One to Buy: ex-Paris Motor Show 1965 Iso A3/C Grifo Strada
Although perhaps best known for the beautiful Bertone-bodied Grifo A3/L, arguably the pièce de résistance of Renzo Rivolta’s car building operation was the spectacular A3/C version which Iso conceived as the ultimate GT racing car of its day.
In addition to having been available in Corsa trim, Iso offered the A3/C as a slightly more refined Stradale variant for those customers that wanted an example of this Giotto Bizzarrini-designed and built masterpiece purely for road use.
Unfortunately though, a falling out between Rivolta and Bizzarrini around 18 months after the first A3/C was completed meant only a handful emerged during the Iso era. The net result of this parting ways was that the A3/C subsequently became a Bizzarrini-owned project dubbed the 5300 GT.
Currently on offer at the Fiskens showroom in London is an A3/C Grifo configured in an almost certainly unique specification and with a particularly interesting story: chassis B-0212.
One of just 22 cars completed by Carrozzeria Drogo with riveted aluminium bodywork, B-0212 was originally configured in a spectacular champagne gold livery and upon completion is believed to have starred at the 1964 Paris Motor Show which opened on October 7th.
During 1965 it was purchased new by engineer Marc Gregoire of Val-D’Oise in northern France who in 1968 went on to establish the Tefal cookware concern.
Strasbourg artist and sculptor Freddy Zimmer then acquired the Iso in 1966 and retained it until 1979. More recently, B-0212 has undergone a sympathetic restoration which has seen as many of the original components retained as possible.
