1971 ISO Grifo Series II

Ferruccio Lamborghini was a hugely successful Italian tractor and air-conditioning manufacturer who decided to produce his own GT car in the early 1960s. He gave Ferrari serious competition with the introduction of the 350GT coupe in March of 1964, earning rave reviews for its V-12 performance and excellent handling courtesy of chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. Two years later, the car evolved into the 400GT 2+2 with the addition of vestigial rear seating and subtle styling alterations on the same 100.3-inch wheelbase. The V-12 was upsized from 3.5- to 4.0-liters, and its horsepower was increased from 280 to 320. The 400GT featured a Lamborghini-built 5-speed gearbox designed by Gian Paolo Dallara.

Though not yet a sales threat to Ferrari, notice had hereby been given that the upstarts from Sant'Agata meant business. Fewer than 400 were built through 1968. After World War II, the Italian public needed inexpensive and practical transportation, prompting a refrigerator company named Iso to expand into the manufacture of scooters, followed by small bubble cars, including the popular Isetta marketed by BMW. The success of the Isetta provided the means and inspiration for Iso to manufacture a line of Grand Touring cars.

The Iso Grand Touring automobiles were small and lightweight with Italian coachwork and penned by some of the best designers in the industry. Power was from American V-8 engines. The earliest was the four-seater called the Rivolta, powered by a 300-horsepower Corvette engine. The success of this project enabled Iso to develop a two-seater known as the Grifo. It wore a design by Bertone with the assistance of designer Giorgio Giugiaro and was initially powered by Chevrolet's 327 cubic-inch V-8. In 1970, the Grifo Series II was introduced with the big-block Chevrolet 454 V8 engine. Exterior styling features included hideaway headlights. In 1974 the Grifo IR-8 was introduced, with power from a small-block Ford Boss 351 engine.

Production of the Iso Grifo lasted between 1965 and 1974. A total of 322 examples of the Series I were built, and 78 of the Series II with a total of 413 Grifos, 90 of which were powered by the 7-liter engine. Just 23 of the Series II were equipped with the five-speed transmission. Only 4 were Series II Targas.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019