Isdera
Isdera AG or Ingenieurbüro für Styling, Design und Racing (English: Engineering Company for Styling, Design and Racing) is a privately run specialty automaker and design service provider based in Saarwellingen, Germany with a design studio in Munich, Germany and a subsidiary in Shanghai, China. The company was formerly based in Leonberg, Germany. Each high-performance sports car is hand-built by a small team of craftsmen, and the only way to purchase a brand new Isdera was to call the CEO directly. Each vehicle is custom built for its original buyer, and a waiting period of twelve months is to be expected.
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Design |
| Founded | 1982 in Leonberg, West Germany |
| Founder | Eberhard Schulz |
| Headquarters | , Germany |
| Products | Automobiles, Design |
| Website | www |
History
The first vehicle designed by Eberhard Schulz appeared in 1969, named Erator GTE. In 1978 the concept car CW 311 was presented, engineered by Schulz and promoted by the b&b company.[1]
The company Isdera was founded in 1981 in Leonberg. Its first car, the Spyder 033, was presented in 1982. Some other vehicles in the company's history are the 1984 Isdera Imperator 108i, 1985 Spyder 033-16 and the 1987 Spyder 036i. Each model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland.
In 1993 Isdera designed the Commendatore 112i, which weighed 1,450 kg (3,197 lb). It could accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h in 4.0 seconds, and had a top speed of 342 km/h (213 mph). The car had a mid-mounted Mercedes-Benz 6.0 L V12 engine generating 414 PS (304 kW; 408 hp) and a 6-speed manual transmission. The Commendatore had many advanced and unique features such as two sets of gull-wing doors, a velocity-sensitive electronic chassis that lowers the car at high speeds, and an automatic air brake. The 112i was featured in the 1997 video game Need for Speed II.
An estimated 70 cars have been sold by Isdera since 1993. Projects since 1993 have been kept top secret by Isdera. The company's most recent automotive ventures and sales figures have not been released to the general public.
In 1999, the Commendatore was modified and was now called the Silver Arrow C112i and was powered by a Mercedes-Benz, 611 hp (456 kW) V12. The car's top speed was recorded at 230 mph (370 km/h) during testing. At the time of its introduction, the Silver Arrow was the only car in the world to feature an automatically lifting airbrake.
The Silver Arrow prototype was offered for sale on eBay in October 2005 for US$3 million, but was not sold. At the time of the auction, the car was located in Switzerland.
In 2006, Isdera introduced the Autobahnkurier AK116i, a controversially styled vehicle powered by two Mercedes-Benz V8 engines – one for each axle – from the W126-500SE, and reminiscent of a 1930s touring car.
See also
Gallery
1987 Isdera Spyder 036i
1999 Isdera Silver Arrow C112i, the fully functional prototype based on the Commendatore 112i
2006 Isdera Autobahnkurier AK116i
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isdera vehicles. |
