Hot Rods Hot Rod Sports Cars

https://doverdragstrip.com

Looks like a Griffin

 

It is TVR based but more likely Grantura based as the Griffith (note spelling) had a rear window that extended all the way to the rear of the body. It also used Cortina tail lights which meant that the rear of the quarter panel was squared off more than seen here. The Griffith was commissioned by NY based Ford dealer Jack Griffith as a Cobra beater.

Roo

 

The late great Mark Donohue had a position in the Griffith Company he escaped arrest by climbing through a bathroom window when it all went downhill.

 

Is a Sunbeam tiger qualify owned by Chrysler with a factory Ford motor?

 

hot rod v8 sports car

 

The first Griffiths were the series 200 and were built on the Grantura Mk II which looks identical to the body on the car above (I owned one). There were only 6 of the Series 200 cars produced. The "Manx-tailed" Mk III with extended rear window and Ford Cortina tail lights followed.

- EM

 

If that thing doesn't get your pulse rate up, ya must be dead.

 

https://doverdragstrip.com

 

I'm pretty sure this isn't Sam's car. Every body panel is different. I'm not even sure that this pic was taken at a drag race. What track/sanctioning body had a "U" class for sports cars?

 

SR100 I think you quoted the wrong post. What Roo posted is correct I quoted the post you are referring to I think. You are probably also correct it looks like a road race crowd.

Pat

 

You're getting confused, post 1138 and 1139 are unrelated. The car in 1138 is a Kurtis Aguila at a road race and has the fenders removed. The fenders on a Aguila were Dzus'd on so they could be easily removed and it could be raced as a sports racer or open wheel formula car.

 

Kurtis Agulia w/wo fenders

 

Oops....

 

Oop's is right.

Pat

 

Hi,
I'm looking for the car my Dad built in the early 1950's. He was in the San Francisco Bay Area and around 1961 he traded the car to a friend in SoCal; that's the last I know of the car.

 

Allard v8

 

sp 250 Daimler

 

This is a Griffin --

This is a Griffith --

 

Neighbor kid down the street had one, bought new in'65 or so. Hypo 289 and he drove it like he had a get out of jail free card.. I could hear him coming from about a mile away, he thought he was Dan Gurney but I doubt if he ever took it to a track day. 1800 lbs or so.

 

J got to hop in one and drive it down the street around 66/67, it was the fastest thing I ever drove in the street or anywhere at that time or maybe ever. I had the biggest grin on my face ever.

Pat

 

Feet,Pedals, Room?

 

Witchcraft

 

Briggs Cunningham c-6-r

 

C5R years ago I heard a story about the Cunningham shark, Mercury Outboards Karl Kiekhafer was planning to build a v12 two stroke for this car for international racing for Cunningham, it never happened and the car ended up getting a 392 Hemi

 

Actually, there was a Griffith series 200, 400, and 600 produced. The 200's and 400's were Ford powered and based on TVR's. The series 600 was an original concept produced by Intermeccanica for Griffith. He lost his credit with Ford and these were produced with 273 Plymouth engines. The rights to the series 600 were sold to Steve Wilder, editor of Automobile magazine. He renamed it the Omega. The bodies were made in Italy by Intermeccanica and the Ford powertrains were installed by Holman and Moody in their building at the Charlotte airport. Wilder sold the name to GM and gave the production rights back to Intermeccanica. Intermeccanica decided to build the whole car inhouse and sold it as a Torino. Named after the American name for the city in which they were produced, Turin, Italy. Ford claimed they had the automobile rights to the name Torino, so the car was renamed again as the Italia. It stayed the Italia until production ceased in 1972, after a total run of about 500 cars of all names.

PS. Intermeccanica is still making cars.