300/340 GT

The Iso Rivolta 300 is a high-performance sports car produced by Iso Rivolta from 1962 to 1970 in 800 examples. At the time of its launch, the model was named GT 300. Later the car was renamed IR 300, and some examples were equipped with a 340-hp engine.

Renzo Rivolta, president of the almost eponymous car manufacturer, and his collaborator, engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, formerly at Ferrari, conceived the car as a Gran Turismo in the original sense of the term. Iso Rivolta's goal was to build a powerful car with high build quality and elegant lines.

Renzo Rivolta chose a reliable and very powerful 5.3-liter V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette, good for 300 hp at only 5,000 rpm, going against the national trend that favored small-displacement engines, which gave the best performance at high revs. This was a milestone in the history of the Italian automobile, because it was the first example of offering on the market in the Belpaese a Gran Turismo along the lines of, for example, the French Facel Vega.

The elegant Gran Turismo debuted in 1962 at a special event at Villa Rivolta in Bresso, in the presence of the American Consul and General Motors management. An innovative body designed by Bertone together with the young Giorgetto Giugiaro, it combined comfort (enough space for four adults), speed and reliability.