1965 Iso Grifo A3/C

Giotto Bizzarrini’s Vision

By the time he became involved with the Iso Grifo competition programme, Giotto Bizzarrini had already established himself as one of Italy’s most capable engineers. Having joined Ferrari in the late 1950s as a test driver, he was quickly promoted to head of experimental, Sports and GT car development and was instrumental in the development of legendary models including the 250 GT SWB and the all-time-great 250 GTO.

A few years after his departure from Ferrari following the ‘Great Walkout’ of 1961, Bizzarrini joined Iso Rivolta, whose Grifo project combined American V8 power with an advanced chassis and a sleek bodywork designed by Bertone’s Giorgetto Giugiaro. Although the Iso Grifo A3/L was intended as a road-going GT, Bizzarrini concentrated on the A3/C competition variant, which was initially homologated with aluminium bodywork and a live rear axle.

The A3/C’s development culminated with a pair of hugely significant works competition cars: chassis B-0222 and B-0226. Built as factory development machines rather than to be sold to customers, they incorporated significant departures from standard A3/C specification. Aluminium body panels were replaced with lighter fibreglass, delivering meaningful weight savings. Of greater technical significance was the adoption of independent rear suspension.

While many front-engined GT competitors continued to rely on live rear axles, Bizzarrini recognised the advantages of improved wheel control, traction, and high-speed stability – qualities essential for endurance racing. Like the road car, power came from a 5.4-litre Chevrolet small-block V8, extensively developed and mounted well back in the chassis – making the car front-mid-engined – to optimise weight distribution.

With two of the existing works aluminium competition cars suffering heavy accidents at Sebring in March, the need for the new design’s completion was put into focus and the first was duly completed, while the old ’64 works car, B-0207, was kept in action while the second was being finished.

Both of the new wide bodied, fibreglass, IRS cars were campaigned selectively during the 1965 season, appearing at races including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Nürburgring 1000 km. The high point of the Iso Grifo A3/C competition programme and comfortably its most significant international success came at Le Mans, when chassis B-0222 finished first in class and ninth overall in the hands of French duo Jean de Mortemart and Régis Fraissinet.

The two fibreglass IRS cars final outing came in August, at the 200 mile Zeltweg race, where Chris Amon drove B-0222 to an impressive fourth place, whilst B-0226 finished seventh, driven by Bob Bondurant.

Despite this promise, tensions had been developing behind the scenes. The A3/C programme had been funded entirely at the expense of Renzo Rivolta, yet an increasing number of competition entries appeared under the Bizzarrini Prototipo name, and most A3/Cs carried Bizzarrini badging. Matters were further complicated when it emerged that Bizzarrini had registered the Grifo trademark in his own name.

These issues came to a head in late summer 1965, when Rivolta terminated his association with Bizzarrini. Under the terms of the subsequent settlement, Bizzarrini relinquished the Grifo trademark in exchange for sole production rights to the A3/C design, together with a substantial stock of components. With responsibility for an expensive international racing programme now resting entirely with him, Bizzarrini primarily redirected his efforts toward limited-series road-car production, with the cars being sold as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT.