by Mike –
Remember when there were black and white photos and typewriters, or printed letters on paper? Years ago when I used film I would use black and white film sometimes because it was cheaper than color film.
The black and white photos below of the Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype were taken by Ron Kellogg, the owner at the time, in the mid-1970s.
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – mid 1970s
Iso Grifo Prototype – 1972
The Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype advertisement below was a fax dated October 27, 1996. It is interesting to read – the price had been reduced to $130,000 from $195,000. That is quite a large price reduction but today there would be another zero added.
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype Advertisement
Below is a typed, or printed written letter (not an email) to Ron Kellogg from David Grant, a regular reader of My Car Quest. David has worked on many Isos, including my former Grifo.
Letter from David Grant to Ron Kellogg
My thanks to Ron and Sonya Kellogg for the use of the photos and documents above.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype – 2012
More recent photos of the Iso Grifo A3/L are here.
This article was originally published in December 2013.
Update 1
The Iso Grifo A3/L has been resident in the Blackhawk Automotive Museum for many years.
Our friend, Dave Dolter, who has the enviable job of driving this special Grifo when it goes out wrote in and sent these photos.
Unfortunately, the car is currently not on display at the museum. It remains my personal favorite and hope it returns so I can share my memories.
Dave Dolter, Docent
Blackhawk Automotive Museum
Danville, California
Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype and Dave Dolter
Update 2
Regular reader Jim Palam writes,
Good Morning Mike,
Thanks for posting the story and vintage photos on the A3/L. Love the old Black & White images.
I was restless and couldn’t sleep, so I took a screen grab of one of the shots and played around with it in Photoshop (see below).
Very well done, Mike, the car in it’s early habitat when it was actually driven. (And probably more than his Lamborghini) The dent in the fender and oil spot are priceless, thanks for the effort to post these pictures!
Thank you Maurice – there is a Lamborghini 350GT in the background of one of the photos.
That’s my point, that Lambo is parked nicely in a corner while the A3/L is out in the wild. 😎 Very cool you visited him, you could have dropped by and see some more Iso’s (and other weird stuff) at my place….
A friend of mine use to own a Lambo and a Grifo. The Grifo only had 40k miles and he sold it. He wishes he never sold that car 12 years ago. Had to be one of the best low mile examples out there.
The Grifo is a great car!
Wow, what great photos. That must have been great to own such a car, and like Maurice said, actually drive it. It is one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time. Great article!! Don
Don, that’s funny – talking of “owning such a car”. You have the privilege to drive your 901 like that. Just less dents or oil spots I’m sure…
Yes, my 901 was already 25 years old when I restored it, by the time I finished the restoration it became a trailer queen. It would be really cool to actually drive it somewhere other than onto a showfield!
Indeed, always the other side of a full restoration. Well, I would say if well insured enjoy it how ever you want to, in the end it was built for driving.
Mike,
Actually, the color photos were taken by me in the parking lot across the street from the old Scott Restoration building at 14661 Lanark Street, Van Nuys, California. Yes, the price of the Iso Grifo A3/L Prototype seems like a bargain by today’s standard, but you have to realize that in 1996, a lot of collectors did not understand these obscure sports cars. I didn’t know what an Iso Grifo was until I met the Grifo owner John Ling in 1987. The A3/L had been painted orange and someone had replaced the front nose after an accident. Scott Restorations performed some body repairs then shipped the car to John Ling in Wisconsin. John Ling’s restoration shop, Silverstone, completed the restoration it now wears and presented at Pebble Beach in 1989. Just after the Pebble Beach Concours did we receive it at Scott Restorations to sell. Like I said, not a lot of collectors understood the Iso and when I could not find a home for it, John sent it to Scottsdale and tried the auction approach. I am not sure what the high bid was, but it was a lot more than $130,000. John Ling shipped it back to his home state and he sold it through Bill Schley’s collector car dealership. It has only been in the last 10 to 12 years that the collector car market has made a dramatic change. As we read in many automotive articles, both printed and on the internet, collector cars are now being considered as art. My former employer, Jack B. Nethercutt referred to his collection as functional fine art, and his cars were driven–always. In 1989, I was selling restored 300SL Gull Wings for $350,000 at Scott Restorations. The following year, I sold one for $530,000.00. Today, the same 300SL is pushing $1.5 million. Who would have thought? Praise to the man who purchased the Iso Grifo for $130,000.00 in 1996.
David,
Thanks for the corrections. I made assumptions about who took the photos and where they were taken, Ron Kellogg has a similar wall in his driveway.
in 1996 a standard Grifo would sell for 20-25K so 130 K back then was big money.
I am trying to track how it got to America. I talked to Ron Kellogg and all he remembers is that the guy was an actor in some sphegetti western. Then I looked at the Chris Lackner listing Reeser Ling as buying it in Italy but I couldn’t find him connected with a Western movie. Of course John Ling restored the car so maybe he listed it under a relative’s name? Then the name Michael Mac comes up as the next owner but that doesn’t ring any bells on the internet as an actor and usually the name is spelled “mack.” What I want to find out most is what the first owner paid for the car in Italy and if he bought it directly from Iso. Thanks for any clues, Iso fans…
PS I will be making a painting of the car, and have prints on watercolour paper available, but can’t decide whether to do the coupe or convertible. I have a shot of the convertible in a horrible green color. But I don’t like the red it is in now either.
I am feeling older.
I think my silver Grifo was $25,000.
Michael Konner’s dealership in NJ.
Ken
Your are right.
Malcolm Konner. Even the Konner might not be spelled correctly.
But believe he was a big Chevy dealer and real dealer in at least the Grifo.
Nobody knew what an Iso Grifo was. l loved it.
Always considered this prototype a better idea.
I have posted two Updates at the end of this post with images from 2 readers.
As an aside; now I know where my Barracuda’s ’65 Formula “S” rear window went. Looks a lot better there.
The Iso’s were all nice to look at if back then one could find a picture anywhere.
Bill in his above post talks about a Grifo with less than 40k miles on it. I don’t know if anyone saw the car out of Calf that was sold by a gentleman by the name of Sam. It was like a time capsule and only had around 15k miles on it. It ended up being sold for 465k, or really 510k with the buyers commission. This article talks about the car and it was VERY special. Likely the most original low millage Grifo on the planet.
http://memorylanecars.com/2017/01/09/one-long-lost-iso-grifo-part-5-going-to-a-deserving-home/
There were three Grifos sold at the Monterey auctions that same year! See them at the link below,
https://mycarquest.com/2016/08/european-style-american-muscle-auction-monterey.html
That red Series II is a peach!
I heard that the guy that bought the low milage Grifo (Sam’s car) also bought that red 7 litre (Keno brothers)
What a pair to own…
I saw that 7 litre Grifo at car week in Monterey after the brother bought the car. I think the car had a few minor issues, but was overall pretty good. I spoke to one of the brother briefly about his car. They were trying to get the car into the golf course as it was suppose to be part of the show, but they were late. The car looked pretty good and sounded really good.
Small world!
Out of the two cars, I would take Sam’s former Grifo ( the small block car) any day over the other one.
They both are nice cars, however to have one that has less than 15k original miles in that shape would be very special.
I would love to have just one Girfo. To have a big and small block car in the condition those are in, is a dream.
I had the opportunity to drive one with the 351 Cleveland in it years ago and it put an smile on my face that has been indelibly imprinted in my mind.
Lucky guy to have two of these wonderful cars.
If the market ever pulls back by 20%, I will buy one of these.