This Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada was turned into an Iso A3/C look-a-like in 2012.
by Wallace Wyss –
Yes it’s from the Brits, the car now advertised by a firm we know well, DK Engineering, who are vintage racers as well as being an exotic car dealer.
The car is a Bizzarrini GT 5300 with a bit of a complicated history. I’ll start with the history of the marque. Ing. Bizzarrini, creator of the immortal Ferrari 250GTO, cajoled Renzo Rivolta, head of Iso, into making a svelte two seater but then the two had a falling out and Ing. Bizzarrini left to make the car under his own name.
Giotto Bizzarrini first worked for Alfa Romeo before he moved to Ferrari and was famously the chief engineer and mastermind behind the iconic and legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, now considered the most desirable Ferrari of all time. The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada was launched by him in 1965. Under the bonnet of this low-slung, 2-seater was a 5.3 liter 327 cid Chevrolet Corvette V8.
This is a genuine, early Bizzarrini which was inspected by Jack Koobs de Hartog, a Dutchman residing in Belgium, who is very much a recognised expert on Bizzarrinis and has written several books on the cars. It was originally badged as a Bizzarrini. (The Iso A3/C’s and Bizzarrini A3/C’s were designed and always built by Giotto Bizzarrini).
Shortly after production was completed, the car was rumored to have been exported to California where it remained until 2002. The car has been restored to match the specification of the first Iso A3/C Corsa; a car which, unlike the Bizzarrini-badged cars, raced in early 1964.
According to Jack de Koobs Hartog, the owner just loved the look of the unpainted first Iso A3/C prototype as it was shown at the Torino show in 1963. But before he decided to give it the first Iso A3/C look the car needed to be able to gain entry to Goodwood, the most famous vintage racing event in the UK, run by Lord March in his estate.
It now weighs just 1089kg, thanks to the correct thin-gauge aluminium body and the great attention and detail paid to weight-saving when restoring the car. It is also worth noting that any original parts that were replaced during the rebuild have been carefully retained, which includes all interior trim and brightwork etc. There are disc brakes all round, independent front suspension and a De-Dion rear axle. The engine BHP has been reduced from just over 470bhp to 448bhp in favor of a more linear curve and increased torque.
Accompanying the car are a large number of photographs of the rebuild and of the car in its dismantled state. The car is eligible for numerous events during the racing calendar, including the Goodwood TT, the Spa Six Hours and the Masters historic racing series where it would be without doubt a front runner in the right hands. It has had at least one podium finish in the Graham Hill Trophy at the Goodwood Members Meeting.
When first shown to the press in ’64 (November 1963) the riveted body Isos were called the “7000 rivet” cars and may have that many.
The car has been for sale for some time. In 2016 the asking price was GBP 1,000,000 but it may be different today. The car is available for viewings and inspections at DK Engineering facilities outside London.
This is chassis number IA3*0241 and according to the Jack Koobs de Hartog book it has been owned by a few people I know: Ron Spindler, Chuck Wray and Scott Stupay. It was also owned by the late Bill De Carr a well know car painter and the hoarder Rudy Klein.
Mike Gulett, Editor
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR/ARTIST: Wallace Wyss is a writer and car portraitist who will be bringing Bizzarrini art to his Art & Books booth at Concorso Italiano. If you miss the show you can reach him at malibucarart@gmail.com
Photos compliments of DK Engineering.
I wonder if the new run of Bizzarini 5300 GT Corsa Revivals will have a Chevrolet small block.
The Bizzarrini web site says this; “Uprated independent rear suspension and allround disc brakes are paired with a period-specific 5300 cubic centimeter V8 with Weber 45 DCOE (Doppio Corpo Orizzontale E) carburettors developing between 400 and 480 horsepower.”
This one has been for sale for a while. I think it is likely because it is neither fish nor fowl. By that I mean it is no longer a Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada yet it is not really an Iso A3/C either.
For a potential buyer who wanted a GT 5300 Strada this example would not be a good choice because of the cost of reverting it back to the way it was when new. This one is for a buyer who wants an historic race car and is fine with this conversion.
I would say if a guy’s biggest thrill is running a vintage race, it’s worth it to take race driving lessons, race it, get the pictures of that golden moment, and then convert it back to street. But regardless of the body, it’s not so important asit is just the covering of the moment , and get to quote my favorite comparison “Marilyn Monroe with a red dress on is the same as Marilyn Monroe with a green dress on or Marilyn Monroe with no dress on….”