1967 ISO Grifo GL

Prior to World War II, Renzo Rivolta built Isothermos refrigerators, and its success allowed it to venture into other ventures in the post-war era. When war came to a close, the factories were re-tooled and Rivolta turned to the manufacture of motorcycles, scooters, and tricycles. Amongst these were the Furetto, the Isoscooter, and the Isocarro. The company quickly expanded to the Isetta bubble cars later licensed to BMW. The BMW-Isetta deal was profitable and coupled with refrigerator sales, Renzo Rivolta resolved to build a proper motor car. The Iso Rivolta was a four-seat coupe that appeared in 1962 at the Turin Auto Show. It was the work of Giotto Bizzarrini, designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, and coachbuilder Bertone, and was followed by a two-seat Gran Turismo in 1963 dubbed the Grifo - again the work of the Bizarrini-Giugiaro-Bertone team. The Grifo A3/L utilized Chevrolet power components and was considerably more streamlined than the Rivolta.

The Iso Grifo A3/L was later joined by an A3/C (C for Corsa) competition version with modified, alloy bodywork. To improve weight distribution and balance, the engine was moved back about 40 mm, transforming the A3/C into a front, mid-engine car.

With potent Corvette engines, the Iso was capable of speeds in excess of 140 mph, making it one of the world's fastest production cars at the time. Over the Grifo's lifespan, a variety of Chevrolet V-8s was offered, including the 327-, 427-, and 454 cubic inch small block engines. Later in the car's life, a Ford 351 'Cleveland' motor was made available The 327 cubic-inch V8 engine produced 300 horsepower and the Borg-Warner 'Top Loader' four-speed (later a five-speed) manual transmission sent power through a 3.07:1 rear axle. The Grifo 7 Litri, introduced in 1968, was endowed with a Chevrolet L71 big-block engine that offered 435 horsepower at 5,800 RPM. The factory claimed that the 7 Litri was capable of achieving top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph).

The lightweight tube-frame chassis boasted a deDion rear axle, coil springs all round, and disc brakes with the rear being mounted inboard. The stance was menacing, being both low and wide, successfully combining many aspects of both Italian and American design. The interior was luxurious, fitted with the finest wood and leather accouterments.

Production of the Iso Grifo continued into 1974, by which time 5.8-liter units from Ford became available. In all, just 413 Iso Grifos of all configurations were built, including approximately 330 Grifo GL Series I coupes, 83 Series II cars, and 90 7-litre versions. Four examples were the Series II Targa, and 23 were Series II 5-speeds.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022