Some of the greatest Italian GT cars have come from the most unusual beginnings, but it is difficult to beat the origins of Iso, born from a company that first manufactured household appliances—namely refrigerators—and later the Isetta microcar. Yet against all odds Iso built a truly marvelous driver’s machine, combining sleek Italian design by Bertone with the unrestrained American power of a Corvette V-8. The Grifo was one of the world’s fastest production cars of its time, with a top speed upwards of 140 mph. Its production run of what is believed to be just 330 Series I examples made it quite sought-after when new and it remains so today.

The car offered here was built with the 350-horsepower, 327-cubic-inch Hi-Po V-8, Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission, 3.07:1 rear axle, air conditioning, and ZF quick-ratio steering box. Following completion on 21 March 1967 it was delivered to its original owner in Italy. According to an Iso Grifo registry publication, it was the car memorably featured in major scenes of the gritty 1973 Italian crime film, The Violent Professionals, and later registered in Holland between 2000 and 2013. Subsequently it was acquired in 2017 by Stewart Parr of New York, from whom it was purchased by the present owner in 2021. Mr. Parr undertook a cosmetic restoration of the car in what are reportedly its original colors and with the original drivetrain.

The car is equipped with the aforementioned features, as well as power steering and brakes, and a driver’s side-view mirror. Its interior features bucket seats and console trimmed in black leather, a wood-grained dashboard housing Veglia Borletti instrumentation, and both clock and AM radio, while a full-sized spare is housed in the trunk. Its current owner has reportedly invested some $24,000 on further mechanical sorting.

The Iso Grifo when new combined a fascinating heritage with muscular brawn, sensual design, and impressive performance—with the added, pragmatic appeal of an American powertrain that was and is easy to service and maintain. It ranks among the most beautiful, potent, user-friendly automobiles of its era, and would have a ready home in any fine collection.