I pointed out to Wallace that the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance had a Bizzarrini class in 2016 and would likely not have another one for many years. After thinking about this subject for a while I decided to post this because the important people involved are getting up there in age and may not be available when the Pebble Beach committee decides it is time to honor the Bizzarrini marque again.
So, do we wait for the normal Pebble Beach time line or do we ask for action while there is still time?
Mike Gulett, Editor
by Wallace Wyss –
The wonderful thing about the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the way they, in ruminating around 120 plus years of automotive history, continually manage to conjure up a class that shines some light on a forgotten marque or model.
Like in 2022, I was glad to see the Swiss coachbuilder, Graber. Never as elegant as Mulliner or James Young, but still sober designs that never went too far out on a limb and have stood the test of time.
Being half-Swiss I was proud to see the Swiss represented as a car design force. But in recommending that Pebble Beach bring back a class for Bizzarrini (which they did have in 2016) I think the reason for it is that there is newfound interest in the obscure Italian marque (powered by a US-made iron block pushrod Chevy V8).
Why? Because this marque celebrates the mavericks in the car world–the guy who thinks outside the box. When Giotto Bizzarrini worked for Iso he pushed to develop a race car but Renzo Rivolta impeded him, first approving it but finally canceling it and having a tamer steel bodied car designed.
That’s when Giotto went off on his own to build the original design. Though both Ing. Bizzarrini and Giorgetto Giugiaro (the body designer) are quite up there in years, if they still can travel, I’d like to see the red carpet rolled out for their appearance and a short speech on the car that showed Ferrari they had a competitor.
Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada In Motion – photo by Steve Natale
Similarly, it was much appreciated by me and other Shelby fans when Pebble Beach paid attention to the AC Shelby Cobra and Ford GT40 efforts while it was still possible for many of the drivers, designers, executives and mechanics to be present to see their efforts are appreciated.
I would even display the AMC AMX/3, six of which Bizzarrini had a hand in, but American Motors cancelled it before the first one rolled off the assembly line. Of course the Olde Guard might be worried–most of the time pre-war cars win the Best of Show at Pebble, and Bizzarrinis could potentially win. But aren’t old car shows supposed to be about old cars? Well, Bizzarrinis are old–over half a century old.
And demographics has to be paid attention to–concours have to update their menu, as it were, to appeal to younger age groups every so often or everybody coming will be in wheelchairs.
I’d like to meet my heroes–Ing. Bizzarrini and Giugiaro–rather than just read about them in some dusty old magazine from the ’60s. What say you?
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is a fine artist who accepts commissions for exotic car portraits. He can be reached at malibucarart@gmail.com
Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada – Art by Wallace Wyss
Yes! The Biz is the most beautiful car ever built.