VIN: the works Iso Grifo A3/C Corsa chassis B-0226

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HISTORY OF CHASSIS B-0226

B-0226 was a fibreglass-bodied works Grifo A3/C Corsa with independent rear suspension, the second of two such cars completed midway through the 1965 season. The new Grifos were much needed after two freshly completed A3/Cs had been destroyed earlier in the season.

Unfortunately, B-0226’s career was cut short when Iso boss Renzo Rivolta ended his commercial agreement with Giotto Bizzarini who designed, built and raced the A3/C Grifos.

This last Iso Competizione made its one and only outing at the 100 lap Austrian Grand Prix which comprised 100 laps of the Zeltweg airfield track on August 22nd. B-0226 was entered for Bob Bondurant (qualified 13th) while sister car B-0222 was allocated to Chris Amon (qualified eighth).

In the race, both Grifos moved up the order as some of the faster cars retired, but B-0226 in particular was hampered by obtrusive bodywork on the bumpy airfield circuit.

Amon went on to finish fourth overall while Bondurant brought B-0226 home in seventh (sixth in class).

Although the A3/C had by this time shown much promise during an 18 month competition career, trouble was brewing behind the scenes.

The car had been developed, marketed and raced entirely at Renzo Rivolta’s expense. However, Giotto Bizzarrini had supplied nearly every A3/C with a Bizzarrini badge and most of the car’s competition outings had been made under Bizzarrini Prototipo entries. Inexplicably, it also transpired the Giotto Bizzarrini had registered the Grifo trademark for himself.

At the end of August 1965, an exasperated Renzo Rivolta ended his association with Bizzarrini.

The termination agreement saw Bizzarrini hand over the Grifo trademark in exchange for the sole production rights to the A3/C and enough component parts to construct 50 cars under whatever name he desired.

With the cost of an expensive racing programme now down entirely to him, Giotto Bizzarrini primarily switched his focus to the production of road-going variants which were marketed as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT

As for chassis B-0226, it returned at Bizzarrini after its Zeltweg outing and remained there as part of Renzo Rivolta’s termination deal. In 1971 the car was purchased from Bizzarrini’s bankruptcy sale by Pisa-based Luciano Mancini who had it restored a few years later.

Notable History

Iso Rivolta

22/08/1965 IND Austrian GP, Zeltweg (B. Bondurant) 7th oa, 6th S2.0+ class (#8)

1971 Bizzarrini bankruptcy sale to Luciano Mancini, Pisa

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Technisches Museum Wien - https://www.technischesmuseum.at/en