The Iso Grifo was a limited-production grand tourer built by Iso Autoveicoli from 1965 to 1974. It paired Giorgetto Giugiaro’s bodywork at Bertone with Giotto Bizzarrini’s engineering and a series of American V8 engines, and it was the last new Iso car before the company went bankrupt.
Iso Grifo at a glance
| Maker | Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A., Bresso |
|---|---|
| Production | 1965–1974 |
| Body | two-seat grand tourer coupé, also a targa |
| Styling | Giorgetto Giugiaro, Bertone |
| Engineering | Giotto Bizzarrini |
| Engine | 5.4-litre Chevrolet V8, 300–350 hp |
| Gearbox | Borg-Warner four-speed manual |
| Weight | under 1,000 kg |
| Top speed | over 275 km/h |
| 1968 7 Litri | 427 Chevrolet V8, 435 hp, 300 km/h claimed |
| 1972 IR-8 | Ford Boss 351 V8 of 5.8 litres |
History of the Iso Grifo
After leaving Ferrari, Giotto Bizzarrini set up Prototipi Bizzarrini in Livorno in 1961 and worked for ATS, Lamborghini and Iso. In 1963 he designed the Iso Grifo A3/L (“L” for Lusso) for Renzo Rivolta, who wanted a follow-up to the Rivolta IR 300. The body was drawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone while Bizzarrini took care of the mechanicals. He also developed a racing version, the A3/C (“C” for Corsa), with a dramatic alloy body; he called it his “Improved GTO”, since he had designed the Ferrari 250 GTO. In the Corsa the engine was moved back about 40 mm, making it a front mid-engine car, and adjusting the ignition timing meant removing a piece of the dashboard.
At the 1963 Turin Motor Show Bertone showed the A3/L prototype while Iso unveiled the unpainted competition A3/C, and a prototype A3/L Spyder followed at Geneva. Production of the road car began in 1965, but the Bizzarrini and Rivolta partnership quickly fell apart over the use of the Grifo name. The Grifo GL was then built at Bresso and the competition A3/C at Piero Drogo’s Sports Cars in Modena under Bizzarrini’s supervision; only 22 A3/C cars were made before the split. The A3/C had already raced at Le Mans in 1964, finishing 14th after a two-hour pit stop for brake problems, and improved to 9th in 1965.
The production Grifo GL received a light face-lift that made it less aggressive, a 5.4-litre Chevrolet small-block 327 V8 of 300 to 350 hp and a Borg-Warner four-speed manual. The engines were ordered and built in the United States, shipped to Italy and taken apart before installation. Weighing less than 1,000 kg, the car could reach over 275 km/h. In October 1966 the first Grifo with a targa top was shown at Turin, designed by Bertone with a removable roof and the ZF five-speed; only fourteen Series I Targas and four Series II Targas were built. The Grifo was originally fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 205 VR15 tyres.
In 1968 came the Grifo 7 Litri with the Chevrolet L71 big-block, a Tri-Power version of the 427. The engine required a strengthened chassis and an enlarged engine compartment with reinforced mounts, and a large hood scoop nicknamed the “Penthouse” cleared its deck height. It produced an advertised minimum of 435 hp and the factory claimed 300 km/h. For 1970 the Series II gained a sleeker nose with hide-away headlights, and the IR-9 “Can Am” moved to the 454 engine of 7.4 litres. The 1972 Grifo IR-8 used a small-block Ford Boss 351 of 5.8 litres, recognisable by its taller hood scoop; it was the final Iso automobile, as the company closed in 1974, the oil crisis of 1973 having cut demand for large-displacement cars.
Design and features
- Giugiaro body: a low, sleek Bertone coupé with a long bonnet and a short tail.
- Bizzarrini chassis: race-derived mechanicals from the man behind the 250 GTO.
- American V8s: Chevrolet small-block and big-block engines, then a Ford unit in 1972.
- Race pedigree: the A3/C competed at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965 before the road and race programmes split.
Iso Grifo versions
- Grifo GL (1965): the production road car with the 5.4-litre Chevrolet V8.
- Grifo A3/C: the alloy-bodied competition version built by Bizzarrini and Drogo, 22 cars.
- Grifo Targa: removable-roof version shown in 1966; 14 Series I and 4 Series II cars.
- Grifo 7 Litri (1968): 427 big-block with 435 hp and the “Penthouse” hood scoop.
- Grifo Series II (1970): sleeker nose with hide-away headlights; IR-9 Can Am with the 454.
- Grifo IR-8 (1972): Ford Boss 351 V8, the last Iso model.
The Grifo shared its Bizzarrini chassis with the Iso Rivolta GT line and sat above the later Lele in the range. More cars are in the Iso collection.
Video: Tankstelle Brandshof Iso Grifo GL 350
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Iso Grifo, English Wikipedia: history, versions, engines, racing
