Iso Rivolta Grifo History

Derived directly from the IR 300 chassis, the Grifo was Iso's pure two-seat sports coupe, a car explicitly positioned against the Ferrari 275 GTB and Maserati Ghibli. Styling was again by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone — a low, muscular fastback — while the chassis was the work of Giotto Bizzarrini, who had left Ferrari after the 1961 'palace revolt' that also produced the Ferrari 250 GTO. The Grifo A3/C prototype raced at Le Mans in 1964 (14th) and 1965 (9th), demonstrating genuine competition credentials on a shoestring budget.

Production GL ('Grifo Lusso') models went on sale in 1965 fitted with 5.4-litre Chevrolet 327 small-block V8s producing 300–365 hp. In 1968 the Grifo 7 Litri arrived with the 427 cu.in. Chevrolet L71 Tri-Power big-block, pushing power beyond 400 hp and giving a factory-claimed top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). The Series II (1970) updated the styling with hide-away headlights and was powered by the 7.4-litre Chevrolet 454. Rarest of all are the four Series II Targa-top cars.

When GM tightened its supply contracts in 1972, Iso switched to Ford's Boss 351 Cleveland V8 for the final IR-8 series. The Grifo was the last Iso model in production, and when the company declared bankruptcy at the end of 1974, it brought the curtain down on the whole marque. Total production: 330 Series I and 83 Series II cars, 413 in all, of which 90 were 7-litre versions.