1968 Iso Grifo
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Year of manufacture1968
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Mileage68 297 km / 42 438 mi
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Car typeOther
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Lot number249
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Reference number3804
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DriveLHD
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ConditionUsed
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Exterior brand colourother
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Location
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Exterior colourOther
Description
Chassis No. GL810168
What happens when you combine Italian style, an American engine, and the talents of a disgruntled ex-Ferrari engineer? You get an Iso Grifo. Founded in 1938 as a motorcycle manufacturer, Iso Rivolta shifted to building cars in 1953, first with the small, utilitarian Isetta, and later with the iconic Grifo grand turismo. The Grifo, which debuted in 1965, proved to be a formidable challenger to the most famous marques, thanks largely to the consultancy of engineer Giotto Bizzarrini-the technical father of the Ferrari 250 GTO- who, having left Maranello during the famous "palace revolt" of 1961, designed the chassis and running gear for Renzo Rivolta's sports car.
The Iso Grifo combined the best of both worlds: Giorgetto Giugiaro's muscular Italian styling executed by Carrozzeria Bertone, with the reliability and power of American V8 engines. This approach was part of a brilliant wave of European-American hybrids created in the 1960s, when builders discovered they could compete with Ferrari and Maserati without the expense of developing proprietary engines. The Grifo featured an advanced chassis with four-wheel disc brakes, a De Dion rear axle with inboard brakes, and coil spring suspension.
A copy of the original build sheet confirms that this elegant Grifo, chassis number GL81068, was completed on 24 January 1968 in its current Argento (silver) exterior over Pelle Nera (black leather) color scheme. The document also details its factory specifications, which included a 350-horsepower engine (one of just 29 so equipped that year), a four-speed manual transmission, 3.07 differential ratio, and wire wheels.
This exceptional Grifo was reportedly restored under previous ownership, with final assembly by marque specialist Roberto Negri in Italy. The car was later acquired out of the Netherlands by the current German owner in June 2018, joining his distinguished collection of Italian sports cars. In January 2019, the current owner commissioned further restorative work encompassing the coachwork and exterior components performed by Jesse DEWU GmbH, with receipts exceeding €23,000. This commitment to perfection is further evidenced by consistent maintenance from 2019 through 2024, documented by invoices from Oldtimer-Service Hanov & Franzke GbR. The current owner drives all cars in his collection regularly and places particular emphasis on maintaining this Grifo in excellent mechanical condition.
Also in current ownership, the car has undergone two professional inspections and appraisals by Ingenieurbüro MEHL-first in 2018 and again in 2022. The most recent evaluation resulted in the Grifo being assigned a near-perfect condition grade of "1-." Now offered from an exquisite collection, this remarkable Grifo is accompanied by documentation including German and Dutch registration paperwork, TÜV documents, an article in Auto Zeitung Classic Cars magazine, comprehensive service invoices, and a copy of its original build sheet. With only 330 first-series Iso Grifos produced between 1965 and 1969, chassis GL81068 offers a chance to own one of the most compelling Italian-American grand tourers of the 1960s.

