1968 Iso Grifo GL Series I:
For those not familiar with this monster, here’s the background (from Sotheby’s):
The Iso Grifo was created by a powerhouse of Italian engineering talent, including former Ferrari chief engineer and “father of the GTO” Giotto Bizzarrini; designer Giorgetto Giugiaro; and revered coachbuilders Bertone. A muscular gran turismo, its Bertone-built coachwork surrounded an advanced chassis with de Dion rear axle and inboard brakes, a configuration that reduced the unsprung weight compared to a live rear axle. Power was provided by a Chevrolet 327 V-8 of the same specification used in contemporary Corvettes, endowing the Grifo with ample performance and fine reliability. The model remained in production into the early 1970s and saw a total run of 413 examples in all configurations.
Excuse me, but “engineered by Bizarrini, designed by Giugiaro and built by Bertone” just about checks all my boxes. Also, “Chevrolet 327 V-8” means I could get its oil changed at the local Chevy dealer for $50 instead of paying two grand to have the same thing done by Ferrari on one of their engines.
And it’s beautiful. Good grief, I would get a tingle just from seeing it parked in my garage when I went out in the morning — even if I wasn’t going to drive it.
Finally, note that the interior is wonderfully devoid of all the modern electronic shit that confuses, clutters and just subtracts from the MTBF (mean time between failures). And a stick shift… performance, simplicity and elegance all in one package
Great Choice.
But I’d rather have the yellow one. It’s hard enough to find one of these, but this collector had managed to find two! ( Maybe he went though more than that just restoring the two he wound up with. )
There is a white Bizzarrini Strada that I occasionally see being exercised around town but I don’t know who owns it.
The yellow Iso is too show-offey. The silver looks better inside, too.
While the interior is quite snazzy, it looks like the Italian version of what would become the Pontiac Firebird…kind of meh.
These would be my preference:
https://images.app.goo.gl/jtcHts2KM62b5i4q6 the Swiss Monteverdi with the Chrysler 426 Hemi and related powertrain, which Swiss-American, retired Marine pilot Bob Lutz owns the lesser 440 powered Monteverdi, or
https://www.allpar.com/photos/adopted/facel-vega/Facel-Vega-II.jpg
the French made (and Chrysler powered, ‘natch) Facel Vega II. Hey, if it was good enough for the Rat Pack…
Sorry for my poor interwebs skill at posting pitchers
First glimpse, brain registered 69 Camaro.
And nothing wrong with that.
This thing… meh.
Not a fan of 2 inch toggle switches at my knees
Yes, that certainly is a beauty and I agree with you Kim, about the color. How classy. What an interior, too! I tooled around in a Camaro with that engine in the late’60s, and believe me, it’s more than adequate!
My cousin, a retired Air Force colonel and test pilot, bought a ’67 Iso Grifo in Italy in 1970. He sold it when he turned 80 last year, somewhere in the $350K+ range. Sweet ride.
I agree with the other commentor about the resemblance to a 1st-gen Camaro….but with a more sleek look. I have never heard of this car before, but I agree, that is one beautiful automobile.