For any diehard touring car fan, when you hear the name Stormin’ Norm Beechey your mind instantly pictures a yellow Holden HT Monaro GTS. But for the man himself, one of his favorite cars is an Italian-built, Ford-powered grand tourer.
Beechey is selling his rare 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele at the upcoming Shannons 2022 Autumn Timed Online Auction that will run from May 17-24. For those unfamiliar, Iso Rivolta - or just Iso for short - was an Italian company that built cars between 1938 and 1974. Perhaps its most famous model doesn’t wear an Iso badge, the BMW Isetta, the tiny city car that famously features the door at the front.
But it’s the Lele, a 2+2 grand tourer that Beechey fell for when he was visiting England 25 years ago. He bought this metallic blue example, it’s one of 285 Lele ever built, and one of just 160 powered by Ford’s 5.7-litre Cleveland V8.
According to Shannons, Beechey “has cherished and has driven it sparingly ever since, but now at 90 years old. he has decided to rationalise his car collection.”
Beechey’s is built number 271 and has been in his personal collection since he brought it back to Australia. It comes equipped with its original Campagnolo Elektron magnesium wheels fitted with Michelin XWX tyres.
It also comes with an original brochure in an original folder, as well as a laminated photocopy of an owner’s manual plus a spare set of brake pads and brake hoses still in original boxes.
Shannons estimates this rare, celebrity-owned classic should fetch a price between $90,000 to $110,000.
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