Giotto Bizzarrini was one of Italy's leading engineers in the late 1950s and 1960s. After working for Alfa Romeo, Bizzarrini moved to Ferrari where he was responsible for the development of the 250 GTO. He left the Maranello based manufacturer in the big winter 1961 walk-out. Now as a consultant, he joined forces against Enzo Ferrari with Feruccio Lamborghini, who was interested in developing a Ferrari-beating luxury GT. Bizzarrini's efforts resulted in the 350 GTV prototype, destined to be fitted with a beautifully designed 3.5 litre V12 engine.
His second customer was Renzo Rivolta's Iso. Under his supervision, the Iso Rivolta and Grifo A3 models were developed. The Grifo A3C was an ingeniously designed GT-racer. It was easily recognizable from the road going A3L by its ultra-low body work. In a quest to get the perfect weight balance, the Chevrolet Corvette engine was moved so far back in the chassis that it was only partly visible when the hood was opened; the engine's coils could be reached through a flap on the dashboard. On the track it proved immediately successful, with a class victory in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Bizzarrini 5300 S1 Spyder Prototipo
Giotto Bizzarrini was one of Italy's leading engineers in the late 1950s and 1960s. After working for Alfa Romeo, Bizzarrini moved to Ferrari where he was responsible for the development of the 250 GTO. He left the Maranello based manufacturer in the big winter 1961 walk-out. Now as a consultant, he joined forces against Enzo Ferrari with Feruccio Lamborghini, who was interested in developing a Ferrari-beating luxury GT. Bizzarrini's efforts resulted in the 350 GTV prototype, destined to be fitted with a beautifully designed 3.5 litre V12 engine.
