1972 ISO Grifo Series II

Renzo Rivolta went from building refrigerators in the 1930s to making economy cars in the post-War era. With a deal in place allowing BMW to produce the design, the Iso company made another dramatic leap by embarking on building handmade Grand Touring cars powered by American V-8 engines. Giotto Bizzarrini was hired to assist in the chassis design while Giorgetto Giugiaro, while working for Bertone, provided the styling. The 327 cubic-inch Chevy Corvette V8 engine was installed in a steel platform chassis featuring independent front suspension, De Dion rear axle and all-around brakes (inboard at the rear). The four-seat Rivolta was Iso's first supercar, later followed by the long-wheelbase, Ghia-styled Fidia four-door sale and the short-wheelbase Grifo. The Rivolta's eventual replacement was the Lele.

The Iso Grifo was produced from 1963 to 1974, and the 'standard' configuration used the small-block Chevy V8 in all but its final Ford-powered incarnation. The 350 horsepower engine provided a top speed of around 160 mph while the exclusive, 7-liter model with 390 horsepower claimed a top speed of 186 mph. Just 90 examples were equipped with the potent 7.0-liter powerplant. A Targa top version was shown at the Turin Motor Show in October 1966, and thirteen Series I Targas were eventually built, followed by four series II Targas.

Of the 413 Grifos produced, 78 were Series II examples with 34 of those (the final Iso built) had Ford's Cleveland 351 V-8. The Series II appeared in 1970 with hide-away headlights, sleeker styling, and big-block 454 V8 engines. The Grifo IR-8 appeared in 1972 which used a small-block Ford Boss 351 engine and would be the final Iso of any type before the manufacturer went bankrupt.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020