As flashy as they are, many modern exotic cars are not exactly rare. Here in Arizona, if you go to certain parts of Scottsdale, it’s not uncommon to see multiple McLarens or Lamborghinis. If you buy our Pick of the Day, a 1991 Isdera Imperator 108i from the selling dealer in Scotts Valley, California, you’ll never have to worry about parking next to another one.
What exactly is an Isdera? The company name was derived from the German words “Ingenieurbüro für Styling, Design und Racing,” which translate to “Engineering Company for Styling, Design and Racing” in English. Eberhard Schulz worked at Porsche and co-founded B&B GmbH & Co Auto KG, which produced the 300SL-influenced Mercedes-Benz CW311 concept. That one-off had a tubular steel space frame, independent front and rear suspensions, four-wheel disc brakes, a mid-engine layout, gullwing doors, and a wind-cheating fiberglass body with a drag coefficient (Cw) of 0.311, hence the name. He created Isdera and subsequently turned that show car into a road-going machine.
Unfortunately, Isdera didn’t produce many of them. The selling dealer states this Imperator 108i is one of 13 made in a nine-year production run and one of five Series 2 models, which had pop-up headlights, “more subdued body lines, a larger front grille opening, an offset NACA duct on the hood, and side vents above the front wheel arches. The exhaust was also rerouted from the rear of the car to a twin exhaust in front of the right rear wheel, harkening back to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing SLR.” Another source estimates about 30 Imperator 108is were produced. Either way, the owner’s club for this car is a small one.
This particular Imperator was originally delivered to a buyer in Japan, registered in the UK in 2016, partially restored in later years, then purchased by the current owner in 2021. The same year, the cooling system, climate control system, and brakes were serviced. Overall, those owners put just 1,918 kilometers (1,191 miles) on it.
The Mercedes-Benz connection goes even deeper than the Imperator 108i’s inspiration. It has three-pointed star hardware, too. The most noticeable components are the horizontally ribbed taillights and the mid-mounted 300-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, which is connected to a ZF five-speed manual gearbox. That combination enables this automotive oddity to reach 60 mph in about five seconds and max out at approximately 175 mph.
If you’re interested in becoming the owner of this obscure piece of automotive exotica, click here or on one of the pictures above to go to the listing and ask the seller for the price. Expect that to have a lot of zeros in it because although this car didn’t sell at auction last year, it was expected to sell for $800,000 – $1,000,000.
Click here to view the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
Source: www.classiccars.com