| Bizzarrini P 578 Coys Auction - Legende et Passion Monaco 21st May 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Coys Auction - Legende et Passion Espace Fontvieille Monte Carlo, Monaco Monday 21st May 2007 at 17.00 A highly talented mechanical engineering graduate, Giotto Bizzarrini began his automobile career in 1953 as a chassis tester with Alfa Romeo. Soon after he became a test driver at Ferrari where, having cured the 250GT's quirky handling, he then headed the experimental department and was also almost single-handedly responsible for the fabulous 250GTO. By late 1961, however, along with similarly disillusioned engineers such as Carlo Chitti, Bizzarrini left the Italian supercar manufacturer. His erstwhile colleagues duly set up ATS while Bizzarrini established an engineering and design consultancy in Livorno. To begin with Prototipi Bizzarrini did work for Lamborghini - he would later achieve everlasting fame by designing its sensational four-cam V12 engine - and refrigerator magnate Renzo Rivolta's newly formed Iso concern in Milan. At the latter, Bizzarrini designed the Iso Rivolta, probably the world's first monocoque supercar with a 5.3 litre Chevrolet V8 power and de Dion rear axle. Sales, though, were slow and when Rivolta, who unlike Bizzarrini had no interest in motor sport, rejected racing as a means of promoting his car, Bizzarrini left Iso. Rivolta, however, gave him enough components to build a race car and the result was the Iso-Bizzarrini A3C Grifo; meanwhile Iso produced the A3L Grifo road car. Bizzarrini duly competed in the 1964 Le Mans 24 Hours where he took his lightweight Grifo to 9th place and 1st in the over 5.0 litre class; thereafter, he negotiated a deal to manufacture a version of the A3C under his own name. The outcome, launched in 1965, was the GT Strada 5300, a muscular and attractive coupé with steel coachwork by Piero Drogo and similarly powered to the A3C by the 5,345cc iron block V8 allied to a four speed manual gearbox; with 350bhp at 5,400rpm and 375lb.ft at 3,500rpm performance was well into the contemporary supercar league, providing a 165mph maximum speed and 0-60mph in just 6.4 seconds, while coil spring suspension and de Dion axle allowed a suitably high standard of roadholding. Brakes were naturally discs all round behind Borrani cast alloy wheels. In 1966 a Spyder version was announced - though only two were ever built - while the bodies were now made by BBM in Modena, following troubles with quality control at Drogo. The exciting Strada 5300 GT, though, was only produced in modest numbers thanks to fierce competition from the de Tomaso Mangusta, AC Cobra and the Chevrolet Corvette, not to mention the Iso Grifo that sired it. Even rarer was the 180mph Strada 5300 Corsa, a stripped out competition version of the road car producing a hefty 405bhp via quadruple Weber carburettors, though competition successes were limited. To increase the international appeal of the Bizzarrini name it was also decided to create a mid-engined sports prototype to contest international endurance events. With a glassfibre body jointly penned by Bizzarrini and Giugiaro, the low, sleek and purposeful-looking Tipo P538 was powered by either the Chevrolet 5.3 litre V8 or the Lamborghini 3.9 litre V12, longitudinally-mounted and mated to a four speed gearbox.. Its competition career, however, was short-lived: on its debut at Le Mans in 1966 one car lasted just eight laps before steering arm failure forced retirement from the 24 Hours, while the other was disqualified after 36 laps for crossing the pit road safety line. Sadly, by 1969 Prototipi Bizzarrini Srl. had closed its doors for good. Of the 149 cars it produced, 133 were A3C/Stradas including only some 10 to 12 Corsas. Rarer still is the P538. Offically, only six were built, three with each powerplant, but four or five chassis were assembled with varying types of specialist coachwork over the ensuing years. Among them is the unique example offered here. Fitted with a de Tomaso Pantera 5.8 litre Ford V8, believed to be to Group 4 racing specification, allied to a ZF five speed transaxle, it was built by Giotto Bizzarrini himself and completed in late 1976. Finished in red, this stunning motor car comes with a photograph of Bizzarrinni with his creation and a notarised declaration, dated October 15th 1976, from him confirming both its P578-001 chassis number and build completion date of September 29th the same year. Never before offered for sale and presented in excellent condition, this is a ohance to acquire a striking and potent piece of Italian automotive history. Truly unique. Estimate: EURO Refer Dept. Sold on the 22.05.2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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