Isdera was founded in 1982, by Eberhard Schulz in Germany. The name was an acronym which stood for "Ingenieurbüro für Styling, DEsign und RAcing". Schulz, born on September 23, 1940, did not finish his mechanical engineering studies, but from about 1968 built his own automobile in a large laundry room in Klostermoor in East Frisia.
This first effort was called the Erator GT, which was a mid-engine coupe with welded steel tube lattice frame upon which the fiberglass body was bonded. The Erator went through three stages, in the course of its development. At first a 1.6-litre VW engine was sourced, then a 2.3-litre V6 from a Ford Capri, finally with the 5-litre V8 from Mercedes (M117).
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| The Erator GT shows clear inspiration from the Ford GT40 |
The Erator became Schulz's calling card and the exposure it generated got him interviews with Mercedes Benz and Porsche. He was ultimately hired by Porsche but went on to work for Rainer Buchmann at his iconic "B&B" tuning and design firm. There Schulz designed the CW311, which was inspired by the experimental 311 series from Mercedes Benz. It was intended as a theoretical follow-on to the original cars. The CW311 was so well received that Mercedes allowed it to wear their insignia and branding.
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| The Isdera Spyder 033i |
After a falling out with Buchmann, Isdera was born. The first car carried on the design of the CW311 as a topless supercar called the Spyder 033i. Eventually Schulz also produced more examples of the B&B CW311, now called the Imperator 108i. All were powered by Mercedes Benz engines and running gear. Between the Spyder and Imperator, 30 examples were made.
In the early 90's Schulz decided to develop the ultimate Isdera. It would be superlative by every measure, performance, styling, luxury, and exclusivity. The moniker, "Commendatore", was intended to honor "il Dragone", Enzo Ferrari, who died five years prior to the car's 1993 debut. One wonders what Enzo may have thought of this homage.
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| The Isdera Commendatore 112i |
Arguably, the car was a worthy tribute. The "star of the show" was a 620bhp, 7-liter, 12 Cylinder which would propel the Commendatore 112i to a top speed of more than 200mph. Power was delivered to its rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. It also featured an "active" suspension, which was among the first implemented on a road car, and Brembo brakes. Its Mercedes sourced V12 was much like the one that would later see service in cars like the Pagani Zonda. As such, it could be considered among the first Hyper-cars.
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| The Commendatore 112i interior |
The Commendatore 112i clothed its Le Mans inspired chassis and powerful underpinnings in long, curvaceous composite bodywork with styling recalling racecars like the Porsche 917 long-tail. The doors and bisected hood raised in a "gull-wing" fashion revealing its spectacular engine and sumptuous interior. Another notable detail was the use of Porsche 928 headlight assemblies adding to the overall theme.
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| The Isdera Commendatore 112i, at front |
Only one example was completed before Isdera went into bankruptcy. The car was sold to a Swiss collector in process. However, it lived on in the virtual world being licensed to video game developers and it featured prominently in the 1997 Electronic Arts racing video game "Need for Speed II".
The Swiss businessman and car collector who bought the Commendatore was named Albert Klöti. He purchased it for €1,500,000. Albert kept the car for 5 years, before offering it for sale on eBay for US$3,000,000 back in 2005. The car failed to sell, after which it was sold back to Isdera in 2010. Back in their hands, they proceeded to restore the car to its original specification and appearance.
Now the sole example of the Isdera Commendatore 112i will once again be auctioned by RM Sotheby's, in Paris on February 13th, 2021.
In the end, Isdera survived its 1990's financial woes and is still in business today. Headquartered in Saarwellingen, Germany, it also has Design Studios in Munich and Shanghai.
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| The electric Isdera Commendatore GT |
The company is currently developing an electric sportscar which will carry the Commendatore theme and brand into the future. The electric "Commendatore GT" will have a bespoke battery coupled with two 600kw motors producing 1350 Nm of torque. This will accelerate the Commendatore GT from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and produce a top speed of 180mph.
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The Isdera Imperator 108i, which was
developed from the B&B CW311 |
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The Isdera Commendatore 112i was modified by an owner
and called the "Silver Arrow" in the late 90's |
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| The Commendatore 112i interior |
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| The Commendatore 112i, "Silver Arrow", at rear |
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| The Isdera Commendatore 112i in restored form |
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| The Commendatore 112i, from the rear |
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| The Commendatore 112i has Le Mans racer proportions |
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| The Commendatore's V12 and chassis detail |
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The Commendatore 112i borrows some Porsche
styling cues as well as 928 headlights |
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| The Commendatore 112i makes a statement |
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