Beschreibung:

This ultra-rare Iso Lele Marlboro Coupé is one of a limited edition of only five such cars ordered in 1973 by the Philip Morris Tobacco Company, whose Marlboro brand was sponsoring Iso’s Formula 1 team at the time. Frank Williams supplied Iso’s F1 cars, which were powered by the ubiquitous Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, while a lengthy driver line-up included Howden Ganley, Nanni Galli, Jackie Pretorious, Henri Pescarolo, Graham McRae, Gijs Van Lennep, Tim Schenken and Jacky Ickx. The team’s best results in its 1973 debut season were two 6th place finishes: for Ganley in Canada and Van Lennep in Holland. While Marlboro would go on to enjoy a lengthy and productive association with Formula 1, Iso’s involvement lasted for only one more season. The team pulled out at the end of 1974, its best results that year having come from Arturo Merzario, who bagged a 4th place in Italy and a 6th in South Africa. Lighter and more powerful than the standard Lele from which they were developed, the five Marlboro Coupés (the model would later be produced as the ‘Sport’) were loaned to the F1 team’s drivers and used for promotional purposes. New Zealander Howden Ganley received the first of these (chassis number ‘184’, finished in red) while the second (‘185’, white) went to Italian Nanni Galli. As is so often the case with hand-built, limited-edition cars, the five are not identical. The first two cars (‘184’ and ‘185’) have a different dashboard layout, whereas the last three are essentially the same as the later Lele Sport in this respect. Powered by a 5.8-litre Ford V8 engine producing 325bhp, left-hand drive chassis number ‘204’ was acquired for the Collection having had three previous owners. Accompanying documentation includes copies of original Automobile Club D’Italia registration documents recording one Luigi Falcone, of Rimini as first private owner in November 1974, as well as papers indicating subsequent long-term ownership in Sweden from December 1976 onwards. Currently registered in Sweden, the car is offered complete with tool kit and its original Iso folder (with chassis number on the front) containing photocopy instruction manual, sundry invoices and technical specification details. Propulsée par un moteur Ford V8 de 5, 8 litres délivrant 325 ch, le châssis à conduite à gauche n° 204 est entré dans la Collection après avoir connu trois propriétaires. Elle est l’une des 5 ‘Marlboro’ produite à l’occasion du lancement en Formule 1 de la marque. La documentation qui l'accompagne comprend des copies des documents d'immatriculation originaux de l'Automobile Club d'Italie désignant un certain Luigi Falcone de Rimini comme premier propriétaire en novembre 1974, ainsi que des papiers indiquant un long séjour en Suède à partir de décembre 1976. Actuellement immatriculée en Suède, la voiture est proposée complète avec son outillage de bord et son porte-documents Iso Marlboro (frappé du numéro de châssis) contenant une photocopie du manuel d'utilisation, des factures diverses et des détails de caractéristiques techniques .