Bizzarrini GT 5300

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Bizzarrini
Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300
Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300
GT 5300
Production period: 1964-1968
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupe
Engines: Petrol engines :
5.3 liters
(268–309 kW)
Length: 4460 mm
Width: 1760 mm
Height: 1106-1110 mm
Wheelbase : 2450 mm
Empty weight : 1150 kg
successor Bizzarrini P 538
Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300
For comparison: an Iso A3 / L Grifo
Lettering

The Bizzarrini GT 5300 was a sports car produced in small numbers by the Italian automobile manufacturer Automobili Bizzarrini , which is historically and technically closely related to the Iso Grifo of the Milanese sports car manufacturer Iso Rivolta . The car was designed as a racing version of the Grifo and was initially marketed as the Iso A3 / C. After the end of the business relationship between Bizzarrini and Iso Rivolta, it became an independent model in 1965. Bizzarrini offered the now called GT 5300 in a roadworthy version and in a revised version suitable for motorsport use. The production volume of both versions fell short of Bizzarrini's expectations. In motorsport, too, the GT 5300 was unable to build on the successes achieved in 1964 and 1965 with the largely identical Iso A3 / C.

Model history

Iso Grifo

Giotto Bizzarrini , owner of the Tuscan company Automobili Bizzarrini since 1962, had designed the chassis for the Iso Rivolta 300 as early as 1962 . A year later, Bizzarrini also designed the chassis for Iso's second model, which was designed as a sporty two-seater in Gran Turismo style. Like the 300, this vehicle was to combine a Corvette engine with a body designed by Giorgio Giugiaro for Bertone . It was initially named Iso A3 / L, where the L stood for Lusso (luxury) and signaled that, despite all its sportiness, it was also a comfortable vehicle for road traffic. This Iso A3 / L later became world-famous as Iso Grifo.

Sport version of the Grifo

Long before series production of the Iso Grifo started in 1965, Giotto Bizzarrini derived a version of the A3 / L suitable for competition, suitable and intended for use in racing. The initiative for this project came from Bizzarrini: He was of the opinion that the sales of the A3 / L road sports car could be significantly promoted through success in racing. Renzo Rivolta supported the cause, although he himself was skeptical of motor racing.

The result of Bizzarrini's work was the Iso A3 / C (for Competizione). The A3 / C had an independent body, but had a chassis similar to the A3 / L and corresponded to this in terms of drive technology: Here and there, a 5.3 liter eight-cylinder engine from the Chevrolet Corvette was used. The public saw the unpainted car for the first time at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963. It was exhibited at the Iso Rivolta stand, while the street version, the A3 / L “Grifo”, ​​was also presented at the Bertone stand.

Six months later, the A3 / L appeared for the first time at a racing event: Automobili Bizzarrini, with the support of Iso Rivolta, registered two vehicles called Iso for the Sebring 12-hour race . Both vehicles failed due to a technical defect. In the following two years there were several other races, including the 24-hour race of Le Mans , which were successful to varying degrees.

From 1965 the A3 / C was produced in small series at Bizzarrini in Livorno ; and initially sold through Iso Rivolta.

Separation from Iso Rivolta

In the course of 1965 there was a falling out between Renzo Rivolta and Giotto Bizzarrini. Bizzarrini had provided some of the A3 / C vehicles with his branding instead of the Iso Rivoltas; Of greater importance, however, was the fact that Bizzarrini had the model name "Grifo" protected.

In order to settle the dispute, Rivolta and Bizzarrini ultimately agreed to split up the market segments: Iso Rivolta received the brand name Grifo for exclusive use and in future limited itself to producing and selling the A3 / L street sports car under the name Iso Grifo, while Giotto Bizzarrini started in late summer 1965 manufactured the sports version A3 / C under its own name as the Bizzarrini GT 5300. Bizzarrini also received chassis and drive parts from Iso Rivolta that were sufficient to build around 50 more vehicles.

From the second half of 1965, Bizzarrini in Livorno manufactured a number of vehicles in its own name based on the A3 / C designed for Iso Rivolta. Different versions were created, which differed in terms of technology and structure:

  • The roadworthy version was named Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 .
  • A racing version called the Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300 that was used at the factory in endurance races. At the customer's request, Strada elements were also combined with those of the Corsa on some vehicles.
  • A Spyder was also created in just three copies.

Scope of production and today's market situation

Until the separation from Renzo Rivolta, Bizzarrini produced between 20 and 30 A3 / C vehicles for Iso. The details are very inconsistent; In some cases there are talk of 22 completed cars, in some cases 30. What is certain is that a model manufactured in 1965 was provided with a plastic body.

How many copies of the GT 5300 Bizzarrini produced in its own name after the separation from Iso is also very unclear. The information in the literature and in other sources differ widely. Until the 1990s, it was mostly assumed that a total of 149 copies of the GT-5300 series were produced. In the more recent literature, this number is now viewed as significantly too high. Most sources now name around 100 to 110 completed vehicles. Others, on the other hand, assume production of only 78 vehicles for the years 1964 to 1966 and assume that only a few more GT 5300 were built in 1967 and 1968 due to a concentration on the successor Bizzarrini P 538 . In many cases it is also not clear whether the information includes the A3 / C built for Iso or only refers to the Bizzarrini models. There is only agreement that the Corsa versions are significantly rarer than the Strada models. Most sources assume that a maximum of 10 copies of the GT Corsa 5300 were made.

Giotto Bizzarrini himself is unable to clearly determine the scope of production. He claims that he did not keep accurate bookkeeping at the time because he was solely concerned with the technical side of the business. In addition, no consistent chassis numbers were used.

Today the Bizzarrini GT 5300, both in the Strada and in the Corsa version, are sought-after classic cars that function as an investment and for which high to very high prices are paid. A GT Strada 5300 in good, but not excellent condition was estimated in 2010 according to Classic Data with a purchase price of around 250,000 euros. In auctions, significantly higher prices are sometimes achieved. In January 2011 the auction house Coys of Kensington in London auctioned one of the last GT Strada 5300 for almost 280,000 euros. Just four months later, RM Auctions achieved sales proceeds of 400,000 euros for a very similar car at an auction held as part of the Concorso D'Eleganza Villa D'Este in Cernobbio . But prices in the mid six-digit range are now a thing of the past. At the Artcurial auction in February 2015, a GT Strada 5300 achieved auction proceeds of 1.2 million euros. That was about double the required minimum bid.

Technology and body

landing gear

The Bizzarrini GT 5300 is based - just like the largely identical Iso A3 / C - on a semi- monocoque made of sheet aluminum. Constructively, it was similar to that of the Iso Grifo A3 / L, but the wheelbase was 50 millimeters shorter. The rear wheel suspension with a rigid De Dion axle on four trailing arms and a Watt linkage corresponded to that of the Grifo A3 / L, while the front wheel with recirculating ball steering and individually suspended wheels on double wishbones was independent.

A special feature of the GT 5300 was the location of its engine: in order to store its weight as centrally as possible in the vehicle, Bizzarrini placed it far behind the front axle. As a result, some parts - including the ignition distributor  - were only accessible via the passenger compartment . They could be reached through a hatch in the dashboard .

The arrangement of the 140-liter tanks also served to distribute the weight as evenly as possible: one tank was located in the side sills below the doors, and a third, larger tank was installed behind the seats. With this, Bizzarrini achieved a weight distribution of 52 front to 48 rear.

engine

For all models, Bizzarrini used a 5.3 liter small block eight-cylinder from GM , similar to that of the Chevrolet Corvette High Performance 340. It was offered in different processing and power levels. The regular tuning measures included changed intake and exhaust ports and a modified crankshaft, and there were also different carburetor systems. In the Strada, a Carter, later a Holley quadruple carburetor was usually used, while the Corsa models were supplied via four double carburetors from Eduardo Weber (Type 42, later Type 45 DCOE). In the Strada version, the engine reached around 365 bhp (272 kW), while for the Corsa models an output of around 400 to 405 hp (294 to 298 kW) was specified; other sources speak of 420 hp.

At least one Bizzarrini GT was equipped for racing purposes with a 7.0 liter eight-cylinder engine from Ford , which had an output of 450 hp (331 kW), according to other sources even 550 hp (404 kW). This vehicle was later given a body by Neri e Bonacini and sold as the 'Nembo 7 Litri'.

body

The body of the GT 5300 corresponded to that of the Iso A3 / C. It had almost no resemblance to the Iso Grifo A3 / L, which was designed as a comfortable Gran Turismo . The design of the sports car body is usually attributed to Giorgio Giugiaro and thus Bertone. In some sources, however, Giugiaro's influence on the design of the vehicle is clearly relativized. Then Giotto Bizzarrini designed the body himself together with his employee Piero Vanni, while Giugiaro and Bertone only made a few refinements.

With regard to the desired sporting successes, the body was emphatically purpose-oriented. Even the Strada was extremely low with a height of only 1.11 meters; the Corsa sports model only reached a height of 1.06 meters. The headlights were set back and covered with panes made of polymethyl methacrylate (Plexiglas), the windshield was strongly curved. Bumpers were completely absent; some Strada models were given thin imitation bumpers for visual reasons. The body is usually described as very aerodynamically efficient. Your drag coefficient should have been only 0.30.

As long as Bizzarrini completed the A3 / C models for Iso Rivolta, the body of the A3 / C was manufactured in Piero Drogo 's Carrozzeria Sports Cars plant in Modena . After Bizzarrini and Rivolta broke up, the business relationship with Drogo broke up. The aluminum bodies for the GT-5300 models were then obtained from changing suppliers. From September 1965 they were created at the small Modeneser bodyworks BBM , in 1966 and 1967 at Grosso e Vece in Turin and, after their bankruptcy, finally Subalpina (1968). The boat manufacturer Vincenzo Catarsi also built individual plastic bodies. From 1966, the specialty company Carbondio in Turin took over the completion of the cars .

Models

Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300

Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 in the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf
Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300 at the Oldtimer Festival 2008 on the Nürburgring
Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder SI

The GT Strada 5300 was the most popular version of the Bizzarrini. It wore an aluminum body, was usually equipped with the 365 hp engine and offered a minimum of comfort in the interior. These included side crank windows, a ventilation system that was adopted by Fiat , as well as a dashboard upholstered in synthetic leather, which in some cases was paneled with wood.

Some models intended for the American market were given the designation GT America. They largely corresponded to the European Strada.

Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300

The GT Corsa 5300 was a modification of the Strada designed for racing use, which was uncompromisingly geared towards sportiness. Bizzarrini reduced the weight of the vehicle by 40 kilograms by removing components that were used for comfort. This included the inner door panels, the crank windows - they were replaced by sliding windows - and the ventilation. Thinner and thus lighter aluminum sheets were used to build the body. The Corsa models had additional ventilation openings in the area of ​​the rear window. In at least four cases, the body was made of plastic.

Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder SI

The Spyder models of the Bizzarrini 5300 are largely independent. A total of three copies were made: a prototype and two vehicles that differ significantly from them, which went on sale.

  • The Spyder prototype was developed in the second half of 1965 and presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. The baseline of the vehicle was similar to that of the GT Strada 5300, but the car had a removable roll bar and roof parts that were also removable. The chassis of the exhibition specimen had not been reinforced, so that the car's tendency to twist was extreme. Giotto Bizzarrini described the structure as "unstable", which also did not change when the roll bar was later firmly welded. The Spyder prototype did not go on sale. When it came into private hands after the bankruptcy of Automobili Bizzarrini, Bizzarrini installed a suitable motor at the request of the owner. However, the windshield broke after only 2000 kilometers as a result of the high torsion of the body. The prototype then stood still for almost 30 years before a collector bought it and provided it with a body in the style of the later "series" spyder.
  • After the failure of the Spyder prototype, Bizzarrini constructed another open version of the 5300 with a permanently welded roll bar and some reinforcements around the windshield. The body was manufactured by the Turin-based company Stile Italia . Two examples of the now called Spyder SI (for Stile Italia ) were made in 1967 and 1968. The first vehicle, painted red, was made for Bizzarrini's investor Harold Sarko, the second, blue, for Domenico Iselio, owner of Stile Italia. In Giotto Bizzarrini's opinion, regular series production failed due to insufficient funding.

Factory motorsport commitment

The GT 5300 of the Bizzarrini works team (No. 11) at the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1966

The Bizzarrini GT 5300, like its predecessor Iso A3 / C, was designed for participation in racing events. Giotto Bizzarrini had already used the A3 / C for Iso Rivolta in various long-distance races in 1964 and 1965 and achieved some successes, including class victories at the Le Mans 24-hour races in both years (see there for details ).

Even after Bizzarrini separated from Renzo Rivolta in the summer of 1965, he continued his motorsport involvement. For this purpose, Bizzarrini built a new vehicle, which was given the chassis number BA4 106 and was to contest all of the plant's racing activities in the 1966 season. However, Bizzarrini could no longer achieve success with the conceptually unchanged GT 5300. At the first outing, the 1000 km race in Monza , Bizzarrini's drivers Edgar Berney and Antonio Nieri dropped out due to technical defects as well as at the prestigious Targa Florio in May 1966. The 1000 km races at Spa-Francorchamps and on the Nürburgring left Bizzarrini out due to lack of money in order to save the resources for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1966 . It was here that Bizzarrini appeared for the first time with his new design, the P 538 , which was the preferred focus of the work. In addition to the prototype, which was not yet fully developed at the time, Bizzarrini reported the GT 5300 for Sam Posey and Massimo Natili , which started four places ahead of the P 538. The event was unsuccessful for the Bizzarrinis. While the P 538S crashed, Posey and Natali were disqualified because they had crossed a safety line in the pit lane.

For 1967 Bizzarrini equipped the GT 5300 with a seven-liter eight-cylinder engine from Ford. The car was driven by Edgar Berney and Jean de Mortemart in the Monza 1000 km race but did not finish. A registration for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1967 was not accepted because the commissioners considered the car to be technically illegal. Giotto Bizzarrini then ended his factory involvement in motorsport.

literature

  • Dean Bachelor, Chris Poole, Graham Robson: The Big Book of Sports Cars ; Erlangen 1990 (no ISBN)
  • Wolfgang Blaube: Blue Mauritius . Model history and driving report for the Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder SI In: Oldtimer Markt . No. 5 , May 2006, ISSN  0939-9704 , p. 172 ff .
  • Eduard Hattuma: Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 and GT America . Model presentation and history of the brand. In: Schweizer Old + Youngtimer, March / April 2010, p. 21 ff.
  • Richard Heseltine: One Vision . Driving report and model history of the Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada. In: Classic and Sports Car, September 2004 issue.
  • Frank Oleski, Hartmut Lehbrink: Series sports cars . Cologne (Könemann) 1993. ISBN 3-89508-000-4 .
  • Michael Riedner: Show-Biz . Presentation and driving report Bizzarrini GT Corsa 5300 from 1965. In: Motor Klassik, issue 3/1989.
  • Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 .
  • Bernd Woytal: Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 . In: Bernd Wieland: Italian classic sports cars. 1st edition. Stuttgart (Motorbuch Verlag) 2001. ISBN 3-613-02162-5

Web links

Commons : Bizzarrini GT 5300  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The company was initially called Autostar; In 1964 it was renamed Società Prototipi Bizzarrini, and a year later it was renamed Automobili Bizzarrini. On the development of the name Schrader, Amtmann: Italian sports cars, p. 88.
  2. ^ Schrader, Amtmann: Italian Sports Cars, p. 201.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Riedner: Show-Biz. In: Motor Klassik. 3/1989, p. 129.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Heseltine: One Vision. In: Classic & Sports Car , 9/2004.
  5. ↑ a b c see model history at www.qv500.com ( Memento from October 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ↑ see model history at www.qv500.com ( Memento from April 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ The website www.qv500.com ( Memento from April 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) speaks of some “crossover” models.
  8. ↑ a b for example Oleski, Lehbrink: Seriensportwagen , p. 242.
  9. ^ Blaube: Blue Mauritius. In: Oldtimer Market. 5/2006, p. 176.
  10. ↑ Bachelor, Robson, Poole: The great book of sports cars, p. 84.
  11. ↑ see model history at www.qv500.com ( Memento from August 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ^ Schrader, bailiff: Italian sports car. P. 88. After that 20 GT-5300 vehicles were built in 1964, 28 in the following year and finally 30 in 1966.
  13. ^ Günter Zink: Oldtimer Catalog. No. 24 (2010), Heel, ISBN 978-3-86852-185-6 .
  14. ↑ Classiccarsforsale - website: message on the website. (No longer available online.) At: www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk , formerly in the original ; Retrieved March 25, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk
  15. ↑ Motor Klassik, issue 7/2011, p. 80.
  16. ↑ auto motor und sport: classic car auctions. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ http://www.historicautopro.com/1966-bizzarrini-5300-gt-strada
  18. ↑ http://www.supercars.net/blog/1965-bizzarrini-5300-gt-strada
  19. ↑ a b Woytal: Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300, p. 66.
  20. ^ Schrader, Amtmann: Italian Sports Cars, p. 88.
  21. ↑ for example Bachelor, Robson, Poole: Das große Buch der Sportwagen, p. 84. Likewise Kevin Brazendale: Enzyklopädie Automobil, 1st edition Augsburg (Bechtermünz), ISBN 3-8289-5384-0 , p. 89.
  22. ↑ Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani , Società Editrice Il Cammello, Torino, 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 288.
  23. ↑ Company history of Autocostruzioni SD on the website www.diomante.com (accessed on November 25, 2017).
  24. ↑ The vehicle shown has the chrome-plated “Strada” lettering on the B-pillar. That shouldn't be correct. The side windows, the additional air inlets and the routing of the exhaust system suggest that it is actually a Corsa .
  25. ↑ Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani , Aesthetica 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 528.
  26. ↑ For the model history of the Spyder cf. Blaube: Blaue Mauritius, Oldtimer Markt 5/2006, p. 172 ff. With driving report and an interview with Giotto Bizzarrini.
  27. ↑ Statistics on the racing involvement of the Bizzarrini GT 5300 at www.racingsportscars.com


This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 29, 2010 .