A restored Bizzarrini completes work on the first 5300 GT car.
A little-known but important Italian sports car brand is back and producing its first new car in decades.
Bizzarrini was founded in 1964 by Ferrari 250 GTO engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who worked on the stunning 5300 GT sports car.
The original Bizzarrini only survived until 1969, but the company will be revived in 2020, and the new owner, Kuwaiti investor Rezam Al Roumi, plans to offer a modern sports car as well as a continuation of the 5300GT.
The continuation, known as the Bizzarrini 5300GT Revival Corsa, is a car that has just been completed. Well, its a prototype. Only 24 customer models are planned, and production will take place at the new Bizzarrini facility in the UK.
In developing this continuation car and its production process, Bizzarrini's team relied on over 1000 original drawings and documents, as well as the original 1965 5300 GT Corsa race car. The team also had access to the opinions of people who had worked on the original car in the 1960s.
In addition, the modern-day Bizzarrini studied an early model of the 5300GT that won its class and finished ninth overall in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, and recreated several elements of that successful racer for the continuation car. Impressively, the team also obtained the original body panels, long hidden from the light, which were color-matched to achieve the Rosso Corsa shade used on this prototype
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The resulting design is faithful to the original, except for the changes required by modern regulations, particularly the FIA's Appendix K regulations for historic racing events. New items include a roll cage, independent rear suspension, and disc brakes at each corner. The modern Bizzarrini also designed a new fuel tank specifically designed to fit into the chassis cavity, as opposed to the original fuel tank, which was located behind the driver and deep in the sill.
Like the original, the 5300 GT Revival Corsa uses a tubular steel frame. It was also powered by a 5.3-liter V-8 engine of the period, equipped with Weber carburetors and capable of producing 400-480 hp. Considering that the car weighs only 2,755 pounds, performance should be spectacular.
If customers so desire, the car can be built to 5300 GT Strada specifications for use on public roads; Bizzarrini will also build the body in carbon fiber, unless the buyer wishes to check historic racing regulations.
Prices start at 1.65 million British pounds (about $2.16 million). However, as is often the case with such cars, it is likely that all production slots are already gone.