Equipment
273/304hp Plymouth Commando engine, Torqueflite automatic, side exhaust, Wilwood brakes, Uniroyal tires, newer radio.
Condition
One of six Griffith 600s built, and just two of them got an automatic. Spent most of its life in California and restored in 2021. Decent respray and rechromed bumpers. Light scratches in the windshield, side windows, and rear glass. Very clean restored interior. Rare and obscure, and it was restored on a budget, but still a very interesting and attractive car.
Market commentary
The later Intermeccanica Italia is already an obscure Italo-American hybrid sports car, but the Griffith 600 that preceded it is even more rare. Built by Long Island car dealer Jack Griffith, fresh from building the better known TVR-based Griffith 200 and 400, he approached Intermeccanica in Turin for some Italian styling flair. Truly an international affair, the Griffith 600 has a chassis designed by an Englishman, bodywork by a Hungarian-born Canadian living in Italy (Frank Reisner), and an American engine. The car only became an Intermeccanica (badged the Omega, Torino and Italia) after Griffith ran into money troubles. This car is an oddball, but its looks are undoubtedly appealing, and so is the straightforward American-born bent eight under the hood. The automatic really didn't help its case, though, and the seller couldn't have really hoped for a much higher price than this. But, when it appears on a show field or cars & coffee it will draw a crowd eager to learn its obscure story.