1966 Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder S.I Prototipo

Spyder
Chassis number: IA3 0245
Engine number: VO126HD

Dottore Ingegnere Giotto Bizzarini had successful stints at Alfa Romeo, Iso, Ferrari, and a Lamborghini V12 engine on his resume before setting a company to create cars bearing his own name. Established in Livorno, Prototipo Bizzarini opened for business in 1965. Like many before him, Bizzarini's dreams were severely constrained by economic realities, and his operations ground to a halt after just four years. But the few cars that bore his name are still celebrated as exceptional examples of 1960s sports car design.

In 1966 Bizzarrini released a stunning street-legal Grifo A3C as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada. The body shape and mechanical parts were much the same as the Iso A3Cs, resulting in a power-packed yet sensuous coupe that is just 43 inches tall. At least three 5300s were turned out as beautiful Stile Italia-designed spyder/targa versions.

This 1966 Bizzarrini 5300 SI Spyder is a Prototipo built by Stile Italia, a coachbuilder in Torino in cooperation with Sibona e Bassano. It features a multi-function roof design that allowed the car to be presented as a Coupe, Targa, or Roadster. The unique interior sports offset gauges, rear retractable window, and bucket seats with integrally molded headrests.

The 5300 SI Spyder was on display at the 1966 Geneva Motorshow, and 104 production road-going cars would soon follow. Only three examples were fitted with the Spyder body. This two-seat sports car prototype was essentially a Targa top, its sleek aluminum body embracing a 327 cubic-inch Chevy V8 engine rated at 420 horsepower. The Geneva show car was given an all-alloy body, retractable headlights, and seats that were incorporated directly into the body. Two more cars were created in 1967 and 1968 by Turin's Stile Italia (SI), and both had minor differences from the Geneva Show Car.

The Chevrolet V8 engine with its four Weber 45 DCOE Carburetors produced an impressive amount of horsepower. There is a special cam, and the engine has had head and port work including high-strength connecting rods. The car has a four-speed manual gearbox and weighs just over 1200 kg. The power is sent to the rear wheels through a 2.88 rear axle.

The prototype was the basis for two production versions, but Signor Bizzarini retained possession of the original. When his company went out of business, the prototype went to Bizzarini's attorney, who stored it in an underground garage in Pisa, Italy. There it sat for 35 years until it was discovered, acquired, and restored by Plymouth, Michigan, Bizzarini aficionado Mark Sassak.

After completing its restoration, it was displayed at the 2004 Concorso d'Italia and the Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance. The restoration had been given top priority and complete motivation to complete before these events, as Giotto Bizzarrini was the celebrated individual and was given their own class.

Bizzarrini began his career by working with Alfa Romeo. His expertise and skills were quickly realized and his abilities were promising. Later in life, he began working for Ferrari where he was given the responsibility of development of the 250 GTO. Near the end of 1961, he left Ferrari and became a consultant driven by desires to build automobiles that would outdo his former employer. Lamborghini commissioned Bizzarrini to modify their V12 power-plant, an engine that would be used in future Lamborghini models.

After leaving Lamborghini, Bizzarrini was offered an opportunity by Renzo Rivolta, the owner of Iso, where he created the Iso Rivolta and the Grifo A3 models. The A3C was a GT race car powered by a Chevrolet Corvette engine that had been placed in the front but pushed back to take advantage of weight distribution. The car proved itself at the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans in 1964 where it emerged with a class victory.

By mid-1965, after thirty examples had been produced, the relationship began to disintegrated. Bizzarrini had placed his emblem on almost all of the A3/C models, rather than using Iso emblems. To make matters worse, Bizzarrini had trademarked the Grifo name. Bizzarrini had tried to increase the racing department's budget but was refused by Rivolta. Rivolta was disgruntled since Iso had provided funding to market and race the A3C's. The two companies decided to split, with Iso acquiring the rights to the Grifo name and Bizzarrini obtaining sole rights to build the A3/C and components and parts to construct a limited number of examples.

The A3/C was given a new name, the Bizzarrini 5300 GT. The vehicle was available in either Strada or Corsa trim, with the Strada being the more popular choice out of the two. The 5300 GT was basically the same as the A3/C. It retained the same chassis and under the hood lurked either a 365 hp or 405 hp engine, depending on the body-style. The main differences were cosmetic; the 5300 GT had aluminum bodywork by Carrozzeria BBM rather than using Drogo's Sports Cars of Modena. A bumper strip adorned the front of the vehicle and a few other aesthetic changes followed. There were no door handles; instead, there were push-button releases.

Three examples, all uniquely designed and created, were outfitted with Spyder bodies, one making its way to the 1966 Geneva Motorshow. The bodies were created of alloy and developed at Turin's Stile Italia under the supervision of Bizzarrini. The Spyder examples were dubbed 5300 SI Spyder and the alloy roof panel could be further converted into a Coupe or a Targa.

The Corsa version was a racing bred, the lightweight derivative of the 5300 GT. The bodywork was constructed of glass-fiber, the covers of the headlights were made of plastic, and a leather retaining strap kept the hood in place. The interior featured few amenities and whatever was not needed was removed. Modifications to the engine included polished ports and combustion chambers, free-flow exhaust system, high carbon connecting rods, and hot camshafts. The result was an 1190 kg dry weight automobile powered by a 405 hp engine.

As production progressed Bizzarrini started running short of components. To improvise, he constructed replacements or made changes to the original design. The seats, dash, and steering wheel were the most obvious of these changes.

Bizzarrini had created magnificent automobiles and designs and had done well at selling the examples produced but it was not enough. By the middle of 1968, his company went into receivership and finally being forced to close its doors in 1969.

by Dan Vaughan

Bizzarrini's resume included working for the legendary Ferrari and Lamborghini marques, and when he began producing cars bearing his own name, these two marques became his top competitors.

The first car to bare his name was the 5300, created in collaboration with Giugiaro at Bertone and Renzo Rivolta, who were working on creating the Iso Rivolta 300 at the time. The Rivolta 300 had a Corvette V8 powerplant and a welded steel monocoque chassis. The suspension was indpenedent with double wishbones in the front and a DeDion rear axle. The Chevrolet V8 engine was a foreign piece of technology in an Italian sportscar, but it offered numerous benefits such as plenty of power (around 365 bhp), proven reliability, and low cost of production. The engine was placed as far back in the engine bay as possible, resuling in limited interior room, but maximum performance. Another drawback to being so close to the engine was the noise and the heat produced by engine. But, as in many other sports cars, interior space played 'second fiddle' to performance.

The result was spectacular, with performance and reliability coupled together in a small and stylish package. It was very aerodynamic, had a great suspension, and the powerplant to keep it competitive.

Bizzarrini wanted to take the cars racing but Iso, at first, disagreed. By 1963, Bizzarrini had convinced Rivolta to finance a racing program resulting in the development of a sportier version of the Iso Rivolta. The result was the Iso Grifo which laid the ground-work for the soon-to-come 5300GT. Homologation requirements meant the Iso Grifo was entered in the prototype category, pitting the car against some very fierce competition such as the dominant Ford GT40 with its seven-liter engine, and Shelby's Cobra. The team scored a 14th place finish at LeMans and a 19th at the Nurburgring 1000Km in 1964. 1965 began on a sour note, as a car was destroyed at Sebring and another at Daytona. The team switched to older cars, leaving them at even more of a disadavantage. At LeMans, the true potential of the cars shined, as they scored a class victory. This victory was made possible by the Ford GT40's retiring from the race prematurely.

At the 1963 Torino Motor Show, the competition Grifo A3/C and Grio A3/L 2+2 were displayed. These cars shared similarities, but very different bodies styled by Giugiaro at Bertone. The cars were given positive reviews at the show resulting in both being put into production. The chassis were built by Bizzarrini while Iso provided the engine and various other mechanical compoentns. The 2+2 A3/L models were assembled by Bertone and Drogo manufactured the competition bodies.

Only twenty-five examples of the Grifo's were produced before Renzo Rivolta's death. The relationship between Bizzarrini and Iso soon fell apart, ending with Bizzarrini suing Iso to get the necessary parts to finish 50 cars. The first set of cars carried the Iso badge, while the cars the came after chassis number 0024 were dubbed the Bizzarrini 5300 GTs. As such, both the Iso Grifo AC3/C and the Bizzarrini 5300 GT were very similar in many respects. Their designs were slightly different, as Carrozzeria BBM was tasked with creating the bodies for the Bizzarrini's which introduced small subtletees such as different door handles and small changes to the light and signals in the front and rear.

by Dan Vaughan