This 1965 Iso Rivolta looks to have been last road registered in November of 1987, though the seller claims it is complete and solid apart from some inner rocker rust. Currently wearing primer over surprisingly straight looking sheet metal, the car’s interior has been redone at some time in the past and looks serviceable if in need of some tidying, and fortunately the car runs a 4-speed instead of the popular automatic option. Find it here at Hyman in Saint Louis, Missouri for $59,500.
Bodywork looks to have received some attention already, likely done around the same time as its interior. As with many abandoned restoration projects, much of the heavy lifting already appears to have been taken care of by someone else, though we’d be concerned about what lies underneath the car’s vinyl roof—a notorious moisture trap. Rocker detail photos aren’t given, and hopefully the corrosion mentioned in this area isn’t too heavy.
The cabin looks nice in some areas and less so elsewhere, but overall seems completely serviceable as-is. Areas in need of work include the leather dash cover above the instrument cluster, some loose carpeting near the upper, passenger-side transmission tunnel and deteriorating vertical dash finish. A few areas of burgundy leather along the lower portion of the dash could stand to be tightened or re-glued, but overall this interior appears to need relatively little attention.
The seller says that the car is ready to be enjoyed during its restoration process, though no where is it specifically said to run and drive. The GM sourced 327 ci Chevy V8 looks complete underhood, though heavily rusted exhaust manifolds and some dry, brittle looking hoses and wiring will need work. These 4-speed equipped cars are very desirable relative to their automatic brethren (a 5-speed was also available), and even if this one needs a drivetrain rebuild it will likely cost only a fraction of what similar work would run on a period Gran Turismo from Maserati or Ferrari. Make that certainly.
Italo-American GT’s are great for combining Italian style with American running costs, ease of maintenance and reliability. The Rivolta is one of our favorites, and if you’ve ever seen one in person you’ll know that photos don’t quite convey how beautifully designed and proportioned they really are. We hope to see this one back on the road soon.