Bizzarrini GT Varedo
In the early 1970s, Piero Rivolta decided that because his company was racing in [Formula one], they needed to add a mid-engined supercar to their lineup of sports and GT cars. Rivolta hired Ercole Spada, a veteran designer from Carrozzeria Ghia, to be the chief stylist. The car was named Varedo to honor the town in which their new factory was located. Piero decided that he wanted a pure performance car, so the body was made of fiberglass. It was equipped with a Ford 351-ci engine and ZF 5-speed transmission, and was quite a hit when it debuted at the 1972 Torino Auto Show. After the car was mechanically sorted out, it was found to be a great handling vehicle during testing at the Monza race track. Unfortunately, not too long after this, the Rivolta family sold its interest in their company, and the project died without the Varedo ever being introduced as a production model.
Only one Iso Rivolta Varedo was ever created and it was first shown to the public at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. The car was built by Piero Rivolta who was seeking to move into the mid-engined sportscar market that had grown in popularity during the late sixties and was continuing to grow during the seventies. Racing had made the mid-engine placement popular, proving that its placement meant better handling and performance. The resulting designs of the mid-ship layout were often very exotic and eye-catching; they were everything a supercar should be, encompassing form and function.
The powerplant for the Rivolta Varedo was a 5.7-liter Ford 351 Cleveland engine that produced 325 horsepower. This was mated to a ZF five-speed manual gearbox and powered the rear wheels. It was clothed in a fiberglass body with a design created by Ercole Spada. It was attractive, exotic, powerful, and weighed around 1000 kg. It was given the name Iso Rivolta Varedo, with the 'Varedo' representing its place of birth.
Only one was ever created, as the company was sold to Dr. Ivo Pera in 1973 who chose not to pursue production of this supercar. Source