Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 1A30315
In May 2023, automotive enthusiasts worldwide mourned the loss of
Giotto Bizzarrini, a transformative figure in Italian the
automotive industry responsible for some of the most influential
engines and cars of the 1960s. Initially working with Alfa Romeo
and then Ferrari, he played a pivotal role in the creation of the
fabled Ferrari 250 GTO, a follow-up to his work on the 250 GT SWB.
Despite his significant contributions, Bizzarrini's career at
Ferrari ended during Ferrari's "Night of the Long Knives," which
saw Bizzarrini found Societ� Autostar in 1962 where he continued to
innovate. Notably, the firm developed a dual overhead-cam V12
engine for Ferruccio Lamborghini which Sant'Agata would continue to
produce for five decades.
Bizzarrini's influence didn't stop there. Iso Autoveicoli Spa
Chairman Renzo Rivolta duly enlisted Bizzarrini to design luxury
GTs, including the Iso Grifo, which laid the groundwork for the
cars that would soon bear his name. Bizzarrini's engine expertise
wasn't required, as the company decided to follow the trend set by
De Tomaso of combining an American V8 with Italian design.
Bizzarrini instead concentrated on developing the cars' advanced
pressed-steel chassis, de Dion rear suspension, double-wishbone
front suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. This resulted in the
creation of the street-oriented A3/L (Lusso orn luxury) and the
race-focused A3/C (Corsa or race) versions, with the
aluminum-bodied Iso A3/C racer in particular serving as the
foundation for the Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada.
Produced under his own company, Prototipi Bizzarrini S.r.L., the GT
5300 Strada (Street) retained the ultra-wide, low-slung design of
the A3/C Grifo originally penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone
and featured a front-mid-mounted Corvette-sourced small block
engine producing 365 horsepower. Placed as far back over the front
axle as possible for near-perfect weight distribution, it was
paired with a BorgWarner four-speed manual transmission and a
limited slip differential. Lightweight competition variants of the
GT 5300 Strada proved highly competitive, claiming second in class
at the Nu�rburgring 1000 Kms and 14th overall at 24 Hours of Le
Mans in 1964; however, financial difficulties would prevent Giotto
from mounting the full-scale assault on Le Mans that he had
envisioned. In 1969, Bizzarrini was forced to declare bankruptcy
after producing just 133 examples of the GT 5300 Strada from 1964
to 1968.
According to the seminal registry of Bizzarrinis, Bizzarrini; The
Genius Behind Ferrari's Success by marque expert Jack Koobs de
Hartog, this enticing recreation of Bizzarrini's eponymous GT was
prepared sometime in the early 2000s by Gilberto Panizza in Italy
with aluminum coachwork from Protauto of Sorbara, Modena.
Correspondence on file suggests that the car was thought to be
based on a genuine Bizzarrini with elements of the nose panel,
front fenders, dash panel, and chassis plate pointing to a period
car. In 2004, the car was race-prepared to lightweight Corsa
specification by Don Shead in the U.K., with further preparation
rendered by Foxcraft Engineering Ltd. of Stockbridge, Hampshire,
England. In this guise, the car featured a 5.3-liter Chevrolet V8
topped with Weber 45 carburetors for upwards of 400 horsepower
paired with a Jerico Performance four-speed transmission, a de Dion
rear axle, and a limited slip differential. Under the ownership of
John Bendall of Easton, Hampshire, the car was then refinished in
its present shade of light silver-blue and regularly participated
in historic racing events throughout the U.K. from 2003 to
2006.
In 2008, the Bizzarrini passed to its current U.K.-based owner, who
has continued to campaign the car extensively across Europe
alongside Broad Arrow Auctions Director and Head of UK & Europe
Consignments Joe Twyman with great success. Wins and podiums came
in the Masters Historic Racing series, 24 Hours of Le Mans support
race, Spa 6 Hours Classic, and the Historic 500-mile race on the
Nu�rburgring Nordschleife among others. Notably, in its current
ownership, the car has been driven by former Formula One Driver
Jonathan Palmer as well as touring car Champions Tim Harvey and
Paul Radisich. The car was also accepted and ran at the Goodwood
Members Meeting. The car was one of the featured vehicles in
several episodes of the GT Racer television series by filmmaker
Alexander Davidis, a documentary series following international
vintage racing that was shown on UKTV channel Dave where the car
was seen running at the N�rburgring and at Portimao in
Portugal.
The Bizzarrini currently sits on correct Dunlop Racing tires for
historic racing and sounds fantastic running unsilenced on open
straight pipes. However, included in the sale is a pair of custom
exhaust silencers. The cockpit is all you would expect in a
race-prepared car with custom race seats, harnesses, Perspex side
windows and race switchgear and dials. It is fitted with an FIA
roll cage and large capacity race fuel tank, multiple fuel pump
setup, and the bodywork still wears race numbers and a large number
of stickers from races in which the car competed.
Today, this highly competitive GT Strada 5300 recreation is
additionally road-legal with a V5C U.K. Vehicle Registration and is
titled as a 1965 model year. This Bizzarrini's next owner will no
doubt find it to be an exceptionally prepared track weapon at
whichever of the myriad historic events it is eligible to attend,
or an exciting and engaging car for road rallies or spirited street
use.
Please note that this lot is being sold on non-US ownership
documents, so obtaining US title will take additional processing
time.
