Did The Italians Make The Best American Car? The ISO Grifo
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- Опубликовано: 8 янв 2023
- Italians made great sports cars.. but they weren't very reliable. So why not use an American engine, in this case from a 300hp Chevrolet Corvette, and clothe it in an Italian designed body? That is exactly what Iso did when they made the Grifo. BUT is this just another badly made Italian car or does the US made engine and gearbox live up to the incredible looks?
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The ISO Grifo , is In my opinion an extremely beautiful car.
It may be heavy to drive, and have the feel of an old car , but for something so beautiful, one learns to live with it.
One can say it has character.
In abundance Kamel.
Absolutely love the ISO Grifo. Another belting forgotten 60s/70s GT is the Monteverdi 375L. Both stunning cars. Thanks for bringing this to the masses Jack👍👍
I was blown away by the Monteverdi Hai 450 SS with the Chrysler 426 Hemi motor and 450 HP. Don't get me wrong I love the Iso too!
This was a period where there were many low volume, beautiful GTs and sports cars being produced across Europe. The Grifo is stunning and joins the Gordon-Keeble as a gentleman's express from a glamorous period of car design.
You are so very right - there is a Gordon Keeble in Haynes Motor Museum, they hate me going there because I dribble all over it!!
@@andrewhaigh1531 There is a connection. The Gordon-Keeble was also designed by Giugario at Bertone and Iso requested the loan of an example to assess a licensing arrangement. Instead, ISO built the Iso Rivolta (also designed by Giugario). Unlike Jack, I really like the Rivolta, but I have never read a bad word about the Gordon-Keeble!
Include Facel Vega with Chrysler Hemi power on your list of grand GT's.
Don't forget also the Jensen CV-8 and Interceptor.
@@street-level I wouldn't dare. With Astons of the period we really did produce some beautiful, sleek and sexy GTs for the gentleman of means.
There are UK viewers of a certain age who (thanks to Matchbox) knew of this car before we knew of Simca 1100s or Fiat 124s. I have seen one in my life... and it was on show, not being driven. And I look for things like this. As a child, I imagined Italy was crawling with these things.... Ha!
A good video about a rare but lovely piece of motoring history. An Italian Jensen. But nicer. And somehow cooler.
I can tell you that certain Dutch viewers had the same Matchbox model! Light blue, my favourite model, together with the Monteverdi Hai.
@@Pietervdv I too had the same light blue matchbox model, which I loved dearly. Together with the yellow Corgy E-type and the EFSI Holland metallic green e-type roadster!!
I am "of that age". Had a Matchbox or Corgi Iso Grifo in electric blue in the 60's. That was my only experience of it until RUclips taught me it was a real car.
@@Pietervdv@BanjoLuke1 pretty sure I still have my Matchbox model😊
Fantastic😂😂😂,no,belive me,in Italy everybody dreamed to have a Grifo,a Miura,a Ghibli,a Mangusta,a Daytona or a 5300 gt strada,but they were extremely rare. And they were manufactured in tiny factories that had the smell of oil,gasolio and new tyres....
Achingly beautiful car. Looks like a combination of Aston Martin DBS and Fiat Dino. I was lucky enough to see one on the road here in Australia a few years ago. Rare beast indeed.
I also see some Jenson Interceptor in the side lines.
What a masterpiece of engineering! The interior of Grifo looks like a Riva yacht …Thank you Jack for reviving the glorious days of this italian jewel!
Beautiful car, one of my favourites along with the Interceptor, BMW 3.0 csi, '63 Split Screen Corvette and Aston V8's from the seventies. Great series Jack!
Read my mind.
Liked for the dog already.
This car is NOT a dog.
Haha! Me, too.
Feels like an old car? It IS an old car and a very beautiful one too, especially in that colour combination
Absolutely beautiful love the Italian styling of this era
In the 1950's both Cadillac and Chrysler used Ghia to body some of their chassis. In the 1960's Scaglietti built 3 beautiful aluminum bodys on Corvette chassis, each a bit different from the other. Even Ford had an italian coachbuilt T bird built as a concept car.
Its a long history of Italian coachbuilt cars for American brands.
I remember CAR magazine did a feature on this car in the late 60s. They photographed a light green example in the early morning Italian mist, so gorgeous a car I still remember the image over 50 years later.
If ever I won the big lottery price, this is the car I'd have! On looks alone, my other 1960s favourite is the Maserati Ghibli, but I imagine the Iso is much easier to live with, thanks to its American engine.
Yep. And you can buy a 'crate engine' that fits, I suppose, should be engine blowup..
Great you mentioned the Maserati Ghibli, those two are my dream cars, both designed by Guigiaro at quite young age =)
I had completely forgotten about this car
I remember seeing these for sale in the classifieds in the back of Road & Track in the mid to late 70's with asking prices of around 10 to 15 grand. Same with the Bizarrini GT5000, around the same price. There were a lot of these hybrid Italo/American specials, like the Montverdi and the Intermechanica Italia/Torino. It really is astounding how prices for classics have shot up.
The place that I used to have my Fiat and Alfa serviced around this time had a mint Silver over Oxblood leather Mistral for 10 grand.
The Sixties was a heady time if you loved your cars. Just look at the number of brands offering their take on the grand tourer concept. You were literally spoilt for choice. And it's lovely to see a Grifo being put through its paces - thanks Jack!
I've only ever seen one on the roads. It was bright yellow and owned by a chap who then ran a carpet warehouse in Llanelli {he still owns the premises}. His was an early RHD model, like this one, with its headlamps not shrouded, as with the later cars. The 7 litre ones weren't as easy on the eye but were very fast indeed, with a claimed top whack of 186 mph and I think were the fastest production cars available at that time. I think they had 435bhp. Not bad !
Anyone other than the USA makes the best American cars. The GT40 is the greatest American car of all time and that was created by Eric Broadley and John Wyer. Two British guys, in the Lola factory then a shed in Slough with the chassis built in Coventry.....much lols
I had the Matchbox version of this :)
I own an ISO too!! But it’s an ISO Milano Deluxe 1962! It’s a scooter, pretty much a cross between a Lambretta and a Vespa. ISO were a fascinating company who made lots of different products.
Yeah, also sad to see everybody thinks isetta is a bmw meanwhile in reality its an iso isetta produced under licence at bmw factories
It reminds me of a Jensen Interceptor
Never have I seen a man so uncomfortable in a car 😂😂😂
Back in the early 80’s I was in a Petrol station in Manchester i believe and one of these was at the pumps. Bring car mad I sort of knew what it was but I don’t think I’ve seen one since outside of a car show.
I do love the 60’s 70’s Italian cars though… just so stylish.
Great film Jack now get to the gym!!
Jack your doing an unbelievable job of getting so many different cars on the channel buddy! Superb content and presentation as always 👍
you’re
I remember my Matchbox model of the Grifo well - one of my favourites! A beautiful, and very rare car! Thanks for the review.
Never knew of this chariot prior to this introduction, much obliged. Beautiful
Ho sempre amato le ISO... le mie preferite sono la Lele e la S4.. purtroppo qui in Italia non se le ricorda nessuno....che peccato! Anche la Grifo e' splendida...io avevo il modellino blu della Matchbox!!!
Il monopolio è purtroppo nelle mani di una sola Casa che, pur gloriosa, oscura una storia fatta di Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa, Lancia Uso ed altre splendide realtà
As a kid I fell in love with pictures of this in magazines, also the DeTomaso Pantera. Thanks for sharing.
The seats are so similar to Rover P6 ones...
Ergonomics aside, that is one stunningly gorgeous car. Thanks for the video.
Lovely car. I grew up in Los Angeles and saw a few of these. I’ve always liked them
Props to the owner for having (what looks like) a Belgian Tervuren pup
I had an ISO in that colour back in 71… it was the Corgi version . You’ll have to do a Monteverdi now…
How on earth do you manage to get access to so many wonderful different classic cars every other week !🧐😍❤️🥰
Harry’s garage I think
I’ve never seen one here in the US and likely won’t. One of the reasons I love your channel Jack. To see some of the true European cars each in a different era because someone was inspired to create them. Just splendid ♥️
One of my favourite cars, I used to see three of them rotting in the drive of a bungalow in stubbington Hants in the early eighties and have loved the shape ever since.
Yep, used to be worth next to nothing!
@@Number27 The thing I find so surprising now is that they were so rusty at what would have been around 15yrs old. No rust protection then I guess.
You're getting some of the most interesting cars on RUclips to try.... Be nice to see a little bit more around the car... 10 mins is too short for these ;) That said you do cover all the best points and a bit of history in the time ...!
I've never heard of it or seen one, but I'd say it is one of the most beautiful Italian cars ever made.
You need to give that pup a staring role in one of your videos. 😆 🤣
Brilliant video Jack. I remember this car because my wonderful father bought me a blue matchbox one when I was a little boy. Happy new year.
One of my favorite matchbox cars when I was a kid
Observer book of Automobiles 1972!
An absolute dream car.
So beautiful and stylish.
Oh Nice one Jack, as promised an episode on the Iso Griffo 😁.
I asked you about a review on one of these few months ago....n you said it was in the pipeline ☺️. Was around the Pantera Ep.
One of my favourites you see, Griffo, Espada, Miura, SM.
Thanks buddy " Quality"
Paul.
That's what I'd call a real "hairy chested man's car".
We've all gone soft these days with our power assisted everything.
Try parking an unassisted steering '66 Jaguar 'S' type, that's a workout for the biceps Jack.
The ISO Grifo and the MONTEVERDI 375L are may absolute favorites - in manual gearboxes ! :D
A very pretty car. Unmistakable design DNA. Being American I have a soft spot for the Cheverolet small-block engines. The 327 is an especially nice unit with what I imagie must be a Holly 450 CFM 4-barrel carburetor. Plenty of torque in any gear! Thank you for another entertaining episode!
Carburettor at that stage was a Rochester 650cfm 4barrel and gearbox was a 4 speed Saginaw.
Carter AFB at 625cfm and Borg Warner T-10 in 1965, Holley 3367 at 585cfm and Muncie M20 or M21 in 1966 and 67 for the 300hp 327. In 1968 the Grifo went with the 427 big block.
When I was a kid during summer holidays in Liguria I clearly remember a dusty blue Grifo permanently parked under a tree in a residential area of Rapallo, covered in bird droppings and with flat tires. We passed it every day on the way to the beach, and it was there for maybe 2-3 years, looking like the owner had simply forgotten about it. I was fascinated by that beautiful shape and I wanted my dad to inquire whether it was for sale - sadly he didn’t think it would be a good investment back in the day!😂
The Kamm tail on that machine definitely hints at the GTO connection, Lovely machine, even if it does give the driver a physical workout.
Having owned and enjoyed three ISO's ,two powered by Chevrolet and My 1974 powered by 351 Ford (Cleveland) I can say that they are fun cars and reliable daily drivers. I will say that the RHD conversion really was not very good in terms of ergonomics. The 7 liter Grifos was a real beast . Many of the drive line and brake components were from Jaguar Mk 10 and the had the DiDion rear suspension with inboard rear discs. The hardest part of owning them was finding out where the various parts they used were sourced.
Based on the huge number of turns lock-to-lock, it appears that Iso used the Corvette's manual steering box (not rack), along with its engine, clutch, and transmission. I drove an all-manual 1971 Corvette back in about 1981 and, let me tell you, Jack is not kidding about the high efforts involved. Both steering and clutch were _extremely_ heavy to use, really unimaginable by modern standards. Having grown up around many non-assisted American cars, I was still shocked by it.
No way, Corvette steering was 3.5 turns lock to lock. It looks like he goes 3 turns from straight to the full right, so he is about 6 turns lock to lock.
I remember back in the early 70s when I was a kid, I had a Matchbox Iso Grifo car in cyan blue. Loved it even then❤
I'm from Tasmania, Australia 🦘🇦🇺
I was today old when seeing this vehicle or knowing about it 😳
OMG 😳😍
Utterly perfect ❤️🙏🙌
You're getting an immediate like because of the dog! It reminds me of my last dog, a German Shepherd X St Bernard, she looked just like that at 2 months!
Thats a lovely looking car. Never heard of them, but beautiful lines, like many Italian carriages of the era
Thanks for featuring this car Jack! I love the history, style and engineering behind the ISO and Bizzarrini models. They are dream cars for me and in my mind, more desirable than some Lambo and Ferrari models.
Jack, another enjoyable episode as the ISO are some of my favorite cars. It's a shame that Chevrolet didn't allow for their Corvette V8 to be used in more Euro cars of the era. None of these - including a one-off Mangusta with a Corvette engine installed for a GM VP - posed a threat to Corvette sales. Yet the automaker could've gleaned a lot of market info by doing so.
Mike Hailwood had one. He brought it out to South Africa for the1967 Springbok Series of endurance races (in which he campaigned either a GT40 or a Mirage - I'd have to check). Sadly, Mike, in the Grifo, collided with a cow on a dark night; I have heard, though, that the car was repaired. Back in those days things were a lot freer and easier, so I was able to get up close to the Grifo, in the paddock at Killarney (Cape Town's track), and take some photos. Beautiful car. Thanks, Jack!
A love affair that goes back to my metallic blue Matchbox toy!
Giacomo, a deceased family friend in Biella had a relative who owned one of these back in the days, I didn't see any photographs of it. So just have to take their word for it.
Thanks Jack, a great looking car. Definitely better when the Italians style using American muscle, playing to both their strengths! 🙏🙏
Beautiful car 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In a similar vein, please drive a Gordon Keeble 🙏🏻
The radio is in another hemisphere lol... no changing channels while driving, it sounds beautiful
I love seeing these at Classic Car Shows. I didnt know the Rivolta came before this.
More walking around and looking at the car would've been nice. It seems a lot like a Maserati Ghibli from the period, kind of a truck to drive but beautiful. I had a 1969 Euro-spec 4.7 Ghibli, a gorgeous truck.
I've been a fan of these types of cars since I was a kid in the late 60s early 70s. Thanks for the video Jack! Keep them coming.
I'm a new subscriber and I'm so happy to have connected! I love the knowledge you impart. No-one else, as far as I'm aware, does this. It's a real strong USP. Good luck for future endeavours, I'll be rooting for ya! 👍
A beautiful car! I had heard of them but this is the first time that I have seen it in the flesh! Thanks for bringing this to us!
Great video once again Jack....really admire your knowledge on classic cars especially models like the Iso 🙂👍
What a a wonderful episode! Thanks so much, Jack! Andreas, lutenist and Uomo Universale
Rear View of that is PURE Old Aston Martin .
A few years back I saw a bright yellow one thunder around Zandvoort ........
Make no mistake , dispite the size these beasts are fast !
It went beautifully trough the bends and.............that roarrrrrrrr was gorgious !
It was great to bump into you at Bicester on Sunday! Keep up the good work! Best, Clive
FROM SOUTH AFRICA ..THANK GOD YOU DID NOT NEED TO CHANGE THE RADIO STATION ---- BEAUTIFUL COLOR AND LINES
What a beautiful car Jack, the profile reminds me a bit of the Interceptor. It's such a privilege to see such awesome cars, thanks again for sharing your thoughts and drives. Regards, Bob M.
Mike Hailwood had one , i spoke to him at Brand Hatch in the pits just before he rode around the outsid of Renzo Pasolini on clearways ( i now own a Pasolini Benelli replica, back to Mike his car had a large rent on he top o the rear wing behind drivers door he said he was too close to the overhang on an artic trailer, i guess he liked that car a lot
Wow, you are getting such cool cars. First multiple De Tomasos and now an Iso. Keep it up
You outdid yourself! Nice. Where do you find these classics? What a lovely car. Ever since I saw a Rivolta winning the local classics races near me, I'm a big fan of Iso. Thank you for showing this car.
Great review Jack. Loved these since I was a kid in the 60’s, when I had the ubiquitous blue Matchbox Grifo 😊
So glad I discovered this channel.
Greetings from the Netherlands
I bought a 1:43 scale model of the Grifo several days ago. Your review made my day :) Thanks !
The Iso Grifo has been number 1 on my lottery list since I discovered it's existence in 1967. I think that the combo of Italian style and American muscle is a marriage made in heaven. The result is a stunningly beautiful car with performance to spare!
To quote a famous character, "I want THAT one!"
If anyone is interested, number 2 on my list is a '66 Pontiac GTO and number 3 is a Lotus Carlton!
Italian driving posture of the era: arms stretched out, legs bent and splayed. Great video.
If I won the lottery I would find an unloved example and deliver to Callum and the boys at Retropower to work their magic on.
The AC-derived Cobra 427 and this Iso Grifo were my teenage dream. Both capable of some 300 km/h (186.4 mi/h) - a magical number at the time. Note that Carroll Shelby tried to have a British sports car with a US engine and first went to GM as supplier of race engines. He was sent away and had to stoop down to Ford. Building a Cobra 427 kit car with a Corvette block in that sense would be hysterically correct.
Great video as usual.
What a great review, thank you!
Please please please review a Gordon-Keeble if you get the opportunity!
Holy Moley, what an insanely beautiful car
Thanks love the styling, I wonder if it had some suspension specialists work over it wether it ‘could’ be a real goer in the twisty bits
So happy you did this one Jack. I suggested it about 6-8 months ago. The Rivola was a nice car too but wow does that shifter look a looooong way from you. Thanks again!
Rivolta 😊
Bella 👍🏼
The very first thing I noted was the enormous stretch to the gear lever. I can easily see your point with to regard this car, which, in every way, it has some great gift to give, and the L engine is one of them. The styling and the chassis, of course, owe everything to the Italian/ European house of excellence. Inside and out, it is cut from the right cloth, without being gaudy, or in any way being overstated, it is simply handsome. Sure, perhaps it would have benefited from the addition of a tilt/telescopic steering wheel; hardly the consideration from an Italian audience at the time.
What a stunning machine. You’re really getting some fantastic cars lately Jack
Great content
Thank you - can we have Grifo part 2, part 3, part 4 etc. I had my 17" laptop on full screen - Beautiful - Love it - cheers Neil
That was a GREAT review of yet another automotive unicorn 🦄. That sound is distinctive. I love how impractical and challenging the car is to drive. Glad you survived. 🏎💨💨
Love the iso.. as you can see by the shifter it's designed to be a left hand drive.
Yes, the shifter rods on the Muncie box are mounted on the left side.
It reminds me of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada.
You've been treating us to an awesome amount of videos of absolute Jem's Jack!
Sounds fantastic, gorgeous looking car.
FINALMENTE!!!! Adoro le Iso!
Non è assolutamente Americana, è una macchina ITALIANA (come le De Tomaso), motori americani eh, ovviamente, ma tutte le Iso come le De Tomaso le considero macchina esclusivamente, Italiane!
Great video as always! Beautiful car! Definately in my wish list.... if I had the money ahahahahha. I am madly in love with all of em, especially the first one and the 7 liters one (IR9)
Certo la 7 litri deve veramente essere stato un mostro!!
@@Number27 😎👍
What a glorious looking car..... Watching the slow-speed manoeuvring made me chuckle though - reminded me of an ocean liner being turned!
The Grifo is such a cool car! I knew about both the Grifo and the Isetta but for some reason never realized they came from the same company! Interesting video - thanks!
What about the Gordon Keeble, Italian design, American Powerplant and British built
I've still got my matchbox Iso from back in the 70's!