1966 Iso Grifo GL 365

The Iso Grifo was a high-performance grand tourer produced by Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. from 1965 to 1974. Conceived by Renzo Rivolta, it was engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini and designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone. The goal was to create a GT car that combined Italian chassis engineering with the reliability and power of American V8 engines with a design and dimensions that were a middle ground between the massive American coupés and the sleek European sports berlinettas. The new model was ready in a few months, as the decision was made to proceed by shortening the chassis of the “GT,” also designed by Bizzarrini, and it was unveiled at the 1963 Salone dell'Automobile di Torino. Industrialization, however, was more laborious, further slowed down by emerging disagreements between the company and the designer. The Grifo featured a steel monocoque structure with a separate tubular subframe supporting the engine and front suspension. It adopted a front-mid engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, optimizing weight distribution. The suspension setup included independent double wishbones at the front and a De Dion rear axle with coil springs, coupled with four-wheel disc brakes. At launch in 1965, the Grifo was equipped with a 5.4L (327 cu in) Chevrolet small-block V8, available in outputs ranging from 300 to 365 hp, depending on carburetor configuration. Power was transmitted via a 5-speed ZF manual gearbox or an optional Borg-Warner automatic transmission. In 1968, the Grifo 7 Litri was introduced, featuring Chevrolet’s 7.0L (427 cu in) big-block V8, producing up to 435 hp. This version exceeded 275 km/h, making it one of the fastest production cars of its time. Aesthetic revisions arrived in 1970, marking the transition to the Series II. These included a revised front end with pop-up headlights and a raised hood bulge to accommodate larger engines. In 1972, due to supply restrictions from General Motors, Iso switched to Ford’s 5.8L (351 Cleveland) V8, which powered the final production units. Production was limited, with a total of 413 units built across all versions: Grifo GL (Gran Lusso), the Standard model with a 5.4L V8; Grifo 7 Litri, an High-performance variant with a 7.0L V8; Grifo Can-Am, a limited-production model with a 7.4L (454 cu in) V8; Grifo Targa, a rare open-top version. Iso ceased operations in 1974, ending Grifo production. Despite its relatively low production numbers, the Grifo remains notable for its combination of Italian design, advanced chassis engineering, and powerful American engines, offering high performance with relatively straightforward maintenance compared to contemporary European exotics.

The Iso Grifo GL (i.e. Gran Lusso) was the original and most refined version of the Grifo lineup, introduced in 1965 and designed as a luxury grand tourer with strong performance. It was powered by a 5.4L (327 ci) Chevrolet V8, producing between 300 and 365 hp, coupled with a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. It could reach a top speed of around 250 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. The Grifo 365 was immediately well received by a decidedly affluent clientele, especially considering its price of nearly 8,000,000 lire, an exceptionally high sum at the time. A total of 330 units of the Grifo GL were produced before the model was discontinued in 1974, following the closure of the Bresso-based company.

The Iso Grifo GL 365, chassis no. GL*620 026*, was completed in Italy on April 4, 1966, originally painted black with a silver roof and tobacco-colored leather interior. It was equipped with a Borg-Warner four-speed transmission and a "long" 2.88 differential. Among its options were leather interior, power windows, a wooden steering wheel, and magnesium wheels. The chassis number places it between the pre-series examples and the final production models, but it is presumed that the car had this possible origin: Iso, together with Bertone, showcased the “A3L Grifo” prototype (chassis no. 001) in 1963 and the “Grifo Spider” prototype (chassis no. 002) in 1964, then worked on the “production” prototypes. In the summer of 1965, Iso presented the press with two finished cars, chassis no. 003 and 007. However, it is highly likely that Iso and Bertone used a third and a fourth car in early 1965 to further develop the bodywork. This theory was also supported by findings during the restoration at Prototex, a company in Cuneo, where records of Aldo, a panel beater involved in the prototyping process at Bertone in the 1960s, were noted. He confirmed that at least four cars were used in the development phase of the Iso Grifo, shaping the prototype into a production-ready vehicle. It appears that, for economic reasons, these two additional development cars were later completed and assigned chassis numbers shortly before serial production began. After the two production prototypes (chassis no. 003 and 007) were shown to the press, Iso decided to build a small batch of pre-production cars while preparing the tooling for full-scale production. The total number of these pre-production cars was around 20 units. Grifo chassis no. 009 was the first of this pre-series batch and the last Grifo built in 1965. The remaining pre-series cars were completed and delivered between January and March 1966, ending with Grifo chassis no. 025, while regular production started with chassis no. 028. Grifo chassis no. 026 was finished in early April 1966, but it is hypothesized to be one of the two development cars involved in the prototyping process, alongside chassis no. 003 and 007, but completed and numbered only after the pre-production batch was finished, just before full-scale production began. Many of its peculiar features—otherwise only seen on production prototypes 003 and 007—were gradually eliminated during the transition to full production. Compared to the later cars, this example presents numerous distinctive details. The front air vent grille has rounded corners. The leather trim cut is different, resembling that of chassis no. 003, as are the materials used in the trunk, which features a leather grab handle in the same color as the interior. The ventilation pipework for the cabin differs from production models, as do the water drainage boxes behind the B-pillars. The chrome trim pieces on the outer door ledge are of a different shape and size. The dashboard is narrower and shorter, with differently shaped ends compared to later cars. The blower system for the rear window defogging is also different, with the pipework integrated into the rear bodywork. The trunk latch, latch base, and latch cover differ from the standard versions, as does the sun visor mounting, similar to that of chassis no. 003, which required a different mounting plate integrated into the roof-to-A-pillar connection. The rev counter is marked "Iso A3L" rather than "Iso Grifo," a detail seen on only a few very early Iso Grifos. The reflector mounted on the edge of the open door is small and round, and the rear valance panel is shaped differently, drawn further in under the car compared to later models. The fuel filler flap is significantly smaller than on all later cars, without slits and positioned only on one side. To further substantiate the claim that chassis no. GL*620 026* was originally a production prototype, beyond all its peculiar details, one key difference is that all later cars had stamped numbers on various parts, such as hinges, under the fuel flap, on the bumper brackets, and on trim pieces, whereas chassis no. 026 has none, except for its chassis number itself. Interestingly, the wide trim pieces on the outer door ledge bear an ink stamp on the underside that reads “Bertone,” further supporting this car’s peculiar status. The later pre-series cars, built at the beginning of 1966, share some—but not all—of these features, while the later, fully production-ready models were completely different. The considerations made for chassis no. 026 also apply to chassis no. 027, which features similar characteristics. The Iso Grifo chassis no. GL*620 026* has had five documented owners. The first was Herr Gebbert, a music producer from Berlin, followed by Herr Schäfer, owner of Auto Schäfer. It was then sold in the Netherlands to Hendrik de Jonge, and later to Wilhelm Veenendaal, who kept it until 2014, when he sold it to Steve Piper. Piper undertook a meticulous six-year-long restoration, during which Carrozzeria Scherer in Germany worked under the supervision of Beppe Origlia from Prototex in Italy. The body panels were reconstructed using original molds and templates. The original black paint was replaced by a dark metallic blue, while the roof was finished in contrasting silver metallic, as originally specified—an era-correct color combination. The leather interior was redone by Uwe Eckart of Dresden, a specialist in Iso Grifo interiors, and the complete mechanical overhaul was carried out by specialist Jürgen Schneider. The heating system was complemented by a modern yet invisible air conditioning system. The vehicle was then inspected by a third party, which certified the restoration results. The car was subsequently acquired by a private collection in Switzerland.