by Flavio Campetti –
The Iso Millennium Committee is a group of Iso Rivolta enthusiast in Bresso (Milan – Italy), the hometown of the Iso (where the Iso Factory was established by Commendatore Rivolta, after WW II).
In 2000-2001 a group of bold people were able to change the destiny of the Iso Factory from full demolition to preservation of an important section of the buildings, through efforts like Iso meetings, local and international petitions, events, the project of conversion applicable to the former industrial site, to give it a new life as Iso Rivolta Museum and multifunctional Hall for culture and aggregation activities.
All of this fascinating project convinced the Bresso Administration to save three hangars of the former Iso Factory.
Iso Factory
The hard work for Iso Millennium never stopped for 16 years, but now a crucial phase is here just for the Iso Museum building.
This building is the most important place of the ISO FACTORY in Bresso: here was located the Commendatore Rivolta Office on the ground floor, and the research and development office, on the first floor, where the Grifo was designed, as happened for many other Iso vehicles in the fifties and sixties.
Now this building is ready to became ISO MUSEUM, conceived in the original project to give space to a Restaurant (thematic restaurant, dedicated to Iso: practically a preview of the Museum gallery), services and sponsor representative spaces and facilities.
John Lennon and his Iso Fidia
The owner of the structure is the Bresso Town Council Administration. After such a long time, they decided not to manage directly the Museum (the idea of creating an Iso Foundation was never finalized) so now they want to get to a conclusion by assigning it to private initiative.
A Public Announcement will be released quite soon (late summer or early autumn, maybe), open to all able to present a project with a study of financing, management and preservation of the Iso heritage.
50 Years ISO S4 Fidia
But nobody knows if the original project, a full size museum, “heart of Iso in the world”, will be effectively created.
To be honest, the impression is that if the “correct” managers are not found, all of this will be lost.
Yes, it’s sad, but there’s the risk to miss forever the dream to get the place which holds and preserves the memory of a such an important brand with huge production of successful motorbikes up to the fabulous Gran Turismo of the sixties-seventies (bodied by Bertone, designed by Giugiaro, Gandini, designer of the gotha of Italian automotive avant garde) through the queen of the microcars: the Isetta (meaning little Iso, in Italian), a project that saved BMW!
Incredible sport history of the Bresso brand, tell us of participation at the Mila Miglia with Isetta (winning the absolute “Perfomance Index” category), 24 Hrs of Le Mans, Sebring, 1000 Km of Monza on the banked curves, Nurburgring… with the Grifo A3C developed by Bizzarrini (father of the Ferrari GTO…, the A3C was its final extreme evolution), getting to Formula 1 chapter, under the guidance of Frank Williams that, at the end, on the basis of the Iso Ford team, created the Williams F1 Team (Iso F1 models -IR1, IR2- have already chassis “FW” numbered!), with drivers like Merzario, Laffitte, Ickx, Van Lennep, fighting against Stewart, Fittipadi, Lauda, just to say something!
All this incredible heritage NEED to be PRESEVED. Actually, not all of us own Isos and not all of us have capital to invest, BUT Iso Millennium Committee ask to ALL to consider this opportunity, start contacts, evaluate solution, circulate the news, write articles to put the news under the eyes of the right person, with skills of management, programming, availability of budget, but first of all: a big PASSSION for those cars is a must. Not only the head, but also the heart.
Iso Factory from Google Maps
This Iso Factory offers effective business opportunities, to be taken in consideration, with the prestige of building and managing the most important Iso Rivolta museum in the world. There are real possibilities for creating a Restaurant on the theme of Iso Rivolta that could became a point of reference in Italy in this category, offering a true full immersion experience for its guests, but there are also possibilities for other kind of commercial/representative presence (for Sponsors, for car International Auction Brands) because the project is still flexible and customizable, always with respect to the historical memory of the ISO of Bresso.
It’s a unique opportunity!
For official information get in contact with Bresso Town Council or for preliminary information contact ISO MILLENNIUM.
Help us, help Iso, a piece of automotive history.
Thank you!
Contact
Iso Millennium: info@isomillennium.it
Bresso Town Council: segreteria.istituzionale@bresso.net
Let us know what you think about the Iso Rivolta museum in the Comments.
Flavio Campetti was born in the Bresso/Milan area and is a classic car lover especially of the Iso marque. He wrote an excellent book about Iso, “Da Iso a ISORIVOLTA, Il fascino di un marchio”.
More photos are in the slide show below.
Flavio,
I know you and the rest of the Iso Millennium Committee are working diligently to create this Iso museum. I applaud your efforts – my best wishes for your success.
What could help is to get some automaker interested in picking up the Iso name again and making a sports car. Ironically there is the deserted DeTomaso factory in the same country but I don’t think that brand has the appeal of Iso . Some American automaker could take this moribund firm in hand and make it a sub-brand to get some Italian pizazz….and the shining center for it would be Bresso where the Museum is.
Wallace: that’s a possibility. Personally I think there are also interesting opportunities for international Auction Companies that want a prestigious place for their auctions in Milan, close to Alfa Romeo, Zagato, Touring, Monza circuit, Villa d’Este……
Bur also for sponsors (like prestigious watches brands or bank, insurances, automotive related brands, etc) could get an image backprofit by the partnership with the Iso Museum that we all figure as a true jewel, emotional and interesting for all. The project is flexible…. many solution are possile.
Thank you Mike!
Iso is a part of our story, it’s a passion and in these time is also a mission!
We will go on with enthusiasm because we are absolutely sure of the worth of the Iso! 🙂
Those that will come and take a look of what we’re talking about will be surely surprised of the high potential under all point of view!
Grazie Mike!
Flavio
Hello Flavio and Mike,
I am going to be in Italy in July. I would like to carve out some time to come to see what is happening with the ISO project in Bresso around July 9th-13th time frame. Would it be possible to meet with Flavio or someone else there to see what efforts are being made toward preserving ISO?
Thanks,
Bill Rice
BillRice4906@gmail.com
805 279-2402- cell
Hi is there a museum there now?
I hope a museum is born because I think once a vintage car has some historical “base” where you can check out the reference works at the library (say factory records and period photos) and see properly restored ones, the cars out there can be restored to proper originality and bring up the level of value across the board. For instance, there are now four Shelby museums, and original Cobras are soaring in value. But as far as I know there is no DeTiomaso museum anymore and Intermeccanicas, no one has proposed one. Not being able to find out what was original holds these marques back a bit in value as a lot of what’s said about them at auctions is hearsay evidence.