1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada

Few automobiles express the character of their creator as vividly as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada. Low, purposeful, and mechanically unconventional, it represented the ultimate development of Giotto Bizzarrini’s front-engine gran turismo: an automobile shaped by racing experience, clothed in lightweight aluminum, and powered by one of the most durable and accessible American engines of its era – the Chevrolet small-block. Bizzarrini’s career included work at Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, where he played a central role in developing the legendary 250 GTO. Following his departure from Ferrari in 1961, he established the engineering consultancy Autostar and became closely involved with Renzo Rivolta’s ambitious entry into GT-car production. The result was the Iso Grifo A3/C, an uncompromising competition berlinetta combining Italian chassis and coachwork with Chevrolet 327 Corvette power. After Bizzarrini and Rivolta parted ways in 1965, the A3/C concept continued under Bizzarrini’s own name as the 5300 GT. The 5300 GT’s dramatic form originated with Giorgetto Giugiaro during his tenure at Bertone and was subsequently developed for competition, with alloy coachwork constructed by specialist firms including Piero Drogo’s Carrozzeria Sports Cars and BBM. Its Chevrolet V-8 was mounted so far behind the front axle that portions of the engine were accessed through panels in the dashboard. This layout provided excellent weight distribution, while independent front suspension, a De Dion rear axle, inboard rear disc brakes, and center-lock Campagnolo wheels gave the Strada the essential architecture of an endurance racer. The American engine was fundamental to the car’s appeal. In its December 1966 test, Road & Track described the competition-equipped version as a “hairy, gutsy car,” while noting the practical advantage of obtaining engine parts and service “in every village.” It was a compelling proposition: exotic Italian performance and appearance supported by robust, readily serviceable Corvette mechanicals. Surviving production records are incomplete, and published totals vary considerably. Approximately 125 A3/C- and 5300-type automobiles are generally believed to have been completed, encompassing Iso-badged competition cars, alloy-bodied Stradas, fiberglass-bodied Americas, and several late- or post-production examples. Within this limited group, unrestored cars with documented period histories are exceptionally uncommon. Chassis IA3 0284 is a later-production Strada equipped with the revised dashboard and electric windows associated with the model’s more luxuriously appointed second-series configuration. Its wood-veneer instrument panel with Veglia gauges, wood-rimmed steering wheel, Voxson radio, and electric window mechanisms remain in place. Importantly, the car is believed to retain its original Chevrolet 327 V-8, numbered 0010 F0606HT. Its assembly code identifies a Flint-built engine in high-performance Corvette 350 hp L79 specification, intended for a four-barrel carburetor and manual transmission. Similar F0606HT-code engines bearing individual Bizzarrini prefixes are documented in other surviving 5300 GTs. This car retains the appropriate road-car arrangement of a single Holley four-barrel carburetor mounted on a GM intake manifold. Recently obtained Automobile Club d’Italia registration records clarify its previously unknown early history. These record a 1967 manufacture date and a Certificate of Origin issued on October 23. In May 1968, the Bizzarrini was registered as ‘Roma B89006’ to Giangiacomo Elia, an actor living in Rome. That November, it passed to Carlo Tinacci of Carpi, receiving Modena plate ‘MO 191957’ in February 1969. In January 1970, Tinacci sold the car to Luciano Fancinelli through Achilli Motors of Milan. Roberto Brunetti of Carpi acquired it that June, and the final Italian entry records deregistration for export in 1971. By the end of 1971, the Bizzarrini was in Pontiac, Michigan, owned by Kenneth Ray Caldwell. Correspondence from that year and the surviving Michigan license plate ‘FFC 636’ document its presence in the state; a 1978 Michigan title further substantiates Caldwell’s ownership. Remarkably, it remained with him for more than half a century, stored in his garage and effectively disappearing from the known Bizzarrini record. Recently uncovered by a marque enthusiast, IA3 0284 emerges as a genuine garage discovery. It is finished in red over black, although traces of green paint beneath the existing finish may indicate its original color. An Italian parking sticker survives on the windshield, evidence of its early days. Largely complete, the car has deteriorated through prolonged storage and neglect. Its finish is cracked and faded, the upholstery is in tatters, and corrosion is evident throughout. Comprehensive restoration will be required before it returns to the road, although its surviving coachwork, structure, dashboard, drivetrain, trim, and period details provide valuable reference material for that undertaking. Equally compelling as a restoration project or museum display in its evocative as-found state, IA3 0284 offers a rare opportunity to acquire a long-lost example of Giotto Bizzarrini’s greatest road car. Conceived in Livorno, powered by its Flint-built Chevrolet V-8, and hidden for more than 50 years in Pontiac, this Motor City Bizzarrini is a remarkable discovery. *Please note that this vehicle has been in long-term static storage and may not be currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to use. Please also note that this vehicle is titled 1968. car

Utropspris:SEK 7,928,883.99

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