Update 2-Iso Grifo For Sale - Ex Mike Hailwood and Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour"

by Mike - 

The information and pictures below are from a friend who inspected and wrote the report on the Iso Grifo formerly owned by Mike Hailwood now for sale at the Coys Auction, The Spirit of Motoring - Ascot on Saturday 14 May 2011.

Mike Haliwood was living in South Africa at the time and the car went there shortly after he purchased it in 1967. It was well known there as Mike´s daily transport and what he drove to get to and from the race tracks. It was also in South Africa that Mike had an accident in the car while travelling between races with Peter Gethin.

They hit a cow or a buffalo while going too fast and apart from damaging the front the roof was peeled off!

One of Mike´s employees was Tony Santos, a Portuguese panel beater by trade, and he repaired the car between 1970 and 1971 using original spares ordered from the ISO factory in Italy.

1978 – 2004 ... the long sleep

After passing through a couple of owners the car landed in storage in 1978 where it remained until 2004 when the owner decided to get the car going again; however he soon discovered that the 25 years of storage had taken their toll and a comprehensive restoration would be required.

In 2007 Mike´s Grifo found a new owner and was imported to Germany, where for the last 3 years a very comprehensive, no expense spared, restoration has brought the car back to being as close as possible to how the car was when Mike Hailwood bought it new in 1967.

Not all of this information made it into the Coys description of this car.

My previous articles on this special Grifo are here and here.

Click on the images for a larger view.

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