Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II: The Rare Italian GT with American Muscle

Power Elegance - Some cars don’t just move you from one place to another — they tell a story the moment you lay eyes on them. The Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II is one of those rare machines that feels less like a car and more like a chapter of automotive history, blending two worlds that were never meant to meet, yet somehow did so perfectly. It’s where Italian artistry meets raw American muscle, and even decades later, the result is nothing short of mesmerizing.

The Iso Grifo 7-Liter Series II, the most powerful variant produced by Iso, featured a 427-cubic-inch 7.0-liter engine delivering 390 horsepower, the same big-block that made Corvette race cars legendary worldwide. (Picture from: MyCarQuest)

Back in 1963, the world first saw the Iso Grifo in two very different forms at the Turin Motor Show. On one side was the A3/L, a luxurious grand tourer meant for high-speed comfort. On the other was the A3/C, a razor-sharp race car engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini — the same man who helped bring the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO to life. The A3/C wasn’t just a pretty face either; it claimed class victories at Le Mans in both 1964 and 1965, all while wearing Giorgetto Giugiaro’s sleek Bertone-designed bodywork. Beneath that sculpted metal beat the heart of a Chevrolet V8, which gave the Grifo the kind of punch that matched its beauty.

The Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II featured subtle yet impactful updates, most notably its hidden pop-up headlights, which gave the front end a sleeker, more modern appearance. (Picture from: MyCarQuest)

Most Grifos rolled off the line with Chevrolet’s 327-cubic-inch V8 producing a robust 350 horsepower — already more than enough to thrill any driver of the era. But Iso wasn’t afraid to push the envelope. For the few who wanted something truly ferocious, there was the 427-cubic-inch, 7.0-liter option. Delivering 390 horsepower, this was the same big-block that had made Corvette race cars legends on circuits worldwide. These “7-Litri” versions were scarce even when new, and today, they’re automotive unicorns.

The Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II featured a meticulously hand-finished interior, combining luxurious upholstery with four practical seats, offering both elegance and comfort for its passengers. (Picture from: MyCarQuest)

Renzo Rivolta, the man behind Iso, was no stranger to thinking big. After his quirky yet wildly successful collaboration with BMW on the Isetta microcar, he set his sights on building the perfect Italian grand tourer. To do it, he turned to the best: Giugiaro for the design, Bizzarrini for the engineering, and Chevrolet for the muscle. By the early 1970s, following Chevrolet’s own lead, Rivolta began fitting his cars with the massive 454-cubic-inch V8, ensuring the Grifo stayed at the top of the performance game. 

The Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II was initially powered by a 427-cubic-inch engine but later upgraded to a thunderous 454-cubic-inch big-block paired with a ZF five-speed gearbox. (Picture from: MyCarQuest)

The Series II cars, introduced later in production, carried subtle but significant changes — most notably, hidden pop-up headlights that gave the front end a cleaner, more modern look. Among these, the 1971 Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II stood as a masterpiece. Completed on May 3, 1971, this particular example originally landed in Italy, but its life soon took an interesting turn. At some point before 1980, its original 427-cubic-inch was replaced with a thunderous 454-cubic-inch big-block, paired with a ZF five-speed gearbox and the distinctive “pagoda” hood borrowed from an Iso Grifo Can Am. That donor car had suffered body damage, but its heart — and hood — lived on in this beast.

The Iso Grifo 7-Liter Series II was incredibly rare, with only four Series II models ever built featuring the 7.0-liter engine. (Picture from: MyCarQuest)

Only four Series II Grifos were ever built with the 7.0-liter engine, making them incredibly rare even by classic car standards. Their allure lies in that intoxicating combination: the refined curves and coachbuilt charm of an Italian GT, wrapped around the bellowing, road-shaking power of a top-tier American V8. It’s the kind of car that could cruise the autostrada in serene elegance one moment, then unleash tire-smoking fury the next. | 9Q_2YCf1jf8 |

More than 50 years on, the Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series II remains a testament to an era when boundaries in automotive design were meant to be crossed. It’s a machine born from friendship, vision, and a shared love of speed — one that still turns heads and stirs hearts every time its engine roars to life. In a world where so many cars try to be everything at once, the Grifo had already figured it out half a century ago: be unforgettable. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AMAZINGCLASSICCARS | MYCARQUEST | RMSOTHEBYS ]

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