(first posted 1/18/2012)
TheProfessor47 shot this Laforza on the street at night in LA, and says:
We’re due for a CC on this one. Designed by Pininfarina, it was the first Italian SUV available, and probably the only Italian SUV ever sold in America. They sold in limited numbers; by some estimates, there are only 400 left. Sorry for the grainy photos, they were shot at night in the middle of LA with an awful camera.
Well, you’ve mostly done it right there, except for the Pininfarina part. I can add a few more details, but this isn’t the kind of car that left an overly big or lasting impression. The last time I saw one on the street here, I momentarily blanked out…it’s… a…a…
Well, the Laforza wasn’t exactly mainstream. And its styling was a bit generic. It started life as the Rayton-Fissore Magnum 4×4 shown in Turin in 1985. It was designed by Tom Tjaarda, who penned that more famous Italo-American project, the Pantera. And its underpinnings were based on an IVECO 4×4 military truck chassis. The Laforza combined those hard core underpinnings with a handsome and plush body to compete against the Range Rover. It essentially was a more truly European take on the luxury SUV/Range Rover genre than the two Italianized Scouts we looked at recently. Well, except for the American V8 that found their way into it.
Remarkably, it was federalized and sold on and off in small numbers for a number of years here, from 1989 through 2003, or whenever they finally got rid of the last of them. Later versions had the 185 hp Ford 5.0 V8 replaced with various high-powered Ford and Chevy supercharged engines, in an effort to justify the $60k and up prices being asked. Apparently it has a very nice hand-stitched Italian interior. Well, that’s it for me. Anyone else have something more to add to the story?
Wasn’t there another Italian SUV, the Lamborghini something-or-other? Was it even an SUV? Did it come before or after the LaForza?
You’re thinking of the Lamborghini LM002. It had an open bed rather than a wagon body, but most would probably deem it an SUV rather than a pickup. Released in 1986, so the La Forza beat to the market narrowly. I used to see one in regular use as a daily driver in Santa Clara.
I think I’ve actually seen one of these things, on the 10 in West LA (not this one, though). Looks like a cross between a Range Rover and a first-generation Mazda MPV.
The Lamborghini you’re thinking of is the LM002, which may be the most ridiculous SUV ever built. I want to say it was contemporary with the La Forza, though I don’t know dates offhand.
LM002
http://wikicars.org/en/Lamborghini_LM002
Looks a bit like the Hummer H1.
For some reason, I thought the underneath of the Laforza was just a Ford chassis and engine.
The LM002 was a military vehicle originally, like the Hummer.
Where it beat the Hummer was by having a Lamborghini V12 engine as the power plant.
The LM002 was a predecessor of the La Forza.
I saw one of these in Toronto last year. What a generic looking vehicle. It’s like a first-generation Ford Explorer, a late ’90s Range Rover, and some Japanese offerings all rolled into one dull package. Sounds interesting under the skin though.
Wow, look at those rims! What size are they? Did they get those of an Innocenti? Looks kind of like a mix between a Nissan Multi and an Isuzu Trooper with AMC door handles!
It looks very much like a generic 80’s Giugiaro design. The rear door is a dead ringer to a Fiat Uno rear hatch.
Looks like the crate the Nissan Juke is shipped in.
Such a generic, featureless, nondescript design. This is from the designer of the Pantera? He must be having designer’s block when penning this one.
Never seen one but it looks like it has pieces of other models blended into one not a bad thing but hard to justify a huge price by looking at it and certainly no Range Rover.
It reminds me of the Isuzu Gallopers I saw in Costa Rica.
I think thats an Isuzu Wizard here.
Wow, they made these until 2003? I was thinking late ’80s to mid-’90s.
The interior does look pretty nice though, very similar to the Volvo 262C interior, believe it or not!
I remember making a delivery to a warehouse west of Detriot ( might have been in the Belleville area) had to go through a second warehouse to get to the loading dock.
Second warehouse was packed with these, covered with dust.
This was in the early 90’s.
What did Pininfarina have to do with the car, then? I’ve seen another one, and I saw a Pininfarina logo on it
I haven’t looked that up, but I’m guessing that Pininfarina may well have built it. They had a very large production facility, and built many lower-volume cars. Also, Tom Tjaarda used to work for Pininfarina, so he may well have still had a working relationship with them.
I see one of these every now and then parked at our local foreign car repair shop. Weird thing is it has Ferrari badges on it. Even has one on the dash. Never have been able to figure that out.
I would guess owner-customized.
Came across this guy parked in front of our apartment building a couple years back. I remember the interior as being very… handmade-ish looking. But not in a good way.
I remember being amazed at the smooth body of these when they first appeared in car magazines in the 80s. Compared with the other SUVs of the time they seemed light years ahead. Rather bland though… But amazing that’s what they ended up with considering this is the donor vehicle:
I saw here in Eugene several years ago a white one, which must be the same one that Paul saw. Whenever I see a car that I cannot identify my heart skips a beat!
I’ve seen a few in California – and more than a few in Police use on a trip to Italy about 10 years ago.
I had several and still own 2 of them running perfectly well (V8 version). It is a good mix of confort and space in a relative short 4×4 (by today standards).Easy to mantain and relatively cheap in spare pasrts.If setup properly (difficoult to find a used Laforza in good and proper condition) they drive well also if conpared with recent 4×4.
If you want some info and pictures you can visit my site.
It is a rare and facinating vehicle, much like other Italian American cars, like Detomaso, Qvale, Bizzarrini, Monteverdi, ISO Rivolta, Fornasari, Inter Meccanica etc…
I have two…and they are truly military grade vehicles…mechanically the first word that comes to mind is tank. I have pulled much newer 4×4’s when playing in snow from ditches with my ’89 Laforza…best kept secret in the US. And, I hope it stays that way:)
“Best kept secret in the US.” That’s an understatement!
I’m known as one of those “go-to” guys for rare and unusual cars & trucks. It’s really unusual for me not to know about a vehicle, even those built in the former USSR. I own cars that most Americans reply with; “You own a what?”
But until now I’ve never heard of the Laforza. I have lived in one of the wealthiest areas in America [Washington DC] for most of my life, yet I have no recollection of ever seeing one. Never seen an example at any car shows. Perhaps it’s because of the rather plain styling, that my brain ignores one as I drive/walk by. Will have to pay more attention & see if I can spot one around town!
Never seen one of these in the metal. From magazine photos, that interior is surprisingly posh compared to the econo-car vibe of the exterior.
Prior to seeing an article or two on them, if someone had told me that this was a Hyundai SUV sold alongside the terrible 1989 Excel, I wouldn’t have doubted them. They look related in all the wrong ways.
You beat me to it! The Hyundai Excel vibes are strong in this super extra dumb vehicle.
Well now I know where the second generation of the Isuzu Trooper’s styling came from. Even the wheels are similar:
Thank you. I knew there was another vehicle that looked almost alike with the La Forza, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Sometimes the small details of a design, if modified well, can transform the otherwise ungainly and mundane to a thing of balanced beauty, this however, would be a challenge to even the most gifted designer, a truly sad example of the car designers art
All I can say is, “La Forza del Destino.” Yours in mirth and my girth, Tom
It’ is an over-sized Fiat Uno using Brazilian styling touches (clamshell bonnet for instance). The Uno was produced in Europe from 1983 to 1995 and 1984 to 2013 in Brazil. But the designer was Giugiaro. I wonder what connection the Fissore company had to Tjarda.
From the perspective of the late ’80s I can definitely see the appeal of the styling. Look at the alternatives in a luxury SUV at the time; the Range Rover’s looks were at least a full generation older and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer a generation older than that. The LaForza may have looked generically late ’80s but at least it looked contemporary.
All I can see is a jacked up Rabbit.
Generic yes, but you have to look at design in the very late 80s. Infiniti Q45, MB W124, Nissan 300zx; this generic rounded look was all the rage in that era.
Buerge Ford in West Los Angeles (now gone) was a La Forza dealer briefly during the time I worked there. Not sure how many they sold. Very nice interior.