First introduced in 1963 and entering production in 1965, the Iso Grifo combined a lightweight Italian grand touring chassis with a Chevrolet V-8. Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini, the model marked Iso Autoveicoli’s entry into the upper echelon of high-performance road cars. Iso transitioned from motorcycles and microcars to grand touring cars in the early 1960s, seeking to compete directly with established manufacturers of performance cars. The Grifo became the brand’s defining product of the era, establishing the marque’s reputation for combining Italian design and chassis engineering with American powertrains.