Description
The ISO Grifo Can Am was the most extreme, most powerful, and arguably the most dramatic version of the entire ISO Grifo lineage — a car that embodied everything the marque had ever stood for, but expressed it in its most unrestrained form. Introduced in 1971, the Can Am took the already legendary Grifo 7 Litri and transformed it into a fire-breathing supercar of extraordinary potency. With its monstrous Chevrolet 454 cubic inch (7.4-litre) big-block V8 and its signature high-rise bonnet scoop, the Grifo Can Am stood at the intersection of art and aggression — an Italian sculpture wrapped around American thunder. It was the ultimate interpretation of Renzo Rivolta’s original vision: a car of devastating performance and elegant design, capable of matching or surpassing the fastest road cars in the world.
By the early 1970s, ISO Rivolta’s Grifo had evolved from a refined grand tourer into a full-blooded super-GT. The earlier 7-litre models had already demonstrated that the combination of Bizzarrini’s chassis, Giugiaro’s design, and Chevrolet’s muscle could produce a car of astonishing ability. Yet the company’s engineers, responding to customer demand and the escalating performance wars of the era, decided to go even further. The result was the ISO Grifo Can Am — named after the legendary Canadian-American Challenge Cup racing series that celebrated no-limits horsepower and raw mechanical excess. The name alone was a promise: this was to be the most powerful and formidable Grifo ever built.
Under its long and muscular bonnet, the Grifo Can Am housed the mighty Chevrolet LS6 454 cubic inch (7.4-litre) V8 — one of the most potent engines of its generation. In factory specification, this big-block delivered around 390–400 horsepower and well over 500 lb-ft of torque, but some examples were tuned even further, reaching 425 hp or more. This vast reserve of power was transmitted through a four-speed Muncie manual gearbox or an optional GM Turbo-Hydramatic automatic, feeding a limited-slip differential that could barely contain the torque. Performance was simply staggering: 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in around 5 seconds, with a top speed of roughly 275 km/h (171 mph). These were figures that rivalled or exceeded contemporary Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis, but delivered with the civility and durability of American engineering.
To manage this extraordinary performance, the chassis of the Can Am was refined and strengthened. It retained the sophisticated pressed-steel monocoque structure with a front subframe, but received upgraded suspension and braking components to handle the immense torque and weight of the 7.4-litre engine. The front suspension employed unequal-length wishbones with coil springs, while the rear retained the famous de Dion axle with twin trailing arms and inboard disc brakes, ensuring the car’s characteristic balance between ride comfort and control. Power-assisted steering and vented four-wheel disc brakes made the Can Am surprisingly easy to drive in ordinary conditions, yet unshakeably stable at high speeds. The result was a grand tourer that could cruise serenely at 200 km/h all day, yet unleash ferocious acceleration with a press of the throttle.
The Can Am’s external appearance left no doubt about its purpose. Giugiaro’s already perfect proportions — long bonnet, low roofline, and compact tail — were dominated by a bold and functional central hood scoop, necessary to clear the massive intake manifold of the big-block V8. The scoop became the defining visual hallmark of the Can Am, transforming the Grifo’s elegant profile into something altogether more menacing. Wider wheels and tyres filled the arches, and subtle modifications to the front air intake and rear valance improved cooling and stability. Despite these changes, the car retained its innate beauty: a machine that blended brutal power with classical Italian proportion. In profile, the Grifo Can Am appeared like a tensed muscle — restrained yet ready to explode into motion.
Inside, the car preserved ISO’s tradition of luxurious craftsmanship. The cabin was a cocoon of soft Connolly leather, polished walnut, and chromed detailing, laid out with elegant simplicity. The dashboard featured a full suite of Veglia instruments, allowing the driver to monitor oil pressure, temperature, and fuel with precision — a necessity when commanding an engine of such magnitude. The gear lever sat proudly on the transmission tunnel, surrounded by fine switchgear and plush carpeting. The Grifo’s interior managed to reconcile comfort with purpose: it was a cockpit designed for long, high-speed journeys across continents, where refinement mattered as much as raw pace.
Driving the ISO Grifo Can Am was an experience few cars could equal. The enormous torque of the LS6 engine meant that the car surged forward with the lightest throttle input, its acceleration seemingly endless. Yet it was not a brutal or intimidating machine: the chassis’ composure and the car’s inherent refinement made it feel planted, secure, and utterly stable even at very high speeds. The steering was direct and communicative, the ride firm but forgiving, and the brakes strong and reassuring. The combination of power, stability, and smoothness gave the Can Am an effortless majesty — it was less a car to be wrestled with than one to be guided with respect. At full song, the big-block V8 emitted a deep, rolling thunder that filled the cabin and the landscape alike, a sound as distinctive as it was intoxicating.
Production of the ISO Grifo Can Am was extremely limited, as each car was hand-built to order at the company’s Bresso factory near Milan. Estimates suggest that between 20 and 24 examples were completed between 1971 and 1972, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after Grifos of all. Its high price, coupled with the global fuel crisis that began soon after, ensured that few were made — yet each one stood as a testament to ISO’s uncompromising craftsmanship and daring.
Today, the ISO Grifo Can Am occupies a near-mythical status among collectors and historians. It represents the ultimate development of the ISO philosophy — a car that combined the elegance of Italian design with the boundless strength of American performance. Its rarity, design purity, and sheer power make it one of the most collectible grand tourers of its era. Restored examples are celebrated at concours events worldwide, admired not only for their beauty but for their astonishing engineering balance.
The ISO Grifo Can Am remains one of the greatest expressions of 20th-century automotive art — a car that blended sophistication with savagery, beauty with brawn. It was the final word in the ISO Grifo story, the car that pushed the company’s grand touring concept to its ultimate conclusion. With its thunderous 7.4-litre heart, hand-crafted Italian body, and impeccable lineage, the Grifo Can Am stands today as a monument to an era when performance, elegance, and engineering ambition were pursued without compromise — a masterpiece of power restrained by grace.