1974 ISO Lele Sport

Country of Manufacture: Italy
Year:              1974
Vin #:             FA500254U
Model Type:  2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Bertone (Marcello Gandini)
Engine:           Ford 351 Cleveland V8   (5762 cc)
Horsepower:  360 bhp at 5800 rpm
Torque:          370 lb. at 3800 rpm
Transmission: Ford C6  3 speed automatic
Suspension:  
Front- Independent, wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear- de Dion tube, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, longitudinal struts, cross bar
Brakes:          
Front- 11.5 inch Girling discs, servo booster
Rear- 11 inch Girling discs mounted inboard, servo booster
Top Speed:    165 mph

History:  The ISO company was founded by Renzo Rivolta, an industrialist best known for making refrigerators, motor scooters and the Isetta bubble car, which he later licensed to BMW.  The first high performance car made by ISO was the very successful 2 door Rivolta. Using the same  Giotto Bizzarrini, designed  unit-body/monocoque underpinnings, the Rivolta was followed by the fastback Grifo and the eventual Rivolta replacement, the Lele.  While both the Rivolta and Grifo were designed by Bertone’s, Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Iso Lele, named after Lele Rivolta, wife of Piero Rivolta (son of Iso company founder Renzo) was designed Bertone’s, Marcello Gandini.

The first 125 Lele’s were powered by GM Corvette engines/transmissions but after GM began demanding Iso pay in advance, Iso chose to replace the Chevrolet drivetrain with Ford’s 351 Cleveland engine and transmissions. Marlboro commissioned 5 Ford powered stripped down race cars for their Formula 1 team drivers and these cars were the genesis for 20 street versions known as Lele Sport’s. The Sport models employed the same styling cues which included modified black bumpers but added back in power steering and the cabin comforts such as padded seats and sound deadening that were stripped from the Marlboro cars.

Production:   285 Lele’s  of all types were built before ISO closed in 1974. Series 1: 125 small block (327 Corvette) coupes. Series 11: 135 (Ford Cleveland 351) coupes. In addition, there were 20 Ford Cleveland powered Lele Sport  coupes which were a “street” version of the Lele Marlboro race car of which 5 were built

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