5300 GT Strada

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada has its origins in the ISO Grifo A3/C, a lightweight racing version of the ISO Grifo GT that was engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini as an independent contractor after his departure from ISO. When Bizzarrini's relationship with ISO founder Renzo Rivolta deteriorated, he took the racing Grifo design and established his own company, Prototipi Bizzarrini, in Livorno. The 5300 GT Strada (road version) was developed alongside the 5300 GT Corsa (racing version), with the body design credited to Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had styled the original ISO Grifo A3/C while working at Bertone.

The 5300 GT Strada was built around a tubular steel chassis with a remarkably low body that stood just 1,120 mm tall. The engine was a 5.3-liter (327 cubic inch) Chevrolet Corvette V8 producing approximately 365 hp in road trim, mounted as far back in the chassis as possible in a front-mid configuration. This gave the car excellent weight distribution, which, combined with its light weight of approximately 1,230 kg and its fully independent suspension, resulted in handling that was remarkable for a front-engined GT car of the period. The racing Corsa version, which weighed even less and produced more power, won its class at Le Mans in 1965.

The 5300 GT Strada offered performance that could challenge any contemporary supercar, with a top speed approaching 280 km/h and acceleration that was explosive by 1960s standards. The car's low-slung body and aggressive stance gave it a visual impact that matched its performance, and the Corvette V8 engine provided the kind of effortless torque and reliability that Italian engines of the period often lacked. The interior was relatively spartan, reflecting the car's racing origins, but it offered enough comfort and equipment for serious long-distance touring.

Bizzarrini's small company produced approximately 133 examples of the 5300 GT in both Strada and Corsa forms before financial difficulties forced closure in 1969. The car's rarity, combined with its extraordinary engineering pedigree (designed by the man who created the 250 GTO) and its competition success, has made it one of the most sought-after Italian sports cars of the 1960s. Values have increased dramatically in recent years, reflecting growing recognition of the 5300 GT as one of the era's most important and capable Grand Touring cars. In 2021, the Bizzarrini brand was revived by a new company that announced plans for a continuation series, further raising the profile of the original cars.