It's a story about a man. A man who build his own car. In his backyard. Fullfilling his dream of his very own, personal GT. Eberhard Schulz.
We write the year 1968 as this man starts to fullfill his dream. In 1969 the car was finished. Powered by a smal 1600cc VW Beetle engine with a tame 54BHP. But enough to get so much attention that the car earns Mr. Schulz a job at Porsche, where he worked for over 7 years. In 1978, he creates the C311 study for Mercedes-Benz. Eventually he starts his own company in 1982, an engineering consulting office. "Ingenieurbüro für Styling, DEsign und RAcing" - or short ISDERA.
But back to the car. Later it got a larger, more suitable Ford V6 engine with 2600cc and 108BHP.
Not enough so, in it's latest incarnation it was widened by 10cm and got 2cm lower. And it got the engine it deserved, an AMG tuned 5.0 V8 with dry sump and four Weber carburettors. 420BHP at 6200RPM. Adequate for this car. Just adequate.
In this lates incarnation it's known as the 'MkIII' - but it's still the same car - and still the only one.
Tubular frame, GRP shell, 900kg, drag coefficient 0,322.
Yes, it does very much look like a GT40. And the GT40 probably served as an inspiration to build a 'dream car' very much alike the GT40. But somehow, and that might just me, it looks like a refined, like a newer incarnation, like an evolution of the GT40. And I like it very, very much.
It's nowadays in the possesion of the son of Eberhard Schulz, who, as far as I'm aware, runs ISDERA today.
And just an hour or so ago, I didn't even know it existed. ISDERA was a familiar name, but only connected in my brain to the crazy 'Autobahnkurier'.
Cheers,
Jan
