by Mike –
This 1972 Iso Grifo is for sale at the RM auction in Monaco on May 10 and is on of the list of Strange Ones Are Being Brought To Classic Car Auctions that I wrote about recently.
This late model Grifo is Ford powered as it should be but if you look close you will see it has the lower hood scoop that is standard on the 7-Liter which is Chevy powered. This Ford powered series 2 car should have a slightly higher hood scoop.
The RM description does not mention this – sometimes what isn’t said by the seller can be just as important as what is said.
1972 Iso Grifo IR8 Targa Conversion by Bertone
The RM label for this car is 1972 Iso Grifo IR8 Targa Conversion by Bertone. Does that title imply that the targa conversion was done by Bertone?
The casual reader may think so. The RM description says,
…the original coupé roof had also been converted to the unique targa configuration, which it sports today.
There is no mention of who did the targa conversion but the way the title is written it could be interpreted as if Bertone did the targa conversion which seems highly unlikely to me.
I suggest that RM should not have used Bertone in the title.
RM has a more serious problem with their description of this 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy also for sale at the same auction.
The Iso Grifo estimate range is €125,000 – €165,000 ($173,000 – $228,000) (103,000 – 136,000 pounds sterling).
The RM listing for the Iso Grifo is here.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Sell your classic car on My Car Quest – click here.
The only Targa version ever made by Bertone was Grifo # 097, the one
wth the brushed stainless steel roof panels. All other Targa were converted
by Pavesi inclusive the sun roof versions ( tetto appribile).
Some weeks ago I got a call regarding this Grifo from someone named
Eugene, from the R&M headquarters in Toronto. He claimed he got my
name and phone number from the R&M representative in London.
We went through all the pictures (approx.16) one by one and I had to
name him all parts that were missing or incorrect.
It took us about an hour to get everything done, incl. the findings that the
body is not straight and the dimensions left and right side are not even.
The same with the green Bizzarrini. There are some self appointed
Bizzarrini “experts” out there but no one even intends to talk about this car
to set things straight. Normally they are very fast in claiming a Bizzarrini
of being ” incorrect, fake, replica,” etc.
And there are obviously a lot of incorrect features on and in the green car.
This chassis # 314 might be the correct one but the rest is Diomante phantasy.
Incorrect or wrong are: engine, tail lights, the shape of the rear itself,
the rear grill (Miura), no bumpers, the wire wheels, the entire interior is out of
a Lele or Fidia but the Jaeger instruments are relabeled BIZZARRINI, the seats,
radio, air condition, middle console, door panels, ash tray, not a GM 4-speed due
to the location of the shifter, etc. etc.
All this is visible by just looking at some pictures. If the cars could be checked in
person there might even more findings.
My assumption is that the Auction Companies want to leave it to the buyer
to find out what’s right or wrong with these cars.
Gerd,
Thank you for the information. It would seem that your discussion with Eugene from the R&M headquarters in Toronto did not result in an improvement of the description for Iso and Bizzarrini cars at their Monaco auction over the description of Grifo #413 at the RM Amelia Island auction.
I was approached by an RM rep about the description of #413 at Amelia Island and I let him know all that was known about that Grifo and the result was not one word was changed in the RM description.
https://mycarquest.com/2014/03/iso-grifo-no-413-is-now-a-very-unusual-price-record-holder.html
I am happy to see that RM has changed the title of this Grifo to: “1972 Iso Grifo IR8 Targa Conversion” and removed the “by Bertone” which was misleading. It seems RM reads My Car Quest.
The listing is here: http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1066008