Iso Grifo: The Italian Supercar That America Powered
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Some cars are born to turn heads. The Iso Grifo does something rarer: it stops conversation entirely. Park one on any street in Europe and people will simply stand and stare. It is that beautiful, that purposeful, that utterly unlike anything else.
Built in limited numbers in the 1960s and early 1970s, the Grifo is one of Italy's forgotten masterpieces. Fewer people know the name compared to Ferrari or Lamborghini, which is precisely what makes owning one so extraordinary. This is a car for those who know.
Origins and History
Iso Autoveicoli was founded by Renzo Rivolta in Bresso, near Milan. The company began by making motor scooters and the famously tiny Isetta bubble car before Rivolta decided to chase something altogether grander. He wanted to build a proper Italian GT, something that could compete with Ferrari on the road and beat it on price.
The Iso Rivolta IR 300 arrived in 1962, followed two years later by the Grifo. The car was engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini, the man who had been instrumental in developing the Ferrari 250 GTO before a famous internal dispute saw him leave Maranello. If you wanted someone to design a Ferrari-beater, Bizzarrini was an inspired choice.
Production ran from 1965 to 1974, with approximately 412 Grifos built across all variants. Numbers this small make every surviving example genuinely precious.
The Design
The body was drawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, making the Grifo one of the finest products of the golden age of Italian coachbuilding. Giugiaro was barely in his twenties when he penned those long, swooping flanks. The result is a car of startling elegance.
The proportions are perfect: a long bonnet, a fastback roofline that tapers gracefully, and a tail that simply ends with complete confidence. There is no unnecessary flourish. The headlamps sit low and partially retracted behind covers on the earliest cars, giving the front an almost predatory expression.
Step back and look at the overall shape and it reads as pure and timeless. Step closer and the quality of the surface detailing reveals itself. Bertone built this body with a seriousness of intent that matches anything from Pininfarina or Zagato. It is, without qualification, one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Performance and Driving
Here is where the Grifo departs from its Italian contemporaries in a fascinating direction. Beneath that gorgeous bonnet sits a Chevrolet V8. Rivolta made a practical decision: American small-block engines were powerful, reliable, and far cheaper to source and maintain than bespoke Italian units. It was a pragmatic move that some purists have never entirely forgiven.
The standard car used a 5.4-litre Corvette V8 producing around 300 horsepower, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. This was enough to push the Grifo to 60 mph in around six seconds and on to a top speed of 160 mph, figures that put it squarely in Ferrari 275 GTB territory. The most potent variant, the Series II with a 7.0-litre big-block, was capable of over 170 mph, making it one of the fastest road cars of its era.
Drivers who have spent time with a Grifo describe the experience as uniquely satisfying. The steering is direct without being nervous. The V8 delivers its torque in a long, rolling wave rather than a sharp spike. It is a car that rewards commitment and feels genuinely alive at speed, yet remains manageable on a touring route through Tuscany.
Notable Variants
The original Series I Grifo ran from 1965 to 1970 with a range of engine options, including a rare 365 horsepower tune and the racing-derived Grifo A3/C developed by Bizzarrini himself. The competition version competed at Le Mans in 1965, finishing 14th overall, which remains a remarkable result for a relatively small manufacturer.
The Series II, introduced in 1970, brought a revised front end with pop-up headlamps concealed beneath the bonnet line, a cleaner and arguably even more handsome look. The big-block 7.0-litre option arrived for buyers who wanted genuine supercar performance. A small number of targa-topped and convertible variants were also produced, though the coupe remains the definitive form.
There was also the Iso Grifo IR8, a collaboration with Ford that used a 5.8-litre V8 in place of the Chevrolet unit, though this version is extremely rare and was produced only briefly before financial difficulties overtook the company in 1974.
Buying an Iso Grifo Today
Values have climbed steadily as collectors have rediscovered what a genuinely extraordinary machine the Grifo is. A solid driver-quality example will typically start around 200,000 euros, with concours-condition cars and rare variants commanding considerably more. The Le Mans competition car and low-mileage big-block examples represent the top of the market.
The American V8 underpinning is both the Grifo's strength and its occasional complication for European buyers. Parts for the Chevrolet engine are plentiful and affordable worldwide, but marque-specific body panels and interior trim are a different matter entirely. Finding correct Bertone bodywork is time-consuming and expensive. Join the Iso Rivolta Heritage association and speak to specialists before committing to a purchase.
Inspect the chassis carefully for corrosion, particularly around the sill sections and rear suspension mounting points. Have the body checked thoroughly for signs of previous accident repair. A good example with a clean history is worth the premium. A cheap Grifo with hidden problems will test both your patience and your bank balance.
Shop Iso Grifo Art at KK Automotive Art
KK Automotive Art does not yet have an Iso Grifo design in our collection. We are working on bringing this iconic car to our range, so watch this space. In the meantime, explore our classic car phone cases, classic car mugs and limited edition prints.
Explore more Italian classics in our classic cars blog.