1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
Bred from a racing lineage with Italian design and styling, running Chevrolet’s dependable 327 cu in Corvette small block V8 engine.
Front-mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout to improve weight distribution and handling.
One of just 133 of 5300 GT models built, and 1 of 86 Stradas with aluminum coachwork
Bizzarrini offered the 5300 in two variations. The road-going GT Strada, seen here, had more interior refinements, including ventilation. It offered a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, powered by a Chevrolet small-block V8 engine with 327 CID (5.4L). The engine was intentionally placed as far back over the front axle as possible, to improve weight distribution and handling. The only drawback to this was the condensed interior space, which forced the pedals to be positioned at mid-engine. Being so close to the engine, road-going 5300s got extremely hot in the cockpit despite added interior ventilation.
The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, was produced between 1965 and 1968. This car was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro when he was working for Bertone. The 5300 was based on the Iso Rivolta 300 chassis. It was a welded sheet steel tub having a fully independent suspension by double wishbones in the front and a De Dion axle in the rear. Both the speedo and tach were located centrally with temperature and oil pressure gauges in front of the driver.
Giotto Bizzarrini (died May 13, 2023, at the age of 96) started his remarkable automotive engineering career in the 1950s at Alfa Romeo. He was then hired by Enzo Ferrari in 1957 as a test driver, before being promoted to chief development engineer and was involved in 1960 in the development of the 250 GTO.
In 1961, Bizzarrini was one of the "famous five" engineers who left Ferrari in the so-called "Ferrari Night of the Long Knives", provoked by a reorganization of the engineering staff. With other ex-Ferrari engineers (including Carlo Chiti) Bizzarrini founded the Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) company to build a Formula 1 single-seater and a GT sports car, the ATS 2500 GT. One of the 6 surviving road going ATS is in the Audrain Collections, one of three lightweight alloy GTS competition models.
In 1962 Bizzarrini founded Società Autostar, an engineering firm through which he would bid for freelance engineering projects. He would later assist in the development of a V-12 engine for sports car maker Ferruccio Lamborghini.
Bizzarrini’s firm was also hired by Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. to develop cars for them. He helped create the Iso Rivolta IR 300, the Iso Grifo, and the Iso Grifo A3/C. Disagreements over the Grifo A3/C led Bizzarrini to create his own version - the 5300 GT Strada, the car you see here.
Specifications:
Front-mid-engine: Chevrolet 327 cu in small block V8, single 4-Barrel carburetor
Horsepower: 365 at 5,800 rpm
Torque: 284 ft-lb @ 4000 rpm
Transmission: BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual
Brakes: 4-Wheel Campagnolo disc brakes
Suspension: Front Independent with Coil Springs, Rear De Dion with Coil Springs
Performance: 0-60 mph 5.8 seconds, ¼ mile 14.1 seconds, top speed 174 mph