1971 ISO Grifo Series II news, pictures, and information

The Iso Motor Company of Milan produced 412 Iso Grifos between 1963 and 1974. Giorgio Giugiaro of Bertone designed the body and Giotto Bizzarrini, create of the Ferrari GTO, engineered it. This was one of 17 units built as transitional models in that it was a Series II Model with covered headlights and it retained the Chevrolet Corvette V-8 engine. Later Series II Models were equipped with the 351 cubic inch Ford engine requiring a raised hood section.

ISO Motor Company of Bresso, Italy produced 412 ISO Grifos between 1963 and 1974.

Giorgio Givgiaro of Bertone designed the body and Giotto Bizzarrini, creator of the Ferrari 250 GTO, engineered the car.

This is 1 of 17 examples built as a transitional model in that it was a series II with covered headlights and still retained the Chevrolet Corvette 350 V-8 engine. Later series II models were equipped with the Ford 351 cubic-inch engine requiring a raised hood section.

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CanAm Coupe
Designer: Giorgetto Giugiaro

Working with the engineer Giotta Bizzarrini, the coachbuilder Giorgetto Giugiaro and the styling expertise of Carrozzeria Bertone, Iso company founder Renzo Rivolta developed the Iso Grifo Rivolta IR 300, which debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1962. It was an elegant 2+2 Coupe with well-balanced technical components and outstanding driving performance. In 1970 a long overdue styling change was made to the nose section of the car, and the Iso Grifo Series II was born. Initially 4 Targas were built, then the company switched from using 7-liter 427 cubic-inch engines to the newer 454, and the CanAm version of the Series II was born. Although not as fast as the Series I, the timeless beauty of the Iso Grifo Can Am secured its sales success until 1972 when new Ford engines were introduced.

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CanAm Coupe
Designer: Giorgetto Giugiaro

In 1962, the Milan car manufacturer ISO introduced its second model, the Grifo. The first was the Rivolta. Giorgio Giugiaro of Bertone designed the body and Giotto Bizzarrini, creator of the Ferrari GTO, engineered it. The Grifo was powered by a Chevrolet 5.3 liter V8 and sat atop a shortened Rivolta platform. The engine was placed in the front and drove the rear transaxle. The Borg-Warner T4 4-speed manual gearbox lacked overdrive, a problem that would cause it problems in future endurance racing. At speeds, the driver had to back off the accelerator pedal to help preserve the life of the engine. With over 400 horsepower from the GM small-block and a weighing less than 2200 pounds, the vehicle was able to achieve 190 miles-per-hour.
The Grifo was sportier than its predecessor and was available in two version, luxury and sport. The luxurious Grifo was dubbed the A3/L while the sportier version received the title A3/C. Iso produced the Grifo A3/L while Bizzarrini developed the A3/C.

In 1964 it was entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as the grueling and fiercely competitive 24 Hours of Le Mans race. During its racing career it would capture a fourth overall but first in class victory at Le Mans.

During the production lifespan of the Grifo, around 22 versions of the A3/C were constructed. Due to disagreements, Bizzarrini and Rivolta parted ways in 1965. A deal was struck where Bizzarrini could still produce the Grifo A3/C cars but was unable to use the name. The new name was the Bizzarrini 5300 GT and American GT.

In 1968, a 6998 cc V8 engine became available and was later modified to 7443 cc.