1968 Bizzarrini: A Noteworthy Offering by RM Sotheby's

author: FutureCar Staff    

The 1960s was a remarkable era of car design in Italy, unmatched by any other period in automotive history. During this time, the Italian auto industry saw the rise of numerous manufacturers, ranging from small garage-sized operations to large companies like FIAT. The era also saw the emergence of several automakers with names ending in "i," leading to the affectionate term "Etceterrini" for any brand that wasn't Maserati, Ferrari, or Lamborghini.

In 1963, Lamborghini's factory was established, thanks to the collaboration between Ferruccio Lamborghini and engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. Bizzarrini, who had previously been fired by Enzo Ferrari, was responsible for designing Ferrari's iconic 250 GTO. However, he moved on to work on another project.

Renzo Rivolta, an industrialist who founded Iso Rivolta car company in 1962, hired Bizzarrini to create the original Rivolta GT and two extraordinary cars. These were the Iso Grifo A3/L (Lusso) and A3/C (Corsa), both of which made their debut at the 1963 Turin Motor Show. Giorgetto Giugiaro, a renowned designer at Bertone, designed both models. Giugiaro, known for his work on the De Tomaso Mangusta and Maserati Ghibli, possessed exceptional talent in automotive design. The Iso A3/C and Bizzarrini 5300 GT were masterpieces of form, showcasing a perfect balance of proportion, purpose, and performance.

Iso produced the Grifo, a luxury GT that enjoyed success from 1965 to 1974, powered by various Chevrolet and Ford V-8 engines. The brilliance of Iso's approach was using reliable and cost-effective American V-8 engines instead of developing unique engines for their cars. Bizzarrini's own company, founded in 1964, built the A3/C for Iso. Unlike its GT sibling, the A3/C was a pure sports car designed for dominating the racetrack. It achieved remarkable success, including winning the GT class at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965.

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada featured a lightweight semi-monocoque aluminum body riveted to a fabricated platform chassis. It was equipped with a front-mid-mounted Chevrolet 327 ci V-8 engine, which led to the car being named Bizzarrini 5300 (5300 cc displacement is roughly equivalent to 327 ci). The design of the car drew inspiration from Bizzarrini's work on the Ferrari 250 GTO, aiming to improve upon that iconic model.

The result was a car that delivered exhilarating performance and exceptional handling, with power ranging from 350 hp to 420 hp depending on the tune and carburetion. Bizzarrini and Iso eventually went their separate ways, and Bizzarrini produced the Grifo A3/C under his own name as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada and 5300 GT America. Approximately 115 examples of both models were produced between 1965 and early 1969, using aluminum and fiberglass bodies.

Unfortunately, pricing the car at $10,500, which was nearly $5,000 less than the Italian "Big Three" (Maserati, Ferrari, and Lamborghini), proved to be an unprofitable strategy. Bizzarrini's company filed for bankruptcy in 1969. Giotto Bizzarrini's story is a fascinating one, detailed in the book "Bizzarrini: A technician devoted to motor-racing," published in 2004.

This particular 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy, chassis No. IA3 0323, is one of the last 86 alloy-bodied examples produced. It was originally delivered to California and remained there until 2017. The car has undergone sympathetic restoration work, including new paint and interior in the original colors. It is equipped with air conditioning and Campagnolo center-lock, forged magnesium wheels of Iso design. This rare gem is expected to be auctioned during Monterey Car Week and could fetch as much as $1 million.

For more photos of this 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Alloy, click here.

FutureCar Staff