Bizzarrini P 538

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Bizzarrini
Bizzarrini P 538
Bizzarrini P 538
P 538
Production period: 1965-1968
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupé , roadster
Engines:
Petrol engines : 4.0-5.4 liters
Length: 3998 mm
Width: 1930 mm
Height: 940 mm
Wheelbase : 2515 mm
Empty weight : 1000 kg

The Bizzarrini P 538 is an open racing sports car produced from 1965 by the Italian car manufacturer Bizzarrini , which supplemented the roadworthy coupé Bizzarrini GT 5300 . Until Bizzarrini went bankrupt at the end of 1968, very few P 538s had been completed; Contrary to expectations, the car only appeared sporadically in racing and did not achieve any success. In later years, however, numerous replicas were made, some with dubious backgrounds. Not all detailed questions in connection with the P 538 have been clarified; There are a number of legends surrounding its history. A copy of the P 538 forms the basis for the Bizzarrini Manta , a show car designed by Giorgio Giugiaro from 1968. In the summer of 2009, the model name was used for a new mid-engine sports car that had nothing to do with Bizzarrini and remained a one-off.

History of origin

Bizzarrini: Sports car manufacturer from Livorno
Bizzarrini's first model: the roadworthy GT 5300

The engineer Giotto Bizzarrini , born in Livorno in 1926, worked as a designer for Ferrari for several years from 1957 . The Ferrari 250 GTO is one of his most successful developments of this time . After separating from Ferrari as part of what became known as the “Palace Revolution”, Bizzarrini worked for ATS and Lamborghini for a short time before designing the Gran Turismo Rivolta IR 300 and the Grifo sports car for Iso Rivolta . From the street version of the Grifo, Bizzarrini initially derived the racing version Grifo A3 / C , which he produced under his own brand slightly modified as the Bizzarrini GT 5300 after separating from Renzo Rivolta in 1965. The GT 5300, which like the regular Grifo was equipped with an American eight-cylinder engine, was roadworthy, but was also used in competitions.

In order to make the young Bizzarrini brand known internationally, Giotto Bizzarrini developed the P 538 from 1965, which was to be used effectively at racing events. The P 538 was a pure racing car. It is unclear what role the American racing driver Mike Gammino played in the creation of the P 538. Gammino, who had used an Iso Grifo A3 / C in the Sebring 12-hour race in 1965 , was unsuccessful with the idea of ​​having a separate racing car built by Ferrari for 1966 and then turned to Giotto Bizzarrini. Some sources assume that Bizzarrini began developing the P 538 immediately on Gammino's order. According to other sources, Bizzarrini had already designed the P 538 as an eight-cylinder vehicle before Gammino joined the project. In any case, it is undisputed that Bizzarrini obtained access to Lamborghini twelve-cylinder via Gammino. Gammino bought two V12 blocks through Giampaolo Dallara , Lamborghini's technical director at the time, and without the knowledge of the owner Ferruccio Lamborghini , of which he passed at least one on to Bizzarrini. Giotto Bizzarrini saw this as an opportunity to meet his former employer Ferrari with equivalent material. The particular attraction of the twelve-cylinder version was that it was the first time that a Bizzarrini car was equipped with a Bizzarrini engine, because Ferruccio Lamborghini contributed the design of the twelve-cylinder V-engine that had been driving his 350 GT and 400 GT Grand Tourers since 1964 Giotto Bizzarrini commissioned.

Giotto Bizzarrini directed a large part of the financial resources of his company into the development of the P 538. It was a major reason for the economic difficulties that Bizzarrini suffered from 1967 at the latest. Production of the P 538 ended when Automobili Bizzarrini went bankrupt in the autumn of 1968. By then, five vehicles, including the prototype, had been produced. Salvatore Diomante took over most of the tools, spare parts and molds in the insolvency proceedings and manufactured a few more P 538s in his company Autocostruzioni SD in the following years, some of which were based on original components. How many replicas were made is unclear.

Model name

The model designation refers to the engine placed behind the cockpit (P for posterior) as well as the displacement (rounded down to 5.3 liters) and the number of cylinders (eight) of the initially planned engine, an eight-cylinder from Chevrolet . Bizzarrini retained this designation for the twelve-cylinder version.

Model description

Lamborghini's V12 engine in the P 538, chassis 002
Steering column positioned almost in the middle

The design details of the P 538 differ significantly from the Bizzarrini GT 5300; apart from a (partially) matching drive unit, there are no similarities.

Chassis and frame

The P 538 is designed as a mid-engined car for racing. The car has a tubular frame designed by Giotto Bizzarrini that supports the body and in which the cooling water circulates at the same time. All four wheels are hung individually. In the prototype and the first production vehicle (chassis 001) the tubes have a rectangular cross-section, whereas in the later models they have a round cross-section. Front are double wishbones used rear parallel wings . The ventilated, internal brakes come from Porsche .

engine

Alternatively, two different motors are used as the drive source.

  • The engine that was originally planned is a 5358 cm³ (327 cubic inch) eight-cylinder engine from Chevrolet, which is also used as standard in the Corvette C2 . With four double carburetors as in the Bizzarrini GT 5300, the engine has an output of 420 hp (331 kW).
  • In addition, twelve-cylinder engines from Lamborghini were installed. In two cases, Bizzarrini used the 4.0 liter (3929 cm³) version of the engine that was used in the Lamborghini 400 GT. Bizzarrini reworked the camshafts for the P 538 , and the inlet and outlet ports were polished. At the same time, Bizzarrini increased the compression and installed six Weber downflow carburetors. This increased the engine output compared to the standard version by 100 PS to 420 PS (331 kW).
  • According to a source, a chassis was experimentally equipped with an older, 3.5-liter Lamborghini engine from the 350 GT in 1967. It is said to have been the basis for a replica of the P 538 (No. 002) made in the 1970s.

body

Giotto Bizzarrini designed the body himself. It is a very flat, open, Barchetta-style structure with a low windshield. Contemporary critics compared the flat structure with a "crouching lizard" ("a hunkered-down lizard"). Behind the seats are two teardrop-shaped headrests. For chassis 002 and 003, Bizzarrini also installed an indicated roll bar behind the driver. The front section with the distinctive, horizontal air inlets takes up a similar design feature of the GT 5300. The P 538 is formally a two-seater. The driver sits almost in the middle of the car; the steering column is only shifted 7 cm from the center.

The structure of all series vehicles is made of plastic. As in the case of the GT 5300, Bizzarrini had the body made by the boat builder Vincenzo Catarsi . Chassis and body were assembled alternately at Neri e Bonacini and BBM in Modena, while Bizzarrini or Autocostruzioni SD: in Livorno carried out the final details.

The original vehicles

The scope of production of the P 538 is not guaranteed. Most sources assume that Automobili Bizzarrini completed a prototype and four production vehicles by the time it went bankrupt in 1968. In the course of time, a chassis received three different bodies.

The prototype

The prototype of the P 538 was completed in 1965. It is the only vehicle in the series to have a body made of sheet aluminum. An eight-cylinder Chevrolet engine serves as the drive. The whereabouts of the car was unclear for a long time. In 1997, Giotto Bizzarrini sold what was supposedly the prototype of the P 538 to a collector.

Chassis 001

Rebuilt chassis 001

The first production copy of the P 538 is usually referred to in the literature as 001, but was not factory-fitted with a chassis number. It had the Lamborghini twelve-cylinder engine. The car was completed in early 1966 and was due to be delivered to Mike Gammino in the USA during the spring, where it was to compete in the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (CanAm). Before delivery, Edgar Berney , a Swiss racing driver who was closely related to Giotto Bizzarrini, took a test drive on a circuit in Castiglioncello in February 1966 . Berney had an accident as a result of aquaplaning and badly damaged the car. The operational engine was retained and reused in chassis 002. The 001 was initially not rebuilt.

In the course of Bizzarrini's bankruptcy, the remains of the car that Berney had damaged were sold to a Swiss collector. The overall incomplete package at that time only consisted of a few frame and body parts; Chassis parts and the engine were not included. It is believed that Bizzarrini used many of the parts of the 001, insofar as they were not destroyed, to build the 002 chassis. The remains of the 001 passed through different hands in the following years before an American investor had the car rebuilt in 1988 using numerous foreign parts. He now has a 327 Chevrolet engine. It was last auctioned in Hong Kong in 1992 .

Chassis 002

Chassis 002

The second chassis of the P 538 was rebuilt from February 1966 - probably using numerous components from the previously crashed 001. Like the 001, the 002 was intended for use with the Lamborghini twelve-cylinder engine from the start. After initial planning, the 002 was to remain in the factory and, together with the third chassis (003), was to be used by the Automobili Bizzarrini team in the 1966 24-hour race at Le Mans . However, since Gammino insisted on a short-term replacement for the destroyed 001, Bizzarrini delivered the car in light blue paint to Gammino before the race at Le Mans . Gammino only took part in one American race with him in the following years. Then he gave up his active racing career.

The 002 went to a business partner Gamminos in the 1970s. After several US owners who merely stored the car, a buyer had it restored in 1984. The car stood in the USA in the 1990s, where it was shown several times at classic exhibitions such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance .

Chassis 003

The third P 538 had different bodies.

1966: Open racing car

The original version of the 003 was built from April to June 1966. The car initially remained in the factory and served Automobili Bizzarrini as an emergency vehicle at two motorsport events in the summer of 1966. Unlike the 001 and 002 models, the 003 was equipped with the 5.3 liter eight-cylinder Chevrolet engine from the start. The body initially corresponded completely to that of the 001. Automobili Bizzarrini entered the car for the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1966 and a race in Mugello. In no case did the car see the target.

1967: closed version

At the beginning of 1967 Bizzarrini equipped the 003 with a fixed roof made of plastic. In addition, the windshield was enlarged. The modifications were an attempt to adapt the 003 to the changed regulations for the sports car world championship in 1967. The car did not pass the technical acceptance. The attempt to sell the car in this version did not succeed. The low vehicle, however, was the inspiration behind the P 538 Duca D´Aosta , which was also closed and was built in 1968 on the fourth chassis.

1968: Bizzarrini Manta

Bizzarrini Manta

Following the presentation of Giorgio Giugiaro and most of the publications, Giugiaro took over the chassis 003 in the spring of 1968 in order to design a new show car based on it. In the course of the year, a flat, extensively glazed sports car was created, which was presented to the public in October 1968 at the Turin Motor Show when it was not ready to drive. The vehicle was named Bizzarrini Manta. It was the first car that Giugiaro presented after founding his company Italdesign . The connection between the Manta and the Bizzarrini P 538 is, however, partially doubted. Some authors see significant technical differences between the P-538 chassis and the ready-to-drive Manta and are therefore of the opinion that the Manta cannot be based on the P-538 chassis. Giugiaro only declared the car as Bizzarrini in order to have a catchy name for his first own show car .

The manta still exists. After it was lost for years, it finally passed through Italian and Swedish hands into the property of a US collector who had the car restored at the beginning of the 2000s and exhibited it in Pebble Beach. The design of the Manta was influential; it determined the design of numerous mid-engine sports cars of the 1970s and 1980s.

Chassis 004: The P 538 Duca D'Aosta

Bizzarrini P 538 "Duca d'Aosta"

The fourth copy of the Bizzarrini P 538 differs significantly from the previous vehicles. In terms of technology, it corresponds to the conventional P 538; however with an independent closed body with wing doors. The initiative for this project goes back to Amadeus of Savoy , an Italian nobleman who is sometimes referred to in Italy as the Fifth Duke of Aosta ( Duca d'Aosta ). In 1967 Amadeus von Savoyen had shown interest in the P 538-003, which had meanwhile been fitted with a fixed roof, but could not use the low vehicle because of its size. Instead, he ordered a new vehicle from Bizzarrini with a taller roof that was appropriate for its size. Bizzarrini manufactured a new chassis and provided it with a closed body that was reminiscent of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale in detail . The car was equipped with the 5.3 liter eight-cylinder from the Chevrolet Corvette and is said to have reached a top speed of 327 km / h.

The Duca D'Aosta was completed just before Bizzarrini went bankrupt. Bizzarrini exhibited it publicly before handing it over to the customer at the Turin Motor Show in 1968. Amadeus von Savoyen sold the vehicle in 1972 to the Florentine collector Marco Paoletti, another member of the Italian nobility , who had it auctioned in 1999. In 2005 and 2006 the Duca D'Aosta was shown at exhibitions in Pebble Beach.

Motorsport commitment

The Bizzarrini P 538 remained meaningless in motorsport. There is no doubt that there is only one race in Europe and one in the USA in 1966.

Classification

The P 538 was a sports car for long-distance races. Bizzarrini had tailored the car to the class of prototypes with more than 2 liters of displacement. In accordance with the regulations in force in 1966, the car was designed as an open two-seater. In this form, however, it was only legal in 1966. Several rule changes meant that the P 538 was not allowed to compete in the sports car world championship in 1967 or 1968. From 1967, the prototype class was advertised for closed vehicles. Bizzarrini retrofitted a plastic roof with gull-wing doors in 003, but was not given a starting permit for this “handicraft Berlinetta” in Le Mans. In 1968 the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) surprisingly limited the displacement of the prototypes to 3.0 liters. The P 538 did not meet this limit with either the Chevrolet or the Lamborghini engine.

The races

Bizzarrini's factory team

Prototipi Bizzarrini registered the P 538-003 with a Chevrolet engine for the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race . The drivers were Edgar Berney and André Wicky . The vehicle was only completed shortly before qualification training and could no longer be tested. The P 538 qualified for 40th place on the grid, while the tried and tested GT 5300, which the plant fielded with Sam Posey and Massimo Natili, started the race in 36th place. Berney spun in the pit lane at the start and came to a stop against the direction of travel. The suspension was damaged. The reason for the spinning is usually given as a cramp in Berney's right leg. After the eighth lap, Berney came into the pits for repairs. While trying to repair the suspension, a mechanic put the jack on the side member carrying the cooling water. This also damaged the pipe frame, so that the cooling liquid running through the pipes escaped. The vehicle could not be made operational again on site.

According to a source, Bizzarrini then registered the P 538 for Antonio Nieri for the 500 km race in Mugello on July 17, 1966 , the eighth round of the World Sports Car Championship ; Another source lists a Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada for this race instead. However, the Bizzarrini works team did not appear here with either one or the other car.

Gammino Construction

The P 538-002 equipped with the Lamborghini engine was registered by the Gammino Construction team in September 1966 for the Bridgehampton Grand Prix held as part of the Can Am championship in the US state of New York . Mike Gammino was to be the driver. He qualified for 37th and last place on the grid, but did not start the race. Another racing use of Mike Gamminos P 538-002 is not documented.

Replicas

After Bizzarrini's bankruptcy in the fall of 1968, numerous replicas of the P 538 were made, which correspond to the original models to varying degrees. The exact number of replicas is unknown; seven vehicles are documented, plus reports on three to five other replicas.

Replicas as originals?

Giotto Bizzarrini recognized some of the replicas as original vehicles. An important role in connection with the replicas is played by Salvatore Diomante, who had been Bizzarrini's employee until the bankruptcy and whose company Autocostruzioni SD took over the entire Bizzarrini warehouse in the insolvency proceedings. Giotto Bizzarrini has since worked as a consultant for Diomante. SD Autocostruzioni became the leading restoration company for classic Bizzarrini in the 1970s, and Diomante and Giotto Bizzarrini also collaborated with several other prototypes, which were presented under the name Bizzarrini. Diomante also produced replicas of the P 538 on behalf of customers, which Bizzarrini recognized as original vehicles despite their late completion. Their authenticity is usually justified by the fact that technical components were installed in them that Bizzarrini had manufactured before the bankruptcy in 1968. Initially this referred to complete chassis, later the originality referred to frame parts or components that Diomante reproduced with "original tools" according to Bizzarrini's plans. Another source for P-538 replicas was Giotto Bizzarrini himself. In view of the looming bankruptcy of his company, he had removed a number of components from the company from the summer of 1968 in order to remove them from the access of the insolvency administrator. Allegedly, at least one chassis of the P 538 was included. In view of the almost complete lack of documentation, however, the claimed authenticity of the components used cannot be independently verified. To make matters worse, a Dutch automobile historian who is regarded as a Bizzarrini expert and who has repeatedly been called in as an expert in the past is now suspected of issuing false reports.

The Bertolero cars

Two replicas were made in 1976 and 1977 for the Turin jeweler Luciano Bertolero. The first Bertolero car has the chassis number P 538-400-001, the chassis number P 538 002 was used again for the second. Both cars are recognized as original vehicles by Giotto Bizzarrini. They have been in the US since the early 2000s. The details of the genesis of these vehicles are largely unclear.

  • According to a source, Giotto Bizzarrini had already started building the P 538-400-001 chassis with a Lamborghini engine at home in 1967 - and not at the Livorno plant - possibly in the hope of building it at the 24-hour race in Le Mans 1967 use. When this could not be realized due to fundamental rule changes, the chassis remained uncompleted for a few years before it was reactivated for Bertolero's order.
  • Another source tells a similar story for chassis 002. Giotto Bizzarrini then began to build this chassis in 1967; it is said to have been equipped with a 3.5 liter twelve-cylinder engine from a Lamborghini 350 GT. In view of the imminent bankruptcy, Bizzarrini removed the chassis from the factory in 1968 and hid it in a disassembled state for several years. In the mid-1970s, the chassis for one of the Bertolero cars was then reassembled from the individual parts. The 002 differs from the original model in stylistic details, including the shape of the headrests and windshields.

The second 003

In the 1970s, Bizzarrini and Diomante built another P 538 for a Monegasque customer, for which the chassis number 003 was again assigned. This car was initially equipped with the Lamborghini engine, but was converted to the Chevrolet eight-cylinder engine after a change of ownership in Great Britain in the 1980s. The vehicle has been in the USA since 1990.

The Lavost car

There was a replica with a Chevrolet engine in the 1970s for Jacques Lavost (P 538 004 Lavost). According to a source, Giotto Bizzarrini built the basic features of this vehicle "at home", but did not complete it and gave it to Lavost in a non-roadworthy condition. The completion took over Salvatore Diomante, who "completely revised" the construction. The Lavost car now has a French registration for road traffic.

The Morelli cars

With De Tomaso chassis: P-538 replica 538-400-004

Giotto Bizzarrini's former business partner Andrea Morelli had two cars built in the style of the P 538 in the 1970s, which were technically largely independent. To what extent Salvatore Diomante was involved in the creation of these cars has not been conclusively clarified.

P 538-400-004

A replica made in 1976 (P 538-400-004) is technically based on the chassis of a De Tomaso Pantera and, like this one, has a 5.7 liter Ford Cleveland eight-cylinder engine. The car was offered for sale at the Essen Motor Show in 2011 and was acquired by a French collector in 2014.

538 P05: The Bizzarrini Porsche

The vehicle with the designation 538 P05, built from 1977 onwards, was furthest away from the original P 538. It had a closed body with gull-wing doors, which was reminiscent of the construction of the Duca d'Aosta from 1968, but was not modeled exactly on it. Technically, the car was based on the wreckage of a Porsche 910 Spyder that Morelli bought from racing driver Ennio Bonomelli in the mid-1970s . To what extent the chassis corresponded to the original Bizzarrini construction or was identical to that of the Porsche 910 is unclear; in any case, in the official papers the chassis is referred to as “Bizzarrini 538 P”. The car was powered by a 2.7 liter six-cylinder engine from the Porsche 911 with an output of 210 hp. One source states that an unnamed Swedish racing driver started the car in a number of races in the 1980s before racing driver Rafael Zapellini took it over. In 1989 the car was taken apart; the body was sold separately ten years later.

The P538 P06

A sixth replica was allegedly built in the 1970s on an original chassis that was built before Bizzarrini's bankruptcy. Details of the engine are not known. The client was a customer who had the car delivered to the Canary Islands .

2009: A new Bizzarrini P 538

Magnate P708 (formerly Bizzarrini P 538)

In 2009 the name Bizzarrini P 538 appeared again on a sports car. It was a project that the American racing car designer Galmer Engineering initiated in 2005. The car, the individual parts of which should be built in Thailand and which should be offered as a kit in the USA, was initially called the Galmer Arbitrage GT. In order to give the car a higher level of prestige, Galmer, together with the German designer Stefan Schulze , came up with the idea of ​​marketing it with a modified body as a new edition of a classic European sports car. Initial considerations were aimed at declaring the Galmer as a new version of the De Tomaso Pantera, which is very well known in the USA . This approach failed because no agreement on the naming rights could be reached with De Tomaso . Instead, Galmer acquired the rights to use the designation Bizzarrini P 538 from Giotto Bizzarrini. A participation of Giotto Bizzarrini in the construction is suggested or assumed in various sources; however, the designer Stefan Schulze does not confirm this. The non-roadworthy car was exhibited at the Motor Expo in Bangkok in 2009 as the Bizzarrini P 538. Shortly thereafter, after a dispute with Giotto Bizzarrini, Galmer lost the naming rights again. The car was then given the name Magnate P 708, which it still bears. There was no series production until 2019. The Magnate P 708 is a unique piece that has now passed through several hands. In February 2018, it was offered for sale at an auction in Paris , but found no buyer.

literature

  • Wolfgang Blaube : A fish called Manta . Presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, p. 44 ff.
  • Alessandra Scalvini, Federico Gavazzi: Bizzarrini e le corse , in: Il genio e la macchina: Bizzarrini e Lampredi: due storie dell'auto italiana . Bandecchi & Vivaldi - Editore, 2010.
  • Philippe Olczyk : Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0
  • Halwart Schrader , Georg Amtmann: Italian sports cars . Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 .

Web links

Commons : Bizzarrini P538  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ To what extent Giotto Bizzarrini was actually involved in the detailed construction is unclear. More recent studies have come to the conclusion that, contrary to popular belief, Bizzarrini did not design the engine himself. Rather, he only provided a few sketches for a 1.5 liter twelve-cylinder engine that he had made in 1959 as a Ferrari employee. Oliviero Pedrazzi and Achille Bevini took on the detailed design of the Lamborghini engine as subcontractors for Bizzarrini. See Wolfgang Blaube: Green Star. 50 years of Lamborghini . Presentation of the 350 GTV in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 7/2013, p. 249.
  2. ↑ Amadeus of Savoy is the son of the Fourth Duke of Aosta . From this the name Fifth Duke of Aosta is derived. However, the title is not recognized in Italy.
  3. ↑ The specific allegation concerns an expert opinion by Jack Koobs de Hartog on a Bizzarrini GT 5300 with incomprehensible chassis numbers. Compare with Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , pp. 304 f.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italienische Sportwagen , Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 , p. 88.
  2. ^ Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italienische Sportwagen , Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 , p. 74.
  3. ↑ a b Alessandra Scalvini, Federico Gavazzi: Bizzarrini e le corse , in: Il genio e la macchina: Bizzarrini e Lampredi: due storie dell'auto italiana . Bandecchi & Vivaldi - Editore, 2010.
  4. ^ Race results from Michael A. Gammino III. on the website www.racingsportscars.com (accessed December 1, 2019).
  5. ^ Daniel Strohl: A different kind of hybrid - European Style with American Muscle. www.hemmings.com, February 22, 2012, accessed November 28, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b c d e f David Traver Adolphus: The Phantom Bizzarrini. www.hemmings.com, July 2008, accessed November 20, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Wolfgang Blaube: A fish called Manta . Presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, p. 45.
  8. ↑ Joe Breeze: Classic Concepts: 1968 Bizzarrini Manta. www.classicdriver.com, July 29, 2012, accessed December 8, 2019 .
  9. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 113.
  10. ↑ Oldtimer Market 10/2008. P. 45.
  11. ↑ Model history on www.qv500.com ( Memento of the original dated December 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.qv500.com
  12. ↑ Oldtimer Market 10/2008. P. 45.
  13. ↑ a b c Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italienische Sportwagen , Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 , p. 90.
  14. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 248.
  15. ^ Rob de la Rive Box: Encyclopaedia of Classic Cars: Sports Cars 1945-1975 , Taylor & Francis, 1998, ISBN 978-1-57958-118-3 , p. 54.
  16. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 313.
  17. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 315.
  18. ↑ a b c model history of the Bizzarrini P 538 on the website radical-mag.com
  19. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History, 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , pp. 313, 315.
  20. ↑ S. Provisional entry list for the 1966 24-hour race on the website www.racingsportscars (accessed on November 27, 2019).
  21. ^ In the provisional registration list for 1966, Bizzarrini had entered two P 538 vehicles; In fact, the work appeared with only one P 538 and one GT 5300.
  22. ↑ Wolfgang Blaube: A fish called Manta . Presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, SS 47.
  23. ↑ Wolfgang Blaube: A fish called Manta . Presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, SS 44 ff.
  24. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 316.
  25. ^ Halwart Schrader, Georg Amtmann: Italienische Sportwagen , Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4 , p. 90.
  26. ↑ Pictures from 1967 show Amadeus von Savoyen in 538-003, whose head protrudes from the open door far above the vehicle roof. See Oldtimer Markt 10/2008, p. 47.
  27. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 317.
  28. ↑ Presentation on the website www.ultimatecarpage.com
  29. ↑ Wolfgang Blaube: A fish called Manta . Presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, p. 47.
  30. ↑ Wolfgang Blaube: A fish called Manta , presentation of the Bizzarrini Manta and a brief description of the history of the Bizzarrini P 538 in: Oldtimer Markt, issue 10/2008, p. 46.
  31. ↑ Result of the 24-hour race at Le Mans 1966 on the website www.racingsportscars.com (accessed on December 5, 2019).
  32. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History, 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 242.
  33. ↑ Entry list for the race on the website www.racingsportscars.com (accessed on December 5, 2019).
  34. ^ Starting grid for the Bridgehampton Grand Prix 1966 on the website www.racingsportscars.com (accessed on December 2, 2019).
  35. ^ Entry "DNS" ( Did Not Start ) in the statistics of the Bridgehampton Grand Prix 1966 on the website www.racingsportscars.com (accessed on April 13, 2011).
  36. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 113.
  37. ↑ SD website (accessed December 6, 2019).
  38. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 117.
  39. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , pp. 317, 318.
  40. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 318.
  41. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 112 f.
  42. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 318.
  43. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 320.
  44. ^ On the whole, see Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History , 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 320 f. with illustration of the vehicle documents on p. 321.
  45. ^ Philippe Olczyk: Bizzarrini & Diomante. The Official History, 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-84-697-6659-0 , p. 322.
  46. ↑ The Bizzarini P 538 on Stefan Schulze's website (accessed November 20, 2019).