Griffith 600

Griffith Motors
	Griffith 600
600
Production period:	1966
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Otto engine
Length:	4382 mm
Width:	1727 mm
Height:	1176 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	1200 kg
Previous model	Griffith 400

The Griffith 600 (alternatively: Griffith GT ) is an Italian-American sports car that was built with the involvement of several subcontractors from Intermeccanica in Turin and provided with engines by Griffith Motors of New York and marketed in the USA in 1966 . The project failed after the first cars were completed. Further developments of the Griffith 600 are the Omega GT from 1967 and the Intermeccanica models Torino and Italia.

History of origin

Griffith and Intermeccanica

Predecessor at Intermeccanica: Apollo GT

Predecessor at Griffith Motors: Griffith 400 with TVR body

The Griffith 600 is the result of a cooperation between Intermeccanica and Griffith Motors.

The Turin-based company Intermeccanica, founded by Frank Reisner in 1959 , developed a two-seater sports car in 1962, which was built in small series from 1963. Intermeccanica delivered the complete car - albeit without a drive unit - to various Californian and Texan companies until 1965 , which they equipped with high-volume engines from General Motors and sold under the names Apollo GT and Vetta Ventura in America. Each of the buyers had financial difficulties, so that Intermeccanica had to stop production of this model in the fall of 1965, after a total of 88 or 89 cars had been built. A similar approach pursued in the early 1960s, the New York Ford dealers Jack Griffith and the British sports car manufacturer TVR Griffith Motors in Long Iceland imported since 1962 TVR Grantura sports car to the US and equipped them along the lines of the AC Cobra there with eight-cylinder engines from Ford to sell as Griffith 200 and 400 . That association ended around the same time as Intermeccanica's Apollo project, as a result of TVR's bankruptcy. Intermeccanica and Griffith met at the New York Auto Show in 1965. Frank Reisner and Jack Griffith agreed that from 1966 Intermeccanica would deliver sports car bodies without engines to Griffith Motors for marketing in the USA. Intermeccanica thus replaced TVR at Griffith. Frank Reisner expected long-term financial security for his company through the association with Griffith, as Griffith's order was for the construction of a total of 1,000 cars, which was far more than what Intermeccanica had previously produced.

development

Prancing Bull : Intermeccanica logo

Griffith's initial considerations were to import the 2 + 2-seater version of the Apollo GT into the USA, a prototype of which Intermeccanica had made in the fall of 1964 and which had remained a one-off. However, this was opposed to copyright reasons, as the design belonged to Vanguard Motors Corporation , a former business partner of Intermeccanica. Instead, Intermeccanica designed a new car for Griffith in the winter of 1965/66, which was technically and stylistically different from the previous Apollo models. Jack Griffith involved the former General Motors designer Robert Cumberford as well as the British racing car designer John Crosthwaite , who had already worked for BRM , Cooper and Lotus and was considered a chassis specialist. In addition, the racing driver Mark Donohue was hired for test drives. Griffith made him chief engineer in sales advertisements.

At the beginning of the planning phase, Jack Griffith assumed that the 600, like his previous sports cars, would be powered by American Ford engines. On this basis, Intermeccanica also developed the chassis and the running gear. Griffith was not given access to Ford engines, according to a source due to outstanding claims for earlier deliveries from the TVR era. Ultimately, only the first Griffith 600, which took on the role of a prototype, got a Ford engine, probably from Griffith's old stock. For series production, Griffith switched to eight-cylinder engines from Plymouth , a group brand of Ford's competitor Chrysler . The car was also advertised in this form in advertisements in the USA (“Plymouth powered”). In 1966, Griffith received a set of 10 engines and transmissions from Chrysler. However, probably only one car at Griffith was fitted with the Plymouth engine. The larger Plymouth engine could only be built into the car after extensive changes to the front end. Because it was also heavier than the originally intended Ford engine, the driving behavior of the car changed disadvantageously. Mark Donohue undertook extensive test drives with this vehicle and reported "severe understeer", and the braking behavior of the front-heavy car was a "nightmare". Until the summer of 1966, Griffith could not solve the problems.

Failure and resuscitation

In addition to the technical difficulties, Griffith Motors was also financially unable to meet the agreed acceptance obligations. By the time the Intermeccanica agreement was signed, Griffith was in significant financial difficulties and the Intermeccanica business had been the last attempt to generate additional revenue streams. Griffith Motors went bankrupt after an initial shipment of cars arrived in New York. At that time, Intermeccanica's subcontractors had already manufactured over 170 body shells that were waiting to be completed in Italy.

At the end of 1966, journalist Steve Wilder and Suspensions International took over the project. In 1967 they sold around 33 cars with the Ford engine that Griffith had planned under the name Omega GT. After this cooperation had also failed after less than a year, Intermeccanica marketed the largely unchanged cars under the model names Torino and Italia from 1968 onwards. Only then did Intermeccanica become permanently successful. More than 500 vehicles of this type were built in this configuration. Intermeccanica Italia were temporarily distributed in Germany by Erich Bitter and are the forerunners of the Bitter CD sports car .

Model description

Chassis and running gear

The Griffith 600 has a ladder frame made of welded steel tubes with a square cross-section. According to the brand monograph on Intermeccanica, the chassis of the Griffith 600 is a Frank Reisner construction. Griffith's adviser John Crosthwaite only made individual suggestions for detailed changes after the draft was completed, which Reisner took up. Other sources, however, name Crosthwaite as the sole author of the chassis.

The chassis components were to come from Ford USA according to the original plans for series production. In the development phase, on the other hand, Reisner opted for parts of the Fiat 2300 for the front independent suspension . At the rear there is a rigid axle with a Panhard rod . Intermeccanica obtained the disc brakes installed on all wheels from Girling in Great Britain .

body

Griffith 600 Coupe

Unlike the earlier Griffith sports cars, whose body was made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic , the Griffith 600 has a body made of sheet steel that was handcrafted over a wooden model. Its design is based on a draft by Robert Cumberford, which the former Bertone designer Franco Scaglione revised in detail on behalf of Intermeccanica.

The Griffith 600 was designed as a two-door notchback coupé and a two-door convertible. Apart from the roof section, both variants are stylistically the same. The proportions and some details are based on those of the Ferrari 275 GTB presented in 1964 . The front end is long, but the passenger compartment, which is set far to the rear, is cut tightly. The round headlights are set back slightly in the front ends of the fenders. Like that of the Ferrari, the front cooling air intake is flanked by a two-part bumper; only a single Griffith 600 has a continuous bumper above the radiator opening. The rear has a spoiler lip with horizontally arranged rear lights of the Renault 8 . The roof of the Coupé is trapezoidal. The B-pillar is completely covered.

Motorization and power transmission

The first Griffith 600 shipped to the United States had the 4727 cc (289 cui) Ford eight-cylinder Windsor engine that Griffith Motors had already built into the 200 and 400 models, and which is also available in potential rival AC Cobra and Sunbeam Tiger models was. Its power was given as 200 hp (147 kW), the weight with 230 kg (506 lb).

The Plymouth engine intended for the production models was a small block engine from the Chrysler LA series with 4473 cm³ (273 cui) displacement (bore × stroke: 92.1 mm × 84.1 mm), which was marketed as Plymouth Commander . For the 600, Griffith chose the high-performance version with 238 hp (175 kW), which in 1966 was the top engine of the Plymouth Barracuda in the Chrysler range . The weight of the engine was 245 kg (525 lb). A manual four-speed transmission from Chrysler was provided for power transmission; a three-speed automatic transmission was to be available at an additional cost.

Production process

As usual at Intermeccanica, the production process was distributed among numerous subcontractors from the Turin region. The chassis was manufactured by Balla , the body shell was built by Cellino , the painting was done by Fillippone, and the completion, i.e. H. the installation of the windows and the interior fittings was carried out by Carbondio . Intermeccanica made the cars ready for export. The motors and gears were ultimately to be installed at Griffith Motors in the USA.

Marketing and Production

Griffith Motors advertised the Plymouth-powered 600 in nationwide advertisements in the summer of 1966. The coupe was priced at $ 6,095, making the Griffith 600 about 50% more expensive than a (more powerful) Chevrolet Corvette .

How many Griffith 600 were made is unclear. Most sources, including the factory monograph, assume that Intermeccanica delivered six vehicles to Griffith; other sources, however, speak of 10 or 14 cars - in each case without further justification. Griffiths plans included the construction of convertibles in addition to the coupés; However, there is no evidence that one or more open Griffith 600s were actually built. The factory monograph only documents six Griffith 600 Coupés. Cabriolet versions are also not clearly documented for the Omega GT; Only from the Intermeccanica Italia there are undoubtedly convertibles.

It is likely that only two Griffith bodies were fitted with engines at Griffith Motors: one vehicle received a Ford engine, another a Plymouth engine. Shortly before the collapse of Griffith Motors, the remaining vehicles were sold without a drive unit and the buyers were responsible for equipping them with engines.

literature

Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 , New York 1984, ISBN 0-517-42462-2
Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9

Web links

Commons : Griffith 600 - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

The Griffith 600 on the website www.conceptcarz.com

Remarks

↑ The Apollo GT was initially sold from 1963 to 1964 by International Motor Cars (IMC) in Oakland , California. Following the bankruptcy of IMC who took Vanguard Motors Corporation in Dallas , Texas, the project, which sold the car in 1965 as unchanged Vetta Ventura. Around the same time as the new start in Texas , the Apollo International Corporation was founded in Pasadena , California, and offered the car again under the name Apollo GT. The information on the respective scope of production varies greatly in the available sources.

↑ From 1960 Intermeccanica had built a Formula Junior racing car, 21 Imp 700 GT sports coupes and 88 or 89 examples of the Apollo GT / Vetta Ventura.

↑ A technically identical version of this engine was sold by Plymouth's sister brand Dodge under the name Charger .

Individual evidence

↑ Mark Hughes: TVR Grantura, Griffith, Vixen & Tuscan . Classic & Sportscar, issue 1271989, p. 43.
^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , pp. 90 ff.
^ Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 18.
^ ^A ^b ^c Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 59.
↑ Illustration of the Apollo 2 + 2 (accessed on December 31, 2020).
↑ Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 56.
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 58.
↑ ^a ^b The Griffith 600 on the website www.conceptcarz.com (accessed December 31, 2020).
↑ Reproduction of an advertisement on the website mycarquest.com (accessed on January 3, 2021) .
↑ Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 60.
^ Griffith Motors sales brochure (1966).
↑ ^a ^b History of the Intermeccanica Italia on the website www.silodrome.com (accessed on January 1, 2021).
↑ The Chrysler LA Small Block on www.hemmings.com (accessed January 1, 2021).
^ Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980 , New York 1984, ISBN 0-517-42462-2 , p. 180.
↑ Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani , Società Editrice Il Cammello, 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 176.
↑ Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 , New York 1984, ISBN 0-517-42462-2 , pp. 180, 668.
^ ^A ^b Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 166.

[1] The Apollo GT was initially sold from 1963 to 1964 by International Motor Cars (IMC) in Oakland , California. Following the bankruptcy of IMC who took Vanguard Motors Corporation in Dallas , Texas, the project, which sold the car in 1965 as unchanged Vetta Ventura. Around the same time as the new start in Texas , the Apollo International Corporation was founded in Pasadena , California, and offered the car again under the name Apollo GT. The information on the respective scope of production varies greatly in the available sources.

[6] From 1960 Intermeccanica had built a Formula Junior racing car, 21 Imp 700 GT sports coupes and 88 or 89 examples of the Apollo GT / Vetta Ventura.

[15] A technically identical version of this engine was sold by Plymouth's sister brand Dodge under the name Charger .

[2] Mark Hughes: TVR Grantura, Griffith, Vixen & Tuscan . Classic & Sportscar, issue 1271989, p. 43.

[3] Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , pp. 90 ff.

[4] Matthew Vale: TVR 1946-1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1785003516 , p. 18.

[Reisner_59-5] A ^b ^c Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 59.

[7] Illustration of the Apollo 2 + 2 (accessed on December 31, 2020).

[Reisner_56-8] Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 56.

[Reisner_58-9] A ^b ^c ^d Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 58.

[Conceptcarz-10] The Griffith 600 on the website www.conceptcarz.com (accessed December 31, 2020).

[11] Reproduction of an advertisement on the website mycarquest.com (accessed on January 3, 2021) .

[Reisner_60-12] Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 60.

[Prospekt-13] Griffith Motors sales brochure (1966).

[Silodrome-14] History of the Intermeccanica Italia on the website www.silodrome.com (accessed on January 1, 2021).

[16] The Chrysler LA Small Block on www.hemmings.com (accessed January 1, 2021).

[17] Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980 , New York 1984, ISBN 0-517-42462-2 , p. 180.

[18] Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani , Società Editrice Il Cammello, 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 176.

[19] Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 , New York 1984, ISBN 0-517-42462-2 , pp. 180, 668.

[Reisner_166-20] A ^b Andrew McCredie: Intermeccanica. The Story of the Prancing Bull . Veloce Publishing, Poundbury 2010, ISBN 978-1-84584-249-9 , p. 166.