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© 2024 Automodello® Dreams Engaged®
- Year: 1969
- Exterior Color: Arancio (Orange)
- Marque: Iso
- Scale: 1:24
- Build: 49
- Feature: Certificate of Authenticity hand-signed by Darren Frank, Administrator for Iso Rivolta & Bizzarrini Facebook Group
- Official Release Date: September 24th 2024
Renzo Rivolta, founder of Iso, was born into a family of well-respected industrialists. Renzo had a passion for speed and mechanical devices, which was the spark that ignited the Iso story. In 1939, Rivolta bought a small company called Isothermos that produced refrigerators and heaters. He later relocated his family and business to an 18th century villa (known to this day as Villa Rivolta) surrounded by a large tract of land situated in Bresso, Italy, right on the Milan city limit. They built their new factory on their land adjacent to Villa Rivolta.
After WWII, the demand for new means of transport increased. Rivolta eagerly dedicated himself to building scooters, motorcycles, small vehicles on sophisticated production lines, and then the famous Isetta Bubble Car. It was in this evolutionary period that the company name was shortened to simply 'Iso'.
In 1962, the first Iso Gran Turismo, called the Iso Rivolta GT, was completed. It was based on a visionary concept for that time: an American engine and transmission, powerful and reliable, combined with an exceptionally performing chassis designed by legendary engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, the father of the Ferrari 250 GTO, which resulted in a car that was very reliable, luxurious and safe to drive, especially at high speeds. The body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the visionary designer working at Bertone at the time.
With the introduction of their next model, the two seater Iso Grifo GL (“GL” for Grifo “Lusso,” or luxury), also designed by Giugiaro, Iso had become internationally famous among the most sophisticated car enthusiasts for their innovative approach in marrying Italian design with American powertrains, thus producing exceptional and reliable performance automobiles.
Early in its history, Iso Grifo A3/C (“C” for “Corsa” or racing) sports and racing models participated in some of the world's greatest motoring competitions, such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1000 km of the Nürburgring, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The production Iso Grifo is what truly put Iso on the map. Having recognized a niche for more sporty, unique vehicles, the company shifted direction once again. The Iso Grifo, like the Iso Rivolta GT that preceded it, was the Italian automaker's attempt to blend Italian style and American V-8 power to create the ultimate grand-touring automobile. First shown as a prototype at the 1963 Torino Auto Show, the Iso Grifo would see production from 1965-1974.
The Iso Grifo was meant to compete with the most prestigious marques of the day, such as Maserati, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Released for public sale in 1965, the elegant and sleek Bertone-bodied GT Coupe was a sensation. Boasting a high-performance Corvette engine and stunning good looks, the Grifo quickly earned a reputation as one of the best all-around sporting GTs on the market. A worthy competitor to the most pedigreed European marques, the automotive press praised the new Italian beauty after its demonstration day at Monza in August 1965, but not before Iso boldly claimed in its own press release: “On the part of experts, our Iso Grifo GL is now considered the finest car in the world.”
Regarding the name “Grifo,” or “Griffon”: In the words of Piero, Renzo Rivolta’s son:
“I don’t remember the exact occasion, but at one point in time Nuccio Bertone, my father and I were seated together in the grand reception room of our family villa in Bresso, which faced the park that separated our residence from the factory. Nuccio Bertone, the famous automotive designer and builder, was always very attentive to detail and had noticed the images of four large griffons painted on the vaulted ceiling of the room.
“My father explained the symbolism of this mythological animal and what it had to do with our family history. The griffon, with the head of an eagle and the body of a winged lion, signifies power and perfection because it combines the two most majestic creatures of the earth and sky. It also stands for protection, fearlessly executed with swift precision.”
Sometime later, while discussing the new two-seater that Iso and Bertone companies had decided to launch together, Nuccio Bertone suggested using the name “Grifo” and showed a sketch of the icon for the car. Everyone agreed with enthusiasm.
In the beginning the griffon icon was used only with the sports line of the two-seaters, but its use was eventually extended to all of the cars with the introduction of a new logo. The emblem depicted the griffon on a white field with stripes of green, white and red behind it, representing the colors of the Italian flag. It was designed by Piero’s wife Rachele, whom everyone called Lele, like the car named after her that debuted in 1969. In the new design, Rachele had outlined the figure of the griffon in order to show its form more clearly and had made its wings resemble a mechanical gear. The griffon icon thereafter became an intrinsic visual in all of the projects the Rivoltas pursued.
Over the lifespan of the Iso Grifo, a number of Corvette engines were available, including the 327, 350, 427 and 454. Later on, Ford 351 Cleveland engines replaced Corvette engines. Four speeds, five speeds and automatics were available, as were targa roof and sunroof options. Power windows, full leather interiors were standard, and air conditioning, stereos and Borrani wire wheels were popular options. The first Grifos, with “open headlights” are referred to as Series I models; Marcello Gandini created the updated styling for the Grifo with covered headlights, called Series II models. The Series I Grifos with big blocks are “7Litris” and Series II with Corvette big blocks were labeled Can Am. Unlike the other models in the Iso range, the Iso Grifo was the only truly hand-made car, with panels that were hand-beaten out of steel and aluminum sheets, rather than machine pressed panels for the other models. The Grifo was only originally intended to be made in very limited quantities, with only 50 envisioned. All told, Iso produced approximately 400 Iso Grifos between 1965-1974.
Other models soon followed the Grifo, such as the Iso Lele (an update to the Iso Rivolta GT), Iso Fidia (a five passenger, four door model billed as “The World’s Fastest Four Doors”), and the Iso Varedo prototype. Iso eventually moved from Bresso to Varedo, and the company was renamed Iso Rivolta. Iso Rivolta finally closed its doors in 1974, a victim of the fuel crisis, labor unrest in Italy, and other factors.
For the latest Automodello® ONE24™ creation: 99 in Rosso Chiaro (Red) and Verde Aintree Metallizzato (Green), while 49 have been rendered in Arancio (Orange) and Argento Auteuil Metallizzato (Silver). The final 6 are rendered in Nero (Black). All Iso Grifo’s Certificate of Authenticity are hand-numbered and come mounted to a decorative plinth that you will be proud to display next to your finest 1:24 models.
Automodello Payment Plan: This model is eligible for our exclusive Automodello Payment Plan. Please see details here.
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