Iso Fidia
Encyclopedia
Iso Fidia initially Iso Rivolta S4, was a four-door sedan from the Italian
automobile maker Iso Rivolta
. The Fidia, first presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967, and produced between 1967 and 1975 was the only four-door model from Iso. Production only got underway some time after the initial presentation of the car, and its European press launch which took place in Athens, came more than a year later, in February 1969. At the time of the press launch 15 cars had already been built, but it was only in February 1969 that the car swapped its "S4" name for the more euphonious "Fidia". The car was marketed as a unique combination of comfort and sporting performance, and the slogan that appeared in sales material was „Le quattro poltrone piu veloci del mondo“ ("the four fastest seats in the world")
The choice of Athens
for the press launch was connected to the car's new name, Fidia, which was the name (commonly spelled "Phidias
" by anglophone classicists) of the artist who some 24 centuries earlier had supervised creation of the friezes
which originally decorated the Parthenon
(and which in 1816 turned up in the British Museum
, following their controversial removal in 1802 by Lord Elgin
). In some ways, Athens was not a good choice for a press launch: locally available fuel was of too low an octane
for the (single) car made available to journalists and the brief test drive round the city suburbs was characterized by "horrible pinking
".
The body design was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro
(then at Ghia). The interior featured polished wood and hand-stitched leather. High development costs drove the purchase price higher than that of a Rolls-Royce
. The Fidia's main competitors were other luxurious and sporty sedans like the Maserati Quattroporte
. The second Fidia made (and the first with right hand drive) was purchased by English rockstar John Lennon
: the car had celebrity appeal.
In 1971 the car received a new interior, which essentially brought it into line with the Iso Lele
. The wooden dashboard was replaced by a leather one, which commentators found more elegant but also less practical. The instruments now appeared more randomly scattered than on the earlier cars, and were partially obscured by the Nardi steering wheel.
The Fidia, like other Iso cars, was originally powered by a Chevrolet
V8 engine, and was quite quick off the line (0-60 in around 7 seconds). By 1973, after General Motors
demanded payment in advance of shipment, the engine supplier had been switched and cars were delivered with a Ford 5.8 litre V8, matched with a ZF five speed manual gear box or with Ford's own 'Cruise-O-Matic' automatic gear box.
In the rarefied market segment that it occupied, the car tended to find itself overshadowed by the Maserati Quattroporte, itself never a mass seller. Until Maserati in effect retreated from the market in response the economic shock
that saw massive oil price increases, the Fidia was comfortably outsold by its Modenese competitor
. In 1971 Iso produced just 15 Fidias, which rose to 21 in 1972 and slid to 20 in 1973. In total 192 were built.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
automobile maker Iso Rivolta
Iso Rivolta
Iso Rivolta was an automobile and motorbike manufacturer in Italy, predominantly active from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. They are known for the iconic Isetta 'bubble car' of the 1950s, and for a number of powerful performance cars in the 60s and early 70s.-History:Iso Rivolta was...
. The Fidia, first presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1967, and produced between 1967 and 1975 was the only four-door model from Iso. Production only got underway some time after the initial presentation of the car, and its European press launch which took place in Athens, came more than a year later, in February 1969. At the time of the press launch 15 cars had already been built, but it was only in February 1969 that the car swapped its "S4" name for the more euphonious "Fidia". The car was marketed as a unique combination of comfort and sporting performance, and the slogan that appeared in sales material was „Le quattro poltrone piu veloci del mondo“ ("the four fastest seats in the world")
The choice of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
for the press launch was connected to the car's new name, Fidia, which was the name (commonly spelled "Phidias
Phidias
Phidias or the great Pheidias , was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect, who lived in the 5th century BC, and is commonly regarded as one of the greatest of all sculptors of Classical Greece: Phidias' Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World...
" by anglophone classicists) of the artist who some 24 centuries earlier had supervised creation of the friezes
Elgin Marbles
The Parthenon Marbles, forming a part of the collection known as the Elgin Marbles , are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures , inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens...
which originally decorated the Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
(and which in 1816 turned up in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, following their controversial removal in 1802 by Lord Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat, known for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. Elgin was the second son of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and his wife Martha Whyte...
). In some ways, Athens was not a good choice for a press launch: locally available fuel was of too low an octane
Octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
for the (single) car made available to journalists and the brief test drive round the city suburbs was characterized by "horrible pinking
Engine knocking
Knocking in spark-ignition internal combustion engines occurs when combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder starts off correctly in response to ignition by the spark plug, but one or more pockets of air/fuel mixture explode outside the envelope of the normal combustion front.The...
".
The body design was the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
(then at Ghia). The interior featured polished wood and hand-stitched leather. High development costs drove the purchase price higher than that of a Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
. The Fidia's main competitors were other luxurious and sporty sedans like the Maserati Quattroporte
Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door saloon made by Maserati in Italy. The name translated from Italian literally means "four doors". There have been five generations of the car, each separated by a period of roughly five years....
. The second Fidia made (and the first with right hand drive) was purchased by English rockstar John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
: the car had celebrity appeal.
In 1971 the car received a new interior, which essentially brought it into line with the Iso Lele
Iso Lele
Iso Lele was a sports coupé produced by the Italian automobile maker Iso Rivoltabetween 1969 and 1974. The Lele, being a 2+2-seater, filled the gap between the Grifo and the...
. The wooden dashboard was replaced by a leather one, which commentators found more elegant but also less practical. The instruments now appeared more randomly scattered than on the earlier cars, and were partially obscured by the Nardi steering wheel.
The Fidia, like other Iso cars, was originally powered by a Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
V8 engine, and was quite quick off the line (0-60 in around 7 seconds). By 1973, after General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
demanded payment in advance of shipment, the engine supplier had been switched and cars were delivered with a Ford 5.8 litre V8, matched with a ZF five speed manual gear box or with Ford's own 'Cruise-O-Matic' automatic gear box.
In the rarefied market segment that it occupied, the car tended to find itself overshadowed by the Maserati Quattroporte, itself never a mass seller. Until Maserati in effect retreated from the market in response the economic shock
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
that saw massive oil price increases, the Fidia was comfortably outsold by its Modenese competitor
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
. In 1971 Iso produced just 15 Fidias, which rose to 21 in 1972 and slid to 20 in 1973. In total 192 were built.