1965 Iso Grifo A3/C
Conceived by Giotto Bizzarrini, the engineer credited with developing the Ferrari 250 GTO, the Grifo A3/C was the competition counterpart to the road-going A3/L, both of which debuted at the 1963 Turin Auto Show.
Where the A3/L was built for luxury grand touring, the A3/C (Corsa, meaning competition) prioritized performance, a distinction apparent in its construction from the outset.
The body was fabricated in riveted aluminum by Piero Drogo’s Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena, with styling credited to Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone. Low-slung and aerodynamically purposeful in profile, the A3/C weighed in at around 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) in competition trim.
Bizzarrini positioned the Chevrolet 327 CI V8 further rearward than conventional placement would allow, improving front-to-rear weight distribution and giving the car handling characteristics well beyond its GT contemporaries.
Power outputs ranged from approximately 365 to 400 horsepower depending on specification, with a Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission standard.
Only 22 examples were completed under the Iso name before Bizzarrini and Renzo Rivolta parted ways in 1965, after which the model continued under Bizzarrini’s own name as the 5300 GT.
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