Isdera was founded in 1982 in Leonberg, Germany. Its first car, the Spyder 033, was presented in the same year. Some other vehicles in the company's history are the 1984 Isdera Imperator 108i, 1985 Spyder 033-16 and the 1987 Spyder 036i. Each model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.

In 1993, Isdera designed the Commendatore 112i, which weighed 1,450 kg (3,197 lb). It could accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h in 4.0 seconds, and had a top speed of 342 km/h (213 mph). The car had a mid-mounted Mercedes-Benz 6.0 L V12 engine generating 408 PS (300 kW; 402 hp) and a 6-speed manual transmission. The Commendatore 112i had many advanced and unique features such as two sets of gull-wing doors, a velocity-sensitive electronic chassis that lowers the car at high speeds, and an automatic air brake.