Iso Lele was a sports coupé

Coupé

A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...

 produced by the Italian 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...

between 1969 and 1974. The Lele, being a 2+2-seater, filled the gap between the Grifo and the
Fidia

Iso Fidia

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...

 and shared its powertrain

Powertrain

In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...

, a V8 engine and automatic gearbox from GM

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...

(when not manual), with these types. Bertone styling was used, as with the Grifo (but not the Fidia).
The car is named after Lele Rivolta, wife of Piero Rivolta (son of Iso company founder Renzo).

The Chevrolet V8 5358 cc engine produced 300 hp in automatic version and 350 hp with manual transmission.

The evolution

In 1970 the engine capacity was increased to 5736 cc. A equal maximum power (300 or 350 hp), improved distribution of torque and thus the elasticity of travel.

In 1972, due to the request of GM to pay in advance engines, the Chevrolet engine was replaced with the Ford Cleveland V8. The automatic transmission also became Ford, while the manual (a 5-speed transmission) remained unchanged. In 1973, the standard version (now known as Lele IR6) was flanked by Lele IR6 Sports, with an engine enhanced to 360 hp and change only manual ZF 5-speed transmission.

Following the agreement with Philip Morris

Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...

 that led to the creation of the team Formula 1 Iso-Marlboro

Frank Williams Racing Cars

Frank Williams Racing Cars was a British Formula One team and constructor.-Early years:Frank Williams had been a motor-racing enthusiast since a young age, and after a career in saloon cars and Formula Three, backed by Williams' shrewd instincts as a dealer in racing cars and spares, he realised...

, Philip Morris commissioned Iso to construct 2 specially modified Leles for their Formula 1 Team Drivers Howden Ganley

Howden Ganley

James Howden Ganley is a former racing driver from New Zealand. He participated in 41 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 6, 1971, scoring a total of 10 championship points...

 and Nanni Galli

Nanni Galli

Giovanni Giuseppe Gilberto Galli, nicknamed Nanni is an Italian former saloon and sports-car racer of the 1960s and 1970s....

. Modified by Eng. Bizzarrini these two cars were stripped of sound deadening, power steering etc. to reduce weight. Both cars had a unique dash layout that did not appear on any other Lele. Bizzarrini then modified the 351 Cobra Jet engine to produce over 360 HP. Painted in Marlboro Red with Marlboro badges on the front fenders Ganley's car debuted on the Iso Rivolta stand at the 1973 Geneva Auto Show. Galli's car was painted in white. The exterior styling cues from these two cars were used to create the Lele Sport which also had a modified version of their dash layout. Philip Morris also commissioned at least two more cars for promotional purposes to resemble the Marlboro cars given to its drivers. These cars were essentially Lele Sports with Marlboro badges on the fenders. They were equipped with power steering, more padding in the seats and other comforts that were stripped out of the drivers' cars.

The production of Lele ended in December 1974, with the closure of Iso.

Production

The Lele was produced 285, subdivided as follows:

• Lele 300 hp (Chevrolet): 112
• Lele 350 hp (Chevrolet): 13
• Lele IR6 325 hp (Ford): 135
• Lele IR6 Sport 360 hp (Ford): 20
• Lele IR6 Marlboro 360 hp (Ford): 2
• Lele IR6 Sport Marlboro replica (Ford): 2 or 3