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1968 Iso Grifo Wears Decidedly Italian Sheetmetal, Beats To A Corvette Heartbeat

The Iso Grifo wasn’t the only Italian motoring vehicle to feature a Corvette engine. Nearly ten years prior, Scageletti was producing gorgeous Italian-Corvette mashups with reliable Detroit power.

But Iso was a little different, and decidedly even better looking. Designed in Turin, and powered by Detroit, this is a rare 7.0-liter example as originally found by BoldRide.

Iso, originally a refrigerator company, began to forge its way into the four-wheeled transportation business. Boy, does this look nothing like a fridge. The Iso Grifo made its debut in 1963 styled by Bertone’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, engineered by ex-Ferrari chief Giotto Bizzarrini. And of course, that massive big-block Corvette engine.

The car was surprisingly an instant success. The power and reliability of the 454 big-block was unsurpassed by the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Producing 390 hp, the Grifo could max out at 170 mph, a headache for its aforementioned rivals.

But, sometimes good things must come to an end. After 400 Iso Grifos produced, 90 of them featuring the massive 454 big-blocks, the company shut its doors in 1974, overshadowed by its domestic rivals. This particular 1968 Is Grifo is even rarer yet, produced in right-hand drive configuration for the UK’s 1968 Earls Court Motor Show. One of four known to exist.

While our childhood posters featured Ferraris, Corvettes and McLarens, we wouldn’t have minded staring at a gorgeous piece like the Iso Grifo before closing our eyes for bed. Even after childhood, that is.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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