been badly built, Iso had got its eye in by the time this one was assembled, and it shows. The door skins, for example, are lead-loaded to merge seamlessly with the door frames, and the line from the front wing over the bonnet to the rear wings is seamless, too. Gloriously OTT and completely unnecessary and all the better for it.

Just as importantly, the doors all open and close as they should, and show no sign of dropping on their hinges, something that is often the first sign of a weakened superstructure.

There are a few stonechips and marks here and there, plus some touched-in paintwork but this is entirely consistent with its age and mileage. It is, we admit, a little tired with light blemishes her and there and we can see the new owner would probably want to treat it to a respray in the long-term. But, it looks great from ten yards and it is important to stress that it is utterly solid, which is rare as aficionados will know.

The chromework is very good, and doesn’t need anything doing to it bar regular polishing.

The original equipment alloy wheels are a magnificent design in good order and free of scuffs, dings and chips. There is the odd spot of lifting lacquer, but getting them refurbished could be done at your leisure as they really aren’t too bad at all.

Oh, and the rubber seal on the windscreen is slightly perished but that’s a job for a few years hence rather than now. However, there is some rust bubbling through on the lower portion of the nearside front wing. It looks to have just started but will need catching sooner rather than later.

The interior is every bit as glorious as its illustrious reputation suggests. With a three-spoke wooden steering wheel, swathes of cream leather, chromed controls, a row of toggle switches and plenty of white-on-black dials, it is every seventies’ fantasy interior you have ever dreamed of owning - and it all works, even the air-conditioning.

The chrome clock, angled and sitting in the centre console next to the gear lever, is a particularly elegant touch, as is the delicate indicator stalk.

Italianesque quirks abound, like the juxtaposition of heater control and choke tucked away under the steering wheel. They’re hidden and so close you invariably stall the engine at 70mph on the motorway when all you really wanted was a little more heat!

The leather is extensive and covers almost every flattish surface including the seats, dashboard, centre console, door cards and headlining. It’s generally in great shape too, including those gorgeous seats, which are only lightly patinated and still very comfortable.

The carpets are in a very good condition and lifting them shows rust-free floors. The thin wooden veneer trim that lies across the full width of the dashboard is good too and largely free of cracks, warping and peeling.

The white headlining is clean and taut, and the only problem we can see up there is one of the sunblind pivot frames has started to rust. Not exactly something you’re going to lose sleep over, is it?

The boot contains the spare wheel, complete with its original black vinyl cover and twin leather retaining straps. There’s a matching tool roll in there too, which is a lovely touch and hints at the care with which the Fidia has been treated over the years.

Originality buffs might not like the modern VDO speedometer, which was fitted at the same time as the modern gearbox, which has a digital output. Retro-modding is all the rage, and while the purists might not like it there are plenty of takers for modern interpretations of the Bristol 411, Range Rover Classic and Jensen Interceptor, so just try to think of it as the first step into bringing the Iso into the 21st century, eh?

Work to do includes the leather on the centre console and the upper edge of the offside rear door card. The leather on the former is a bit scuffed and both are starting to lift. Easily attributed to the car’s developing patina if you’re not overly fussy, we are sure that both could be sorted by a half-decent car trimmer for not a lot of money if you are.

The leather on the seats and panels could be recoloured at the same time should the new owner prefer to have it all looking as fresh as possible.

The engine bay is dominated by that 5.7-litre Ford ‘Boss’ V8 engine with its huge blue air filter and coordinating HT leads. Fitted and supplied by American Car Care Services of London, the 351 cubic inch engine was rebuilt to its standard specification in 2015. Fitted with an uprated alternator, water pump, Mallory distributor and Holley 750cfm carburettor, it was installed along with a refurbished four-speed automatic gearbox, a shortened propshaft, and refurbished universal joints.

A refurbished York air-conditioning compressor and a new receiver dryer was fitted at the same time. The final bill came to almost £15,000, or around half of the car’s lower estimate.

There is the odd rusty bracket and fastening under the bonnet, and an underbonnet valet wouldn’t go amiss, but these are gentle jobs for a winter’s evening next year after you’ve spent the summer roaring around in your own Boss-powered Italian supercar.

The owner drove it 60 miles here to us, and we’ve driven it since. We have to confess that we weren’t expecting much but it charmed us with how well it drove, how quick it is, and how civilized it all feels. A set of new door rubbers would sort out the mildly intrusive wind noise, after which you’d have a very capable, very relaxed long-distance grand touring car.

The underside is neatly undersealed and appears to be utterly solid. Certainly, none of the MOT testers who have inspected to car over the years has commented to the contrary in the past decade. It has, however, started to crack and peel away in a few places, so it might be prudent to add that to the short list of things that need attention.

The Iso is MOT’d until January 2021 and, even better, the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever bar an advisory for a nearside track rod end. As stated the total mileage is around 68,000km.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates, old tax discs, plus a folder with a list of the interchangeability of spare parts for the car, which the new owner will find indispensable.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use Contact Seller to arrange an appointment.

As you can see, the vendor has included an eBay advert from May 2019 that shows an early Iso S4 in Greece being offered for sale in a dilapidated state – and that sold for £40,000. And, if you think that’s a bit bonkers, a stunning example reportedly sold for £200,000 a few years ago, and there were plenty of distinctly average cars making six-figures too, which makes our guide price of somewhere between £30,000 and £50,000 staggering value for an Iso Rivolta Fidia of this specification and condition.

Such good value that the owner expects it to be the cheapest Fidia being made available on the open market in the last 10 years, a sad state of affairs that is driven by the softening classic car market rather than the condition of his car…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.