Description
Giotto Bizzarrini‘s illustrious career includes contributions to iconic Ferraris like the 250 Testa Rossa, 250 GT ‘Short Wheelbase,’ and the 250 GTO. However, it took a dramatic fallout with Il Commendatore for him to create the car he considered his greatest achievement: the 5300 GT.
Having famously walked away from Ferrari in 1961, Bizzarrini joined forces with Milanese industrialist Renzo Rivolta, the visionary behind Iso, which was still in its infancy. Bizzarrini, using his persuasive skills, convinced Rivolta to venture into manufacturing a sports car that could secure a lasting place in motorsport history.
The result was the Iso Grifo A3C, a dramatic Chevrolet V8-powered spaceship on wheels. Differences in vision between Rivolta and Bizzarrini eventually led to their separation. This parting left Bizzarrini to focus on developing, constructing, and, notably, racing the A3C. The car was later renamed the 5300 GT and produced under the Bizzarrini banner.
The 5300 GT, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with refinements by Piero Drogo of Carrozzeria Sports Cars, stands out as the most enduring and iconic Bizzarrini. Powered by a Chevrolet small block V8 of 5. 4 litres, the aluminium-bodied car is known for its lightness, agility, and fierce competitiveness. The road-going Strada version, considered the connoisseur’s choice, embodies the pinnacle of Italian design and engineering.
Featuring a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the engine intentionally sits as far back over the front axle as possible to enhance weight distribution and handling. Produced between 1965 and 1968, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, while in fact a street car, boasts specifications reminiscent of an all-out competition vehicle. With lightweight aluminum bodywork, a fabricated platform chassis, and a semi-monocoque body riveted to the frame, this advanced chassis, drawing on Bizzarrini’s lessons from the Ferrari 250 GTO, delivers outstanding performance and incredible handling.
The exquisite yellow Bizzarrini offered here, was constructed in 1965 as a Strada version. After passing through several owners in Italy, in 1997, the car was acquired by a well-known gentleman racer in the Netherlands. He promptly initiated a comprehensive restoration and race preparation project, entrusting the work to a distinguished UK company specializing in racing car restoration and race preparation. This extensive undertaking spanned nearly two years, and detailed invoices for the work can be found in the extensive history file that accompanies the car.
Subsequently, the car has been actively campaigned for many years by its enthusiastic owner on renowned circuits such as Zandvoort, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring, Zolder, Dijon, Monza, and others, consistently delivering impressive performances. Having undergone extensive racing, by 2007, it was deemed necessary to undertake a restoration of the body, chassis, and mechanical components. DUEL Motorsport, along with contributions from Tachyon—both highly respected racing shops in the Netherlands—handled this work. Invoices detailing this extensive restoration effort are included in the car’s file.
Following the restoration, the owner successfully raced the car at Zandvoort and various other racetracks in northwestern Europe. In subsequent years, the car changed hands, now owned by another well-known gentleman racer who continued to have the car meticulously maintained by the world-famous Roelofs Engineering while actively competing.
Today, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada remains in impeccable and race-ready condition. Additionally, the car is registered as a road car in the Netherlands, providing the future owner with the option to either race it or use it for fast road rallies.
