Footnotes

• 'For front-engined machismo at a bargain price, look no further than the 7-litre Iso Grifo – fastest and rarest of all the hybrid, American-engined heavyweights that proliferated in the Sixties.' – Classic Cars.
  
  Bubblecar manufacturer Iso joined the ranks of supercar constructors in 1962 with the launch of the Giotto Bizzarrini-designed Rivolta coupé at the Turin Motor Show. Renzo Rivolta's Isothermos company had begun life pre-war making refrigerators, turning to the manufacture of scooters, under the Iso name, after the war and thence to the highly successful Isetta bubblecar. Styled at Bertone by Giorgetto Giugiaro and powered by a 327ci (5.4-litre) Chevrolet V8, the four-seat Rivolta employed a steel platform chassis featuring independent front suspension, De Dion rear axle and disc brakes all round (inboard at the rear). Iso's first supercar set the pattern for those that followed: Bizzarrini-designed chassis, Bertone coachwork and Chevrolet engines, its future developments including the long-wheelbase, Ghia-styled, Fidia four-door saloon; the muscular, short-wheelbase Grifo and the Rivolta-replacement Lele. Produced between 1963 and 1974, the 'standard' Grifo used the small-block Chevrolet V8 in all but its final Ford-powered incarnation. Even the tamest Grifo came with 350bhp, which was good for around 160mph, while for the seriously speed addicted there was the exclusive, 390bhp 7.0-litre model, only 90 of which were made. Iso claimed a top speed of 186mph for the long-legged Grifo, making it faster than a Ferrari Daytona.
  
  Powered by the 5.3-litre V8 engine, this Iso Grifo Series II is one of only five imported to the UK in right-hand drive configuration. It was originally finished in Gold with tan interior, and was first registered in the UK in February 1972 with the number 'VRV 629K'. Being an automatic, it has the tall axle ratio of 2.88:1, and was factory fitted from new with air conditioning and ZF re-circulating ball power steering.
  
  Previous owners include Rupert Beckwith-Smith from 1982 to 1990, and Anders Schroeder up to 1992. In 1994 the Iso was sold through auction to Nick Carter in North Norfolk, from where the current owner bought it in 2001. At that time the car was in good running order but the paintwork (already changed to metallic blue) was tired.
  
  The current owner then commissioned a repaint in Blue Sera, which was carried out to a high standard in 2002 by Prestige Restorations in Chertsey. Mechanical re-commissioning and subsequent servicing has been entrusted to McGrath Maserati. In 2005, the car was invited to the Cartier 'Style et Luxe' at Goodwood where it won its class. It was also exhibited at Salon Privé at the Hurlingham Club in 2009. In storage for the last few years, the car has recently been re-commissioned and MoT tested. Accompanying documentation consists of sundry invoices for servicing and repair during this ownership, a V5C Registration Certificate, and the current MoT certificate.
  
  Finished in dark blue metallic with cream leather interior, this beautiful Iso Grifo represents a rare opportunity to acquire the very best in Italian Gran Turismo style and performance.