V8 Powered Italian! 1969 Intermeccanica Italia
The Intermeccanica Italia arrived in the US market in 1968 using what was then a proven formula — swoopy European body meets American V-8 power for a long-term relationship in the fast lane! The end result in this case has the looks of an Italian exotic but the simplicity of a Ford Mustang powertrain rather than overhead cams and expensive parts. Sound interesting? This unfinished Italia project is available here on craigslist with an asking price of $47,500; that’s well under the $100k+ a finished car can bring at auction. This particular Italia is located in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Naturally, with a price tag like that, you are going to want to have someone look the car over in person. And the pictures aren’t world-class. However, from what we can see I am cautiously optimistic. The body appears to be in extremely nice shape with shiny paint; since Italias were (naturally enough) produced in Italy in the same manner as exotics, you can be sure there’s rust somewhere unless it has just been taken care of.
There’s a reason the body looks so pretty; the lines were penned by none other than Robert Cumberford. If you don’t know about him (he’s still around and writing/designing at 85 years old) he’s worth spending an hour or two going down a Google rathole. Suffice it to say that the Italia’s lines are generally much-admired.
While the interior pictures are even worse than the exterior (why didn’t you hire our Scotty G when good pictures need to be taken!) the important parts such as the dash appear to be in pretty good shape. Perhaps the door panels, or at least the armrests, are included in the NOS and used parts that are part of the sales package (but not pictured).
I thought you might like to see what the interior should look like. This is from an Italia convertible that sold for almost $150k in 2018. There’s more information on Frank Reisner’s baby in that listing. The Italia had a very convoluted life as it was sold under three different names and in many different configurations. Depending on which source you believe, there were anywhere from 200 to 500 Italia’s built; no matter what, you won’t find many around today.
Nothing too exciting here, just your typical small-block Ford V8. But hold on a minute — that’s part of the appeal! It’s not like taking 500 pounds or so from what this Mustang drivetrain had to pull yielded a slow vehicle! Heck, Frank even added disc brakes to the back to slow the thing down — necessary since the top speed of the car easily surpasses 130 miles per hour — which was pretty fast then and still is now. Please let us know if you decide to take on this cool find!
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Comments
Maybe they didn’t finish out the engine compartment so dirt wouldn’t get into the open left rocker cover…..
. . . . or a mouse gaining entrance to the inside of the engine thru the opening for the fuel pump! Never forget that mice can manage to squeeze thru a hole as small as 3/8″. [The size of a standard pencil!]
Who doesn’t love the Mallory dual point distributor on an Italian sports car.
Steve R
Did they even tape it off when they primed the car.
Wouldn’t it be better to state that it is the convertible Italia’s auction figures that are being touted here, and that the “notchback” has yet to break the 6 figure auction sale?
I say this lovingly as a fan of Reisner’s work. I own one myself! And I think that 6 figure day is overdue for the hardtop, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves encouraging some potential buyer with that unreached payday.
Point made — although actually, Mark, I did find some references to private Italia coupe sales in excess of $90k. Unfortunately no specifics! Can we see some pictures of yours? What’s it like to actually drive one?
I sent this over to Henry Reisner to comment on.
These were Griffiths in the beginning
This body started as a Griffith,
I would think that the successful bidder will be a big fan of undercoat everywhere, and also of paint on the valve rocker assembly.
Correct me if I’m wrong, I didn’t search it, but I thought these were Chevrolet powered from the factory
Sorry wrong no Chevrolet ever in this
Robert Cumberford…I remember that old curmudgeon. Nearly every car review he wrote was negative and would really piss me off! LOL
Griffiths were build on Long Island NY…….were these cars also built on L.I.?
Anybody know?
Daniel,
The original plan was for the completed & painted Griffith 600 steel bodies to arrive in the USA from Italy without the engine/trans which would be installed at Jack Griffith’s Ford dealership on Long Island. Griffith asked Frank Reisner (founder/owner of Intermeccanica in Turin Italy) to tool up for hundreds of cars, but unfortunately Griffith went bankrupt and when he couldn’t pay Ford for the motor/trans assemblies, they sent in a crew and yanked the motors out of the first (variously ten to fourteen) cars Griffith had ordered from Italy. He was able to obtain Plymouth 4.5L V8 motors to finish those first cars and sold them as the “Griffith 600”.
Steve Wilder then took over and completed the next 33 cars at Holman & Moody in Charlotte, NC – the company responsible for marketing Ford’s engines and parts to the aftermarket. Wilder produced 33 cars (called ‘Omega’s) before also succumbing to the financial expense of being a car manufacturer.
Reisner was too deeply invested to let the project sink and already had built more bodies than Wilder had bought, so he made a deal with Ford to have the motors & transmissions delivered to Italy where he could complete the cars and road-test/quality-check them before shipping them back to a NJ-based dealer network he set up for distribution of his cars in the USA. It turned out to be fortunate that he’d tooled up for ‘hundreds of cars’ because he’d made jigs to hold all the hand-formed body panels in their correct positions before welding them together and then welding the body to the chassis for a solid, rattle-free assembly that was superior to many other small-volume handcrafted cars. Reisner also had Franco Scaglione remodel the car from a coupe to a beautiful convertible which sold many more than the coupe version.
I don’t know…with all this work to do, why not just start with a modern factory five kit at and build something with a modern drivetrain and hvac
I don’t think there’s any relation between Intermeccanica and Griffith, though I haven’t looked it up. Griffith and TVR used the same body as I recall.
This body was going to be the Griffith 600, with Plymouth V8 Jack Griffith could no longer get the Ford V8 that he put in his TVR body which were the 200 & 400
Hey John if you check Intermeccanica on Wikipedia, there’s some indication Griffith and Intermeccanica worked together albeit briefly.
And one reason I gave up Automobile magazine was that Cumberford’s design articles were BORING!
But this is a very pretty car.
Mrs. Cumberford agreed he was boring.
John……Griffiths used the 289 (271HP) Ford engine and they were built in Syossett (L.I.) New York. They were very fast but not very safe.I always thought they were very cool cars. If I’m correct, I think only 200 or 300 were ever built.
If I’m correct, TVRs used British Leyland engines and maybe at some point used Ford engines…..but I’m not sure of that.
The Griffith 200 had 192 built The Griffith 400 successor to the TVR Griffith 200, had 59 built. These bodies were from TVR. The 600 was the body that is this body but Griffith only made at about 10 if that many before going out of business
I knew a guy who bought a Griffith new from the factory. Very fast, but as you say, not very safe. His caught on fire and was destroyed.
This body started as a Griffith 600, are any of my post getting through, I can tell you anything you want to know about Grifffith
.
Look at this Griffith 600 https://www.conceptcarz.com/z19654/Griffith-600.aspx
Thanks, Paul. That story leaves old’ Cumberford by the side of the road. A lot of misinformation flying around.
Paul – The white Intermeccanica Griffith Coupe shown in your conceptcarz link has the later front bumperettes associated with the “Italia” versions built in Italy. To the best of my knowledge, the original “Griffith 600” cars and Steve Wilder’s 33 Omegas were all coupes and were all built with a one-piece, chromed, ‘blade’-style bumper (similar to the rear bumper) which extended all the way across the nose just above the grille opening. I find it very puzzling that this car is labeled a ‘Griffith’ but has the later-style 2-pc. bumpers in front. Perhaps the owner lost the original 1-piece bumper but was able to order the later front bumpers as replacements. They are better looking anyway.
This particular car has been for sale for a while already.
Does anyone know what is the serial number of this particular car? Could check how it came out from factory. Seems to have some red spray inside doors at least
And yes, I own a Italia Spyder and a Coupe myself
interesting and story behind its creation
Just came across this Barn Finds email, and thus this car. There is, or was, a running and driving convertible in the Chicagoland area. Guy pulled on to Tollway from on ramp next to me, and I let him ahead. Stop and go driving, so I really had the opportunity to check out car. Same color as this one. Sounded great. I finally pulled alongside, and then in front. Gave him “thumbs up” as I pulled off. I’ve followed Griffith and TVR for years. Was at the Chicago Auto Show when Griffith first introduced. TINY. One had a “normal” 289, the other an HO. Got to see a variety of TVRs on a trip to England 19 years ago. I’d fit in those easier !