1965 Bizzarrini Iso Grifo A3/C

Bizzarrini's resume included working for the legendary Ferrari and Lamborghini marques, and when he began producing cars bearing his own name, these two marques became his top competitors.

The first car to wear his name was the 5300, created in collaboration with Giugiaro at Bertone and Renzo Rivolta, who was working on creating the Iso Rivolta 300 at the time. The Rivolta 300 had a Corvette V8 powerplant and a welded steel monocoque chassis. The suspension was independent with double wishbones in the front and a DeDion rear axle. The Chevrolet V8 engine was a foreign piece of technology in an Italian sportscar, but it offered numerous benefits such as plenty of power (around 365 bhp), proven reliability, and low cost of production. The engine was placed as far back in the engine bay as possible, resulting in limited interior room, but maximum performance. Another drawback to being so close to the engine was the noise and the heat produced by the engine. But, as in many other sports cars, interior space played 'second fiddle' to performance.

The result was spectacular, with performance and reliability coupled together in a small and stylish package. It was very aerodynamic, had a great suspension, and the powerplant kept it competitive.

Bizzarrini wanted to take the cars racing but Iso, at first, disagreed. By 1963, Bizzarrini had convinced Rivolta to finance a racing program resulting in the development of a sportier version of the Iso Rivolta. The result was the Iso Grifo which laid the groundwork for the soon-to-come 5300GT. Homologation requirements meant the Iso Grifo was entered in the prototype category, pitting the car against fierce competition such as the dominant Ford GT40 with its seven-liter engine, and Shelby's Cobra. The team scored a 14th-place finish at LeMans and a 19th at the Nurburgring 1000Km in 1964. 1965 began on a sour note, as a car was destroyed at Sebring and another at Daytona. The team switched to older cars, leaving them at even more of a disadvantage. At LeMans, the true potential of the cars shined, as they scored a class victory. This victory was made possible by the Ford GT40's retiring from the race prematurely.

At the 1963 Torino Motor Show, the competition Grifo A3/C and Grio A3/L 2+2 were displayed. These cars shared similarities but very different bodies styled by Giugiaro at Bertone. The cars were given positive reviews at the show resulting in both being put into production. The chassis was built by Bizzarrini, while Iso provided the engine and various other mechanical components. The 2+2 A3/L models were assembled by Bertone, and Drogo manufactured the competition bodies.

Only twenty-five examples of the Grifos were produced before Renzo Rivolta's death. The relationship between Bizzarrini and Iso soon fell apart, ending with Bizzarrini suing Iso to get the necessary parts to finish 50 cars. The first set of cars carried the Iso badge, while the cars that came after chassis number 0024 were dubbed the Bizzarrini 5300 GTs. As such, both the Iso Grifo AC3/C and the Bizzarrini 5300 GT were very similar in many respects. Their designs were slightly different, as Carrozzeria BBM was tasked with creating the bodies for the Bizzarrini's which introduced small subtleties such as different door handles and minor changes to the light and signals in the front and rear.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2016