Autoquiz #602 - Finished

[carsntrucks4you]

This was a not so easy one. Frank Reisner founder of Intermeccanica had started build cars in the 1950's. In conjunction with Jack Griffith Intermeccanica build the Griffith. It  had its formal coming-out party at the 1966 New York Auto Show, and as with the Apollo a couple of years earlier, the initial press reports were glowing. The Griffith was fresh and innovative with a sleek body and powerful drive.Unknown to Intermeccanica, Jack Griffith’s company was in financial difficulties and a new partner, Steve Wilder, decided to take over the project.  Calling the car the Omega, Wilder had them assembled in North Carolina.Frank Reisner from Intermeccanica  developed a new classic that was based on the original Griffith bearing the name Torino — later re-branded as the Italia.This highly successful vehicle caught the eyes of discerning car lovers. The Italia was the perfect name for the elegant, sexy sports car, and one North American consumers would immediately fall in love with. 

Basically we are speaking about the same car with different names. 

1. Griffith 600 - It seems that only 2 cars delivered with engines (1x ford, 1x Plymouth) 8 -12 were sold without engines

2. Omega GT - Successor of the failed Griffith 600 with Ford engine. Only 33 were ever build

3. Intermeccanica Torino -  Third time of the old Griffith 600. 97 were build until Ford got a trademark on the name Torino for their midsize cars. The red car from the quiz was for sale at the Techno Classic fair in essen/Germany this April. It wasn't sold

4. Intermeccanica Italia - Last of the the old design. No changes compared to the Torino 411 build cars.

 

With this interesting history in mind I gave you the following hint: ".... it is not named after a mythical creature know s a half-eagle, half-lion in various cultures. It is not named after named the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. It is named after a city and the name was changed after one the big three claimed the name for there midsize cars...."

This means it is not a Griffith 600 it is not a Omega GT and it is not a Intermeccanica Italia. It is a Intermeccanica Torino build from 1968 - 1970

So with a little help the following member got it rigth:

Matt Bacon

Ace-Garageguy

Richard Bartrop

otherunicorn

TarheelRick

DonW

thatz4u

Congratulations

 

Edited April 15, 2024 by carsntrucks4you

[Ace-Garageguy]

And yet another easy one. Thanks. 

PM'd.

Edited April 9, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[carsntrucks4you]

I think my hint started more confusion than I thought.

Some said that the car is named after the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet or named after a mythical creature know s a half-eagle, half-lion in various cultures. 

So lets try to got more to the car that I'm looking for.  it is not named after a mythical creature know s a half-eagle, half-lion in various cultures. It is not named after named the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. It is named after a city and the name was changed after one the big three claimed the name for there midsize cars to a country. I think that lets to the correct name. 

Keep in mind it isn#t that easy because all of these cars share the same body.

 

[thatz4u]

pm'd

[DonW]

Thanks Michael

I came up with 3 possible different names or 4 if you include one that's related but has a clear external difference. But they are all lovely to look at!

New PM sent? 

[TarheelRick]

PM sent

[thatz4u]

pm'd again

[thatz4u]

pm 3

[Ace-Garageguy]

I owned a '69 Italia Spyder for a very short time. Powered by a Ford 302 and covered in awful white paint to hide a fair bit of rust, it was stolen from a closed gas station I'd rented to store some cars short-term while I moved my shop....Sports Car Engineering...from an industrial area close to Ga.Tech up to the ritzy Buckhead suburb.

Uninsured theft, and I always kinda thought the guy I got it from was the one who stole it, as he was, let's just say, a little on the shady side.

Most people, even "car guys", had no clue what it was, with some thinking it was a Corvette, the rest thinking it was a Ferrari.

                                  (not my car...AFAIK  )

The lines of the Italia were what inspired me to build what was, at the time, the world's only 240Z convertible...which disappeared from a "friends" property while he was in the midst of a nasty divorce; another uninsured loss.

EDIT: I honestly think the Italia was the most beautiful of all the limited-production Italian semi-exotics.

 

Edited April 16, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[DonW]

Sorry about your loss Bill. Did you get chance to drive it much and if so what was it like on the road?

I have to agree with you about the styling?