Isdera

Isdera was founded in 1982 in Leonberg, Germany, by Eberhard Schulz, an engineer who had previously worked for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. The company's name is an acronym for Ingenieurbüro für Styling, DEsign und RAcing. Schulz's first major success was the CW311 prototype, which Mercedes-Benz allowed him to produce under his own brand as the Isdera Imperator 108i. This vehicle established the brand's identity: a mid-engine supercar utilizing reliable Mercedes-Benz powertrains housed in a radical, low-drag body. In 1993, Isdera introduced the Commendatore 112i at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Featuring a 6.0-liter Mercedes V12 and a 6-speed Getrag manual transmission, it was intended for limited production but remained a near one-off due to the economic climate of the 1990s. The car became a cult icon through appearances in video games like Need for Speed II, maintaining the brand's visibility even when physical production was dormant. In the late 2010s, the brand underwent a revitalization following investment from international partners, including Symphony Style in Hong Kong. This led to the development of the Isdera Commendatore GT, an all-electric grand tourer revealed at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. Today, the company balances its legacy of internal combustion engineering with new ventures into high-performance electric mobility and specialized engineering consulting services.