Italy's Most Obscure Failure Is Surprisingly Good- The Crazy Iso Lele!
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- Опубликовано: 8 ноя 2023
- Iso Tried To Make a Luxury Muscle Car, it sounds like a strange mix and although it didn't catch on it is surprisingly good!
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Please Honda S600 Roadster from 1960s with 10.000 RPM DOHC motorcycle engine and please french Ford Comete V8 with Facel bodywork
I love it!, I'm sure I had a Matchbox one in the 70's!
Great reviews your one of the few that relate the handling qualities as you drive. I would like to see you drive a bmw 2002. I had a 1973. I'll search your videos for a Peugeot 205 GTi I had a 1984 superb steering car! Only 900kg.
Personally, I think it's a very pretty car. You can never go wrong with Italian styling, coupled with the proven, simple, reliable American V8.
I think it looks ok, it's not a prince, I do like it 👍
I think it's a bit ugly, but I love it.
I don't agree, it's a bit like putting a donkey in front of a guilded carriage.
Never? Multipla?
Bravo Giacomo,this is a very rare bird !!! I'll tell you two stories about this car. On Christmas eve,probably in 1969,this new Iso was ready but still had no name.Going back home,Piero Rivolta had a terrific thought: he forgot to buy a Christmas present for his wife Rachele,or Lele. He was driving the new car and he had a brilliant idea....the gift for his wife would have been christening Lele the new GT. I don'know if this was enough as a Christmas gift for Rachele (probably he had to remedy the days later) but from that day the new Iso was called Lele. The second one involves Giannino Marzotto,an italian important textile entrepreneur,famous also because he was an excellent gentleman driver,capable to win twice the Mille Miglia,driving his Ferrari (ahead of Fangio).He owned a metallic ruby red Lele and he had a terrible accident;the car was totally destroyed and he was convinced that he could survive thanks to the robustness of the car that he immediately bought a new one. He took the wreck of the destroyed Lele in his garden,in front of the windows of his mansion,putting it on a stone base,calling it "monumento al culo",that translated in english means "monument to the ass".In italian slang,if you have ass it means you are lucky,so it was his monument to fortune.Giannino passed away some years ago,but I think that his monument is still there,in his garden in Valdagno.
Those are wonderful stories !! Thank you
@@patrickodonnell4109 Thanks to you , Patrick ,for your comment. Italy had many little luxury car manufacturers ,some of them had been Ferrari or Maserati clients and maybe they found problems with their cars,deciding to build similar cars in their own way. Renzo Rivolta and his son Piero were among them,like Ferruccio Lamborghini. Ferruccio had problems with the clutch of his Ferrari 250 Gte and went to meet Enzo Ferrari telling him that after having replaced two of them he found the solution setting up the clutch of one of his tractors. Enzo told him that the reason why the clutch of his 250 Gte was not working properly was caused by the fact that he was unable to drive a Ferrari,and it was better if he drove only his tractors.Both had difficult charachter so Ferruccio decided to made cars better than Ferrari,teaching him which was the proper way to build them....Rivolta had the same idea,while De Tomaso came from Argentina without money,with the wish to made his cars in Modena.When he arrived in Modena,he asked which was the best hotel in town: the answer was always Hotel Canalgrande,so he went there and they gave him a beautiful room,There he could meet Ferrari and Maserati customers and people involved in the automotive industry. After one month they presented him the bill but he had no money and they throw him out from the hotel. The first thing he did when he had money,some years later,was buying the Hotel Canalgrande,where he lived for the rest of his life. These are just two popular stories but there are so many others,also regarding the rivalry between Ferrari and Maserati. Ferrari never pronounced the name Maserati and when he had to refer to Maserati he used to say "quelli là" (those down there). Until the italian President of the Republic arrived in visit to Maranello with the presidential Maserati Quattroporte....For the protocol Ferrari was waiting near the door of the Ferrari offices and when the presidential car was supposed to stop in front he had to do few steps to meet the President,but when he saw the Maserati he remained petrified on the door and he did not move.... Those men were as roosters in chicken coop,opposing themselves with fierce rivalry in creating their cars.
@@federicomalignani4957 interesting. Thanks for sharing
55 years later, and Piero tells me Lele still has not forgiven him 😂
😂😂😂@@joelciardella6080
It's almost a clone of the Jarama. I think he's added that strangeness on the side to try to differentiate it a bit. The Lambo looks much more powerful though (even if, in reality, it probably wasn't). Another great video Jack. I'm loving these old reviews. Modern cars have just got SO boring and you're doing a great job with the more interesting old stuff. I do miss the garage videos though.
Very similar. Except the Jarma is a fair amount shorter. I bet its back seat is more of a suggestion. :)
Absolutely. I wonder which came first; this or the Jarama?
My instant response as well. It shares the obvious commonality of the hooded headlights, which I think gives the car a brooding aggressiveness which I really like. The side profile is also strikingly similar. On balance I prefer the simplicity of the Jarama’s lines.
@@MonicaandMervyn The lele came out in 1969, the jarama in 1970; very likely that both cars were designed simultaneously. I hadn't noticed the similarity before, but now that it's mentioned, it's hard to miss.
I think the lele looks better than the jarama
Heard of Iso, heard of Renzo Rivolta, heard of the Grifo and the Rivolta, seen a few Isettas, but never even heard of the Lele. The styling is unusual, but honestly, even funny looking cars from this time look world better than most things made today. I'm not surprised that Marcello Gandini designed this car. It shares a lot of cues with both the Espada and its Lambo sisters, the Jarama and Urraco, and even the Citroen BX hatch, which Gandini also designed.
Well….it’s interesting. Thanks Jack for letting us see and drive around with you in such an exotic beast.
Love a Lele - Gandini clearly building on the Espada and Jarama vibe, in the way that his Montreal is the child of the Miura. These big GTs were all the rage early 70’s - Buckley tested one against a Ferrari 400i, Maser Indy and Espada for CSC a few years back. Much as I love my Interceptor, this is actually a better car and much more modern. And the ISO Fidia, for all its quirks was bought by both John Lennon and Pete Townsend back in the day.
I love the futuristic and charismatic Italian exotica from the 60s and 70s! Especially the obscure and 'odd' looking ones! 😄
I think it looks fantastic! I know this from a very early age. It was one of my playing card set heros ("Autoquartett" in German)
It has an unique design and Gandini did a great job, especially the intakes have such a great seventies spirit. Love it
Lele's styling is quirky but it works, Gandini's eye owed less to the mainstream than any other notable stylist but the beauty is always there. Maserati Khamsin, anyone?
Hi Jack, from Sydney, Australia. A school mate of mine's dad bought a pair of Iso's in 1970, a Lele & a Fidia 4 door.
My school mate inherited them from his dad on his dad's passing some years ago, so the pair of Iso's have given one family, half a century's service. Just think , half a century , neither car has had the engine apart, flawless and totally reliable, better than ANY other Italian car. Genius. I have loved the look of the Lele from the day I first saw my mate's dad Joe Favaloro's one in February 1970, I thought that it looked like something from a 21st century science fiction space movie, like it was stolen from space 1999 or the Thunderbirds. Why, well its brilliant and EXCLUSIVE, Bertone styling looked like no other car, AND it was PURE QUALITY, NOTHING BROKE , NOTHING , NOTHING, in 50 years. Just regular replacement parts /service, oil filters brake pads, brake booster & master cylinder replacement, Fomoco Automatic transmission overhaul at 200,000 miles !!! , for a mere $1,000. What's not to love. To put it into a cash perspective , this is like getting a Ferrari serviced with the simplicity and costs of a Toyota Corolla !!! What a great motoring investment, FEW cars give you this over 50years, Exclusivity, Luxury, Reliability & FRUGAL running costs. Makes a Ferrari, look like a financial joke and the choice of a fool considering their outrageous running costs. Joe Favaloro was the most Italian, Italian man I have ever met or known, and a well known lawyer in Sydney's Italian community, he always said MR Ford was a wise man for not buying Ferrari , and making/having a pure Ford race car created instead.
And Jack , that said same Ford 351ci, or, 5.8litre V8 proved to be unbeatable and revved its guts out in racetracks in Australia including the car killing Bathurst 1000 kilometre race. This Ford 351ci /5.8 litre V8 was near unbeatable until General Motors Australian division HOLDEN, created their legendary Aussie designed 308 ci, or, 5.0 litre V8 the "Ford killer", which was even more frugal, more reliable and more powerful.
My Uncle had that car in the 1980s....Great memories driving around in it!
Interestingly, even before you mentioned this, my first thought on seeing the Lele was "oh look, a shrunken Espada" :)
The Espada is, of course, a bigger (and even more unwieldy) car, and has a screaming V12, but the Lele definitely has a distinctive character. Though I could see the back end stepping out even though you were trying to keep it from entering wayward parts of the envelope ... even new tyres probably won't help much with this one ...
It's closer in proportions to a Jarama
The Espada is my favorite Lamborghini! It has the Bizzarrini V12 and is a proper grand tourer rather than a mid-engine road weapon like the Miura, Countach et al. It looks bonkers, but that is part of its charm. That the Lele has similar styling with an easier to maintain Ford engine would be a plus in my eyes.
agreed
@@naverd01
The comparison to Jensen quite apt. I love the character of these small volume 60s/70s big GT cars. They have such presence and panache that I can forgive them all their dynamic shortcomings. Look at the design androgyny of so many of today's cars and it's just a joy to see designs that are unapologetically pure passion projects or folly. Wonderful.
The Lele, the Alfa Romeo Montreal, and the Lamborghini Espada are all favorites of mine - I really love this sort of shape.
Not to mention its a RHD unicorn
You've totally blown me away with this Lele. One of my top favourite GTs of all time. Not forgotten!!!❤
You really do get to review some quite astonishing and rare cars. I didn’t even know that car existed ❤
This was definitely a look for 'fast-backs' around the late '60s and early '70s and I wonder if Guigiaro had it in mind when he penned the original Passat. The Iso definitely has more presence though and that engine sounds great. But the way that thing is wagging its tail I'm amazed the tyres passed their MOT; definitely time for some new rubber!
The rear side view seems reminiscent too of the Audi Quattro too
Yes, I see some ISO influence in the Passat B1 too!
You’re forgetting cars over 40yrs old are MOT-exempt, so the tyres won’t have had to pass any test!
Thrilled to see this! I owned an Iso Lele around 2001and loved it! Mine was one of the last produced and was the even rarer Sport version - one of a few ever produced in RH form with a 5 speed ZF manual gearbox and full length webasto sunroof and finished in glorious Italian Racing Red.....It was awesome to drive, although I found the very strange configuration of the dog-leg gearbox and the very heavy clutch could be quite hard work at times...but the sound was incredible...My only worry was there were absolutely no spares available anywhere and I lived in fear that someone would back into it or something worse....Body, trim, wheels and glass all non existant...Also the electrics were very tempremental and it would never start when hot - very embarrasing if you happened to be filling up with petrol in a busy petrol station....No one could ever get to the bottom of that one!!....Having said that, it was an amazing car and yes, I would have another! Best advice to anyone buying one is to join the Iso Bizzarrini owners club in Italy who can offer valuable advice and support.....Go on! You know you want to!!!
The absence of wind noise inside that cabin is really impressive for a car of that a time!
I drove this stretch of road last weekend on my way to Diddly Squat farm shop. I was surprised how bad and unsettling the road surface felt. Kudos to you for taking these rare and powerful cars up and down it with such enthusiasm!
Fun fact, the 351 Cleveland was made in both the US and Australia. US production stopped in 1974, with the Aussie production ending in 1982. Late 70s / early 80s DeTomasos used the Aussie V8, and with the import credits DeTomasos didn’t cost as much here in Oz as they otherwise would’ve.
Your comparison to the Jensen, was spot on… 20 years ago I was in the market for an old school GT, and short listed an ISO Lele, Jensen Interceptor and Maserati Indy. In the end I settled for the Indy as it was a manual and the 4 cam Maserati V8 just sounded magnificent. I still have the Indy, but still find the ISO appealing and only now realise how rare they are. Thank you for bringing another fabulous Italian Classic review to RUclips.
I love the late 1960's Italian 2 + 2 styling. So many ordinary sporty cars tried to emulate that look with varying degrees of success. And, it's hard to find anyone who doesn't appreciate the Ford Cleveland 351 engine. It's not an exotic design, but it gets the job done.
Wow, you really do get some amazing cars ... Love the Lele, a great car and very rare to find one for sale
Keep them coming
I owned a Lele (chev 350 hp) once and it was a very dependable companion. more so than the Interceptor I owned as well. The one thing I do not agree with here is that Isos had solid rear axles. They all had a de Dion independent set up which was acually very good. You could still have a brand new Lele built well after thefactory had closed through a small company called Ennezeta run by some former employees.
Again you have introduced me to a car I knew nothing about. Would like to see more of the Iso line up. And, like you, I come away impressed with this car.
Jack once again you have opened my interest in an auto I honestly never heard of and that is one of reasons I enjoy your reviews and drives. Your pursuit of the unusual or “quirky” cars is brilliant!
The Lele is one of my all-time favorites. Gandini at it’s best
When I first saw the thumbnail I also thought that car doesn't look quite right, but as you say, it starts to grow on you, however she will never be a beauty like the Grifo.
What a lovely car! I have never seen this one before, and I actualy like the look a lot.
2:12 Love the tail lights from the FIAT parts bin. 😁
Awesome video. Only know Iso cars from passing comments in books or Gran Turismo. Thank you for showcasing these older and obscure cars. Keep up the good work.
well, you have finally done it.... never heard of this one...
keep it up young man
Great review Jack, actually I kind of like it, typical Italian styling of the era, one thing I noticed was the Pioneer Raddlio/cassette & the matching Pioneer speakers, that audio set up was the "bees, knees" back in the day👍
Definitely see the fridge door influence on the Isetta....
Keep up the good work introducing folks to unusual machinery. I always found the Lele intriguing. It’s has some similar styling cues to the Lambo Jarama - I think that was another one of Gandini’s.
My father almost brought one in the 90s, part of the deal was that it was supposed to be delivered to him in West Sussex, the bloke rocked up and apologized profusly said he couldnt sell it as it made it round tbe m25 without overheating in the traffic and had fallen back in love with it 😂😂
4:35 Headlight covers winking at the camera
I recall an add for this car in The Motor, 'A mans arrival is a fact, It's the way he arrives is the constant source of fascination!' ISO!
Top marks Jack. I never thought I wold see on of these on any channel here. A fascinating car.
A beautiful car - extremely rare too! Looks like a real handful though! I wonder if the styling was an influence on the original VW Passat?
Possibly also the Audi C2 100 Avant
It was 1988, I was 15yrs old and my Dad went to look at (eventually bought) BMW 735iSE an 84 A-reg, same small luxury car dealer had a Lele in Yellow, and whilst familiar with the Grifo (thank you Corgi and Matchbox) and numerous hardback car books from 70's and 80's this was a revelation! wish I could remember how much it was up for! Years later after passing test I drove with a car buff mate to the same dealer to drool through the window as the had a Gemballa Avalanche in a sort of pearl white. Awsome!
Gr8 video as usual. Very informative. Its nice to see guys reviewing rare, older classic & interesting cars, as opposed to guys who only review new luxury cars in non driveable setting.
Keep up the good work & keep the vids coming. ❤
This particular Iso reminds me of the Alfa Romeo Montreal from the front end. I'm not sure which came first though...
My mother had an Iso in her garage in Queens, NYC. She hadn’t used it in years and it was just taking up space. She offered to give it to me if I could just get it out of her garage. I trucked it away and found it had deep scrapes through the paint on one side where something had been dragged against it. All four corners were dented. The door hinges were rusty and resisted operation and threatened to bend the door. The door had been left open about an inch and the interior had a thick carpet of potting soil, leaf rubbish and oily dirt. After a thorough cleaning it was usable. However, all the interior plastics were thin, flimsy, dried out and cracked. Several interior trim pieces broke off in my hand. However, it did run well. Although every time it shut off the motor shuddered and the entire structure shook for a full second before going silent. When starting up it made a loud groaning sound. But again, it ran fine. After a year of operation with no failures I sold it to a used dealer who specialized in very cheap examples. He admitted he’d never seen or heard of an Iso but took it away. I have no idea how an Iso came to the USA. I don’t believe Iso had a distributor here. My mother recalled she had bought it for almost nothing at an estate sale. What model Iso? I don’t know as the only badge said Iso. But that’s not surprising considering it was a refrigerator, not a car.
I have always loved the Lele! Thanks for the video. Pretty much if you know one Iso, you know them all.
It does look quite nice from the front to front quarter angle and I’d definitely want one for it uniqueness. Also I think you were right in comparing it to the Jenson in terms of the overall vibe. This is one of those cars I grew up seeing pictures of but never actually saw one in the flesh.
This channel is at its best with the quirky Italian stuff. Keep it up!
I consider Italian cars among the most fascinating engineering ever !
This one is real exotic !
I love it. I think it looks great. I'm a huge fan of Ghanbini designs. I've only seen pictures, and didn't know very much about it. I've seen a few of these for sale in Europe, on line. Thank you.
In 1978 I worked as a mechanic in a large car hire business in South Yorkshire. The owner was a car nut who had a few nice cars and bought one of these which had an engine fault. The older mechanics were not that interested so I got the job of sorting it out.
After sorting the head gasket and other things the car was ready for road test.
As I was 18 , and a bit reckless to be honest, there was no way he would allow me to drive it. Instead he took me out with him. At that time the M18 went from the M1 to the A1 and it was here he opened her up. Remembering the type of cars normal people had at that time we went from the M1 end and he got 140mph on the clock on the return run it was 150mph so it was damm quick regardless of probably an optimistic speedo.
I have never gone faster and yet with youth on my side never felt unsafe or worried. He kept it just a few months and moved it on to one of his friends it was a lovely car to be in and when compared to most cars was very futuristic in design
That was something different without doubt and came from an interesting era. Bet you’re pleased you kept it on the road. Great review, thanks 👍
Always loved the Lele since I was a kid. Didn’t realize it had Fiat 124 Coupe rear lamps & 125 S doorhandles, just like Espada.
Unusual little motor!!! Looks like a love child between an Espada and a Montreal. Quite nice. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for sharing this rather fascinating car on your channel. I had heard of it but knew very little about the car. It's going on my long list of cars I'd have after a lottery win....
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing Fred.
At the risk of repeating an earlier comment, Gandini made two versions of this - the Lele and the Lamborghini Jarama. The Fidia bears more than a passing resemblance to the De Tomaso Deauville even though Giugiaro and Tom Tjaarda, respectively designed those. As a passing aside, both of those designs are, arguably, major influences on the modern Maserati Quattroporte - much more so than the 70s model that was the contemporary of the Deauville and Fidia.
Again, a great selection to feature on this channel. Greetings from Sweden
Well done for scoring a Lele. Saw a Fidia in central London last year - that would be a great car to review...
Thanks for yet another interesting review Jack. Love the car and always did - just has “something”
Another great video from Jack. Love all the old 70's exotica. It would have been nice to see the boot space. Thanks!
I've heard of Lele but never seen a photo of one, the first thing I thought when I saw the picture was "Ah, a cross between Jarama and Espada". Funny to think that back then this shooting brake style was unpopular but later on gained popularity in the form of Interceptor and later with FF and GTC4Lusso. I like how it combines some style with modicums of practicality such as useful boots and usable rear seats for actual human.
Also the history lesson is very, _VERY_ Italian. Gotta love Jack when he presents and reviews Italian machines.
EDIT: Can't help but laugh seeing the ISO LELE name, since in Indonesia 'lele' translates to _Clarias batrachus_ aka. Walking Catfish. Such is the difference in language...
Definitely another of those times when you are glad that the owner is driving for the shots with the camera outside. I know it's for sale but why has the owner resisted fitting a good set of tyres? He's got his racer but I would guess that he has had this for some time. Wooden handbrake handle was a bit out of place! Nice one Jack. Yes it does grow on you.
Same here!
Ditto, it will be false economy if it ends up in a wall on a test drive!@@sebastiend.5335
Well, Jack... Now you've gone and done it: you've featured something I've never even seen in the flesh. And I must say it looks a bit awkward. Back in the early '70s I had a Rivolta for several years. It had been fitted from the factory with a GM Turbohydromatic tranny and A/C and power steering. It was a GREAT car, and kept my ex-wife out of the Jaguar showroom for quite some time, thank God (Jag quality control being what it was then). I never had a speck of trouble with it and sold it in a fit of silliness to buy a Lusso that was nothing BUT trouble. In the early '80s I was offered a Grifo with a 327 for a very good price, but I just didn't fit in it very well, and the rearward visibility even when I slumped was lousy (as was the quality of the rear glass). Sure was pretty, though. I still miss the Rivolta, but if I'd kept it my ex would have wanted it in the divorce, so I guess it's just as well!
Here in the uk, dry roads seem like a thing of the past. I will tell my grandchildren about them.
Just love these extraordinary old cars. Looks amazing. Great video as always 👍
I keep missing these amazing videos!!! Another Italian masterpiece!
My thoughts are that it's a cool car... I quite like the design, especially for its time. Definitely something different and interesting 😎👌
Very reminiscent of the Maserati Indy. I remember reading a thing, a lot of years ago (might have been in the old Supercar Classics), where the designer of the Indy said that the purpose of the car was to take two couples from Milan to the Paris Opera in comfort and style. So the Lele may have also been intended to cover distances swiftly, rather than corner brilliantly.
ISO made some classy cars, the Rivolta IS 300 was a cracking looking saloon before the slightly awkward looking Fidia came along. The Lele is a lovely looking car especially in the metal.
I saw and recognized a white Lele in Long Beach, CA a few years back. During my lifetime I have seen only one Fidia, parked in a street in Milan. I once saw a Grifo, with its original black-and-white Milan license plates, again in Long Beach, and even talked to the owner. Maybe I should try the lottery?
E sempre un piacere sentirti (il mio inglese è un po’ povero) sei preparatissimo e molto competente,nei tuoi video provi sempre auto eccellenti e le descrivi da appassionato;complimenti,ti seguirò ancora per molto tempo!👍👍
Grazie mille… sono contento che ti piacciono i video! Un saluto all’Italia 🇮🇹!! Giacomo
Worth buying just for that superb interior.
The Isorivolta Lele and the Grifo 7 ltr were two of my favourites as an inspired 11 year old in the mid 70s.
I wish you had shown the headlamp reveal - it's a quirky feature if the car. I actually think the styling looks quite elegant and distinctive.
Thanks Jack, I'm going to enjoy this!
Greetings from the Netherlands
Great report on one of the quirkiest cars ever made, Jack! Keep them coming. BTW, did anyone notice the road kill (looks like a fawn) at the 9:06 mark of the video?
Now I know where the Renault 15 & 17 got there Design influence from!
Hello Jack, I must agree, that is a very appealing car inside and out. Its the kind of car that I love to drive. Thanks for showing it to us.
I remember this car from the Daily Mail London Motor Show guides of the early 70s. I love the fact that it's a bit unusual and rare, a left-field option to the comparable F and L models. I actually took a look at the advert and just for a moment was tempted!
A great car, love it. Also liked the way the headlight covers did a strange unsynchronized movement just as you were talking about reliability and quality- car must have wanted to remind you it was Italian!
Those tyres though- reminded me of a 2016/17 S550 Mustang on the original P Zeroes.
I really like the Lele; I remember them from the Earls Court Motor Shows and collecting the brochures as a young teenager.
Thanks for the derivation of (Rache)Lele. Rather like De Tomaso and the "I" badge/symbol for his wife Isabelle (Haskell). Do you think that the Lele was intended to compete with the Lamborghini Islero or Jarama?
Thank you for this video. Italians and Americans do lots of things well together: Family comedies, gangstar films, cooking and sportscars.
The ISO Griffo was MAGNIFICO!!
Like many others I can see below, I think this is indeed a pretty, and unique design, with a lovely interior. In my opinion, it is the Espada that is the very ugly duckling. Sorry Harry. Only a mother could love that silhouette :) Thanks for another cool vid Jack.
Absaloutly brilliant video jack ❤👍the car I've never heard of omg she's absaloutly beautiful looking love the style brilliant
it´s rare as all others from those years not everybody was buying this type of car allthough it was a very nice one at the time, the design is excelent ,it was a new market at the time and designers made the most actractive possible but an excelent car ,in the U.S. i don´t know how they were known but here in europe was the latest sport car ,and a wonderfull car it was
I totally love the looks, omg its stunning! I love all these Italian designs, awesome! And the the engine sound!!!! Really the owner should have put new boots on it before letting it out!!! Imo
One of my absolute dream cars, ever since I read about it in a magazine, like 40 years ago.
Looks like some Citroen stuff of the 70's era. Car looks exotic, well made and expensive. Well done Jack, I enjoyed it as allways. And Jack, please try to find some JDM Mazda Eunos Cosmo.
Love it! Love this period. Continent crossing just doesn’t seem the same these days 😀
Thank you, again, for the candid comments. Thanks, also, for trying to place this car within the market of its time. The US market wanted the practicality of having a backseat but with the allure of sportiness conveyed by 2 doors--thus the Mustang was born from the lowly Ford Falcon coupe. But while the Mustang was okay for the wife (sexism being among many issues of the time) the husband needed something more substantial. There weren't many choices for those who wanted to distinguish themselves from neighbors who owned Buick Rivieras, Oldsmobile Toronados and Cadillac Eldorados. In the US people wanted slightly more space than Aston Martin had been offering. And a US V8 was ideal. Facel Vega gave it a try with its Facel II but couldn't produce many. Even though it had the advantage of being marketed in the USA by Chevrolet the Lele's predecessor was boring to look at (was it designed by Bertone?). The Lele might not have been as crazy looking at the time considering that it had to overcome the dullness of the original Iso Rivolta. At that time, Jensen might have been a better car but was also a bit boring to look at (and that bulbous rear window!). In the US, the Lele (similar to Jensen) was seen as an alternative to Aston Martin as well as other "exotics" including the Maserati Mexico/Indy, Ferrari 330/365GT2+2, Lamborghini Espada/Jarama--cars that were not easy to repair in middle America. In the US such cars were mainly driven to the country club on weekends. They imbued their owners with culture and sophistication. Keep in mind that this was when American executives were discovering "finer things" such as wine with meals and business shirts with a subtle logo--the stitched emblem of a polo horse and rider. Formerly pragmatic middle class Americans began to crave style regardless of substance.
Excellent comments!
Greetings from the Netherlands
I think the Rivolta is mighty cool looking. I'd take one in a hot second!
And you make it sound like the Lele was even a thing in the US of A. If we got a hundred of them, I be more than shocked.
@@UberLummox The estimate is that circa 70 (out of the 285 manufactured) were exported to the USA - so not many.
@@georgebettiol8338 Great, thanks!
Looks like a big Renault 17, I like it.
Always loved how these look, reminds me a bit of the Espada.
I like it! It’s beautiful and unique. It’s in the same category as Urocco, Jalpa and Jarama!
very interesting car and video. I've always loved this car.
Outstanding video Jack !!! Surprisingly, this is a car I've never heard of.
It reminds me of the Lamborghini Espada.
Well if you look at the bumpers and the front lights (possibly the Back) it reminds me of a 70's Toyota Celica, lovely car. Any comparisons end there. An interesting car nonetheless and the design is not that bad but does have issues. I think I may have seen one at a car show or maybe in the street but not really knowing what I was looking at. Good review Jack even in the rain. 👍👍
The Mitsubishi (Lancer) Celeste from the second half of the 70s may have somehow been inspired by the Lele as well