Iso Grifo

Vehicle Overview

The Iso Grifo: After leaving Ferrari, in 1961 Giotto Bizzarrini set up “Prototipi Bizzarrini” in Livorno, Tuscany where he designed and consulted for marques such as ATS, Lamborghini, and Iso. In 1963, he designed the Iso Grifo A3/L (“L” for Lusso, Italian for “luxury”) for Renzo Rivolta, who was looking for a follow-up to his IR 300. The body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, while Bizzarrini put his expertise in the mechanicals. Bizzarrini figured there would also be a demand for a race version of the Grifo and developed the A3/C (C for Corsa) with a dramatic, modified alloy body. He later dubbed it his “Improved GTO”, as he designed the 250 GTO when he had worked for Ferrari. In the Corsa, he moved the engine back about 40 mm (1.6 in), making the A3/C a front, mid-engine car. To adjust the timing, mechanics had to remove a piece of the dashboard. Both the racing and road legal versions of the car were being built simultaneously. When leaving the factory, the Iso Grifo was originally fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 205VR15 tyres (CN72). At the Turin Motor Show that same year, Bertone showed the Grifo A3/L prototype while Iso unveiled the unpainted competition version: the Iso Grifo A3/C. Both became successful in their own right, the road car receiving praise from the press, while the race car performed very well although it had been made on a much tighter budget compared to Ferrari. Rivolta also showed a prototype A3/L Spyder at the Geneva Motor Show.