Author Topic: Intermeccanica Griffith 600  (Read 664 times)

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Offline Johno

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Intermeccanica Griffith 600
« on: December 14, 2022, 05:35:20 AM »
A joint venture brought about by a man with an idea. So: two manufacturers, the model and year please for one point.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2022, 02:56:42 PM by Wendax »

Offline kitaharo

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Re: Johnbo2
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2022, 10:07:29 PM »
Intermeccanica Omega 1966 ,in Italy
other name is  Griffith GT 600  ,in USA

Offline Johno

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Re: Johnbo2
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2022, 02:36:02 PM »
Intermechanica yes, but who is the other manufacturer involved in the project? Kitaharo only to answer please

Offline kitaharo

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Re: Johnbo2
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2022, 08:28:01 PM »
Intermechanica yes, but who is the other manufacturer involved in the project? Kitaharo only to answer please

Another manufacturer is called Holman-Moody.
This company is in charge of assembly and while Intermechanica is in charge of coachbuild

Offline Johno

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Re: Johnbo2
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2022, 02:54:31 PM »
Yes, it's tempting to think of TVR in England and perhaps the car would have had more success if they had been involved. One point to you.

Offline Carnut

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Re: Johnbo2
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2022, 05:23:19 PM »
Yes, it's tempting to think of TVR in England and perhaps the car would have had more success if they had been involved. One point to you.

They had their own problems though.  1965 was a tumultuous year for them as well, when they launched their successor to the TVR Griffith 200 and 400, the TVR Trident (see my avatar, left!) but collapsed into bankruptcy before it could enter production, only 3 coupes and one convertible being built.  Jack Griffith had been the instigator of the TVR Griffith of course, and it was after the temporary closure of TVR that he got involved with Frank Reisner, owner of Intermeccanica, instead, looking for something to replace the TVR. What better than the Intermeccanica Griffith - the logical development of the Griffith 600 name being the one thing Jack was absolutely adamant about!  TVR was bought out in the end but the Trident was not part of the deal; production of the new Griffith never got off the ground before starting as Ford repossessed all the 289 cu in engines for the first production cars (same as the TVR Griffith and Trident and around which the Intermeccanica had been designed), leaving poor old Jack to forage elsewhere for engines for the first 5 bodies already delivered, settling on a wholly unsuitable Chrysler engine which necessitated a complete redesign of the Intermeccanica's chassis but they were never able to sort out the mechanical and handling problems and that car never got off the ground either...  The five Griffith 600 bodies delivered were actually completed into cars eventually by a workshop and that was when Holman & Moody became involved, fitting the original Ford 289 engines around which the car had been designed.

At least the lovely Franco Scaglione body didn't go to waste, as that was eventually developed into the Intermeccanica Italia, after about 33 Griffith-like Omegas had also been built with Ford engines 289 engineered by Holman & Moody.

It's a very long and rather sad story but that's the basic gist of it!
« Last Edit: December 17, 2022, 07:24:27 AM by Carnut »
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