by Mike –
Bizzarrini created a scaled down GT 5300 designed for GM-Opel based on the Opel 1900 platform.
Bizzarrini produced this fiberglass-bodied car as the Bizzarrini GT 1900 Europa. The engine was an inline 4-cylinder 1.9 liter Opel with a power output of 110 hp and a claimed top speed of 128 MPH.
Unfortunately there were approximately only 12 examples of this low cost alternative to the GT 5300 made between 1966 and 1969.
Road & Track wrote in April 1971 “the Bizzarrini GT 1900 Europa is the kind of Opel GT that GM should have built in the first place”.
By the time this article was published the Europa was out of production.
Below is a visual comparison between the Europa and the GT 5300.
Bizzarrini Europa (Top) Bizzarrini GT 5300 (Bottom)
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
This looks like a nice car but I would rather have that Corvette 327 that comes with the GT 5300.
Perhaps this car was build to escape European import duties that were based on engine displacement and thus able to enter an affordable sports market.. Low volume may be an indication that Bizzarrini pursued the wrong market segment. I personally like the Europa. From what I can see the interior looks nice as well.
Beautiful car, especially the crimson red version. Pity it wasn’t successful. I’ve linked this to an article about Bizzarrini on my own car blog (which is actually about Opel, but the “GT Europa” obviously influenced Opel somewhat.. and had a “Rekord” engine anyway).
Nothing beats 1960ies car design imho.
Br,